[78-L] the Road less traveled

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

Rodger Holtin wrote:

> Recently picked up a copy of Bing Crosby singing "The Road to Morocco" on Decca 18514 (June 10, 1942).  This is not the more familiar one with Bob Hope on Decca 4000 (recorded 1944). ...

"Decca 4000"? I show that as "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi" (DLA 2440, 14 June 1941)/"Dream Girl Of Pi K. A." (DLA 2443, 16 June 1941). Must be Decca 40000...yep, found it...(Details, details...)

Han Enderman noted:

> I have images of a single (and thus fairly rare) copy of 18514, which show the 
> Decca mx nrs in the wax.
> Morocco is L 3030 on label and DLA 3030 A in the wax 
> (in the normal serifed font used for prewar Decca masters).

Serifed? I've always noted a sans-serif font used in the wax on Decca records since late 1937...prior to that, a serifed font that resembles Columbia's was used, particularly on DLAs.

> Reverse 18514-B Ain't Got A Dime To My Name is L 3031 on label, but in the wax is:
> L 3031 A in sanserif font.
> Why the prefix has been changed from DLA into L (on label, and on -B in wax too) ?
> Is side B a dub ?

If it were a dub it would have a 'WL' prefix and a suffixed transfer-number 'T1', 'T2' et seq.

Decca apparently dropped the "DLA" in favor of simply 'L' as it entered the 3000 block of numbers, but labels and wax don't immediately reflect this.

Take care,


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