[78-L] Edward VIII Abdication Records

[David Lennick]

As noted, the one that passed through my hands a while ago is also a Victor 
pressing, 33rpm single sided web back vinyl, but has a local announcer intro 
(didn't catch the Los Angeles call letters) and some dreary orchestral music 
before the cutaway to the BBC, a local extro, and .. the thump. Appears to have 
been recorded at RKO Studios.

dl

On 12/8/2013 11:40 PM, Sammy Jones wrote:
> Hearing Mike Biel talk about the Edward VIII Abdication Speech during his
> YesterdayUSA broadcast on the Pearl Harbor speech reminds me that I have
> gotten a few more discs in.
>
> I now have two copies of the Center Music Store version (discog. details in
> an earlier message below) with label variations.  One copy has a rather
> plain, white label with blue type and says:
>
> Farewell Speech
> of Former
> King Edward VIII
> December 11, 1936--5 P.M.
> Center Music Store
> R.C.A. Bldg. Rockefeller Center
> New York, U.S.A.
>
> The other Center version is on a grey label with a black ring with red type
> around the label:
>
> AN ELECTRICAL RECORDING
> Exclusively for
> CENTER
> MUSIC STORE
> Rockefeller Center NY
> THE FAREWELL SPEECH
> OF FORMER
> KING EDWARD VIII
> Recorded from Radio Broadcast on
> December 11, 1936, at 5 P.M.
>
> Now, to the most interesting part, as I mentioned on Facebook last week:
> this Center Music Store record is the worst sounding copy of the speech I've
> heard.  It sounds like it's a mic placed in front of a speaker...which of
> course it is!  At the end of side one, someone says "stop!," and then a loud
> click is heard.  Fascinating.
>
> Also in just last week, a copy of the speech from the Gramophone Shop.  It's
> a 10-incher with a plain, white pasteover label.  The label for side one has
> fallen off to leave only a blank, white label.  Here's the info from side 2:
>
> THE
> FAREWELL MESSAGE
> --of--
> KING EDWARD VIII
> DEC. 11, 1936    PART TWO
> THIS RECORD IS NOT TO BE USED
> FOR
> BROADCASTING OR PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
> The Gramophone Shop
> 18 E. 48th ST. - New York
>
> The matrix nos. are 1006 and 1007.
>
> And a 12" British pressing that I've just gotten...It's a red label with
> gold print.  The matrix numbers are KS1-2 and KS2.
>
> The label reads:
>
> H.M. KING EDWARD VIII
> Speaking to the World from Windsor Castle
> as H.R.H. Prince Edward on the eve of his
> departure from England, 11th December, 1936
> PART 1
> Issued by
> Empire Recording Institute
> Empire House
> London, W. 1
>
> The record begins with an introduction before the speech begins:
>
> "His Majesty, King Edward VIII, speaking to the world from Windsor Castle as
> His Royal Highness Prince Edward on the eve of his departure from England
> after his abdication on Friday, December 11, 1936."
>
> Reith's comments are not heard, and the recording ends abruptly after the
> words, "God save the King!"
>
> Now (and if you've read this far down you're as big a fan of the Abdication
> Speech record as I am), here's the most interesting bit of trivia I've come
> up with doing all this collecting of and listening to Abdication records:
>
> I've always assumed the RCA vinyls that I own (probably made for Hal B.
> Wallis, details in an earlier message below) were pretty complete.  They are
> not!  The infamous thump between John Reith's introduction and Edward's
> speech has been edited out on both records!  The edit is imperceptible, so I
> believe the master might have been made on film.  Mike Biel is there any way
> to tell from the matrix numbers?  The one-sided 33's numbers are VIS-6141-56
> and the two-sided 78's numbers are VIS 6145 and VIS 6146.
>
> Sammy Jones
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sammy Jones"<sjones69 at bellsouth.net>
> To:<78-l at 78online.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 10:50 PM
> Subject: Re: Edward VIII Abdication Records
>
>
>> Last week I got a 12" copy of the speech released by Center Music Store in
>> the RCA Building at 30 Rock in New York.  Here's the discog. info:
>>
>> Farewell Speech of Former King Edward VIII, Center Music Store (CM #1A/CM
>> 1B), 12"
>>
>> And just in tonight, a 10" copy with no maker listed.  Unfortunately, it
>> was poorly packed and arrived in a million pieces.  For the record, here's
>> the info:
>>
>> Farewell Address of King Edward VIII of England, no maker, white/cream
>> label (L-0369-A-3/L-0370-B-3), 10"
>>
>> There are a few more copies I've discovered and hope to have in-hand (and
>> unbroken) shortly.  Thanks to everyone who provided information on other
>> versions of the disc.
>>
>> Sammy Jones
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Sammy Jones"<sjones69 at bellsouth.net>
>> To:<78-l at 78online.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 5:33 AM
>> Subject: Edward VIII Abdication Records
>>
>>
>>> Okay...how many of these things were there?  I thought I had a pretty
>>> nice collection of Edward VIII Abdication records on 78, but just came
>>> across three different variations on eBay that I don't have (I snapped
>>> two of them up).  Has anyone put together a list or discography?
>>>
>>> To get the ball rolling, here are the commercial 78 pressings I have of
>>> the speech:
>>>
>>> King's Farewell Speech, Brunswick 7810 (mx. 20404/20405), 10"
>>> Farewell Address of King Edward VIII, no maker, gold foil label (mx. 6635
>>> #1 / 6735 P2 ((the 3 and P are reversed in the wax))), 12"
>>> Abdication Speech of King Edward VIII, no maker, white label (MS-A
>>> 1523/MS-A 1524), 12"
>>>
>>> And a 10" shellac pressing with a white label bearing only PART 1 in
>>> large type (mx XX1/XX2).  Someone has written "A limited issue by the
>>> BBC. 1937." in pen on the label.  Nothing whatsoever on the reverse side
>>> white label.
>>>
>>> By the way, my favorite copies are two 12" vinyl pressings (one at 78 and
>>> one at 33 1/3) by Victor that were apparently made for Hal Wallis (the
>>> movie producer).  The 33 disc is one-sided and has that lovely RCA
>>> spiderweb pattern on the back.  The one-sided 33's matrix number is
>>> VIS-6141-56.  The two-sided 78's matrix numbers are VIS 6145 and VIS
>>> 6146.
>>>
>>> I'd love to know if anyone has ever encountered similar vinyl pressings
>>> of the Abdication Speech like these!
>>>
>>> I'll post details of the discs I'm getting from eBay once they arrive.
>>>
>>> Sammy Jones
>>>
>>
>