[78-L] Columbia flag label

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

David Harvey wrote:

> is that session by Art Gillham on Columbia flag label 328-D from 25 February 1925 the first electrically recorded 78 record sold?

That's the claim on this site: <http://lwhisper.home.mindspring.com/ArtGillham.html>

FIRST ELECTRICAL RECORDING

On February 25, 1925, Art recorded You May Be Lonesome, one of his own compositions on what became the first recording using the new Western Electric electrical recording system, to be commercially released:  Columbia 328-D. Two songs were  recorded electrically on February 26 and 27, but had a lower release number: Columbia 326-D. He recorded five other songs with the microphone on February 25. All but one of those songs were released. Three of the released songs were his own compositions. On February 26, 1925 Art recorded another song with the microphone. On February 27, 1925 Columbia began using the microphone with other artists. In a 1961 interview, a week or so before his death, Art said Columbia asked him to help them test their Western Electric recording equipment, presumably because of his experience with microphones in radio. Columbia gave him a "gift" of $1,000.00.

> is the letter "W" in the dead wax of these Columbia flag label discs stand for Western Electric?

Yep-purrz! I have two copies of Columbia 328-D...Flags label and black pre-Viva-tonal. The Flags-label copy has no circle-Ws in the wax while the black-label copy has them (about an inch away from the number, which seems consistent for the first few dozen electric masters.

> i have a few Columbia flag label discs, including one that is a re-issue of an earlier Columbia acoustic A 3317, matrices 78861 & 78862. i also own the original acoustic issue of A 3317. however, it is odd to see the acoustic number A 3317 on the flag label.

It is. The label credits are by necessity re-typeset on the Flags-label repressings. Surfaces *can* be better though. There are black pre-Viva-tonal repressings of certain three-digit A- series acoustics too.

More on Gillham -- a discography:

http://lwhisper.home.mindspring.com/ArtGillham_1924-1925.htm

Take care,


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