[78-L] <VE> or (VE)

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

Rodger Holtin wrote:

> We’ve probably all seen Victors with <VE> on one side
> and (VE) on the other – odd, unusual, but not unheard-of.  Here’s a new twist on that theme.  
> 
> I have two copies of 10” Red Seal 4323 – Ah Sweet Mystery of
> Life and Indian Love Call by nelsonandjeannette.  One copy has silver print circle label,
> double eccentric, with the VE pressed in the wax in a diamond on both
> sides.  The other is a later RCA label,
> Sweet Mystery is a dub but Indian has the VE in the oval.  Indian on both discs are -2.  
> 
> Two pressings same tune, same take; one oval,
> one diamond!    Anybody ever seen variants in the VE outline
> before?  Two lathes?  Another pseudo-sorta-stereo?

Nope...just two different pressing plants.

Victor Red Seal 4323 was recorded in Hollywood. West-Coast pressings will sport the oval-VE, with the letters a bit smaller than those found in East-Coast oval-VE marks, and the wax catalog numbers will be in a slightly different font compared to East-Coast pressings. A Hollywood recording of this vintage with a diamond-VE is almost assuredly an East-Coast pressing. Not a dub or different lathe, though.

Your "silver print circle label" (brass, actually) is 1941-43 vintage. Does it lack patent 1637544?

I have copies of Benny Goodman's famous Victor 36205 "Sing, Sing, Sing" bearing oval-VE and diamond-VE symbols. There are no differences aside from the VE marks, wax catalog numbers and take digits. I've not seen the oval-VE beyond 1938 on US pressings, and when it does appear after 1931-32 it's almost always on Hollywood-related recordings. The diamond-VE does appear on Victor 26170-A (BG's "And The Angels Sing"), recorded 1 February 1939, and that's the latest one I know of.

Some non-US Victors show an oval-VE even on postwar recordings. (Got a scan of RCA Victor 63-0143-A (Argentina) "Tiger Rag" by Tommy Dorsey AHO which clearly shows an oval-VE!)

Take care,


—
Joe
—
Cats: I've got 'em right where they want me.