[78-L] Oldtimers query

[Inigo Cubillo]

I don’t remember well when I joined, must have been late ‘97/early ‘98 too. I cannot remember how I arrived to 78L, maybe it was I found it on the web, or someone leed me there. I’ve been a subscriber since then, mostly in the daily digest mode. At times when work was light, I posted frequently, but other times I only read the digests.

I remember it was a fine group. I was then a newbie to discography matters, although I’d been collecting 78s since 1978. 78L people helped me a lot with getting books on the subject, and answering my many questions. 

Some names from the old times... and people who were in 78L or which I knew through this list.

Graham Newton, Steven C. Barr and David Lennick. I had the pleasure of meeting them in the flesh, when I went to Toronto for the construction of the belt highway Hwy-407. We met at Graham’s, and I spent two or three hours with them. We swapped records, and they demonstrated the CEDAR de-noising system for me, using a very old spanish Odeon pressing with heavily stressed grooves I had taken there.

Steven Ramm, many years the ARSC treasurer. I also had the pleasure to meet him here in Madrid, Spain, during a hoiday trip of his.

Jan Threlkeld, a Frisco architect... I traded some records with him, and he generously gave me his old edition of Rust Jazz discography, the first one I had.

Luis Contijoch, a colleague from Argentina, with which I was corresponding during a time.

Earl Okin, dear old friend... I used to swap records with him. I got operatics and Pathés for him in Madrid, and he bought british dance band records for me, at the Mike & June Child stall in Portobello Road, under the westway flyover, just in front of Earl’s door. Mike is our friend soundgen at TMF, I believe. I also bought from him directly some spare parts, sprigs, needles, etc.

Many more helped with discographical data. Colleagues at 78L revealed to me the secrets of RCA-Victor matrix prefixes, or the elusive Homokord matrix numbering and pressing dating systems, or the Columbia matrix codes, and many more. 

Time ago I had to dump my paper files, due to lack of space, but I still keep a bunch of discography-related old emails. Reading from there I find some names... 

Al & Sondra Simmons, showed me the matrix coding of Swan Records (late forties’ jazz issues).

Julian Vein, Ross Laird.

I also had the pleasure of being writing with the very lates Francis James (author of the famous EMG story), Peter Copeland (who sent me copies of his discographic articles published in HR), and not less than the late Alan Kelly. God bless them..! They were all so helpful and friendly with my questions and curiosity.

Norman FIeld also was there. What a lovely website he runs, and many instructive and entertaining videos on YouTube.

I remember some other names from then. Apart from those already mentioned, I also can remember Steve Abrams, Tyrone Settlemier, Ron Dethlefson, Vince Giordano, Giuliana Fugazzotto (I bought some Layton & Johnstone records from her), David Diehl, Al & Sondra Simmons, Hans Koert, Michael Ladwig, Mike in Plovdiv, and so many more...

Is there any place where the old 78L email digests are stored and could be downloaded? I would love to recover that lot!

Inigo