[78-L] First real LP

Mon Feb 28 12:03:17 PST 2022

I guess the question also has to ask, “What is an Lp?”  An Lp, (upper case “L” and lower case “p”), was a Columbia trade mark so the first Lp had to be from Columbia. My custom is to refer to “Lp”s when I’m discussing Columbia products and “LP”s when referring to anybody else’s. That’s not by any authority, it’s just my habit!  It has also been pointed out that the “p” isn’t lower case, it’s just on a lower base line, so that the bottom of the loop of the “p” aligns with the horizontal line of the “L”. Somebody from Columbia would have to confirm that thought, because I have no idea. But are we discussing the first LP mastered from tape, or the first one cut at 33 1/3 during a live performance, (direct to disc)?  In the latter case, I think the Oscar would have to go to one of the RCA transcription discs from the early 30s by Leopold Stokowski. I don’t have the energy to go to my basement at the moment to find the title but I know I have at least one that was cut directly without going through a 78 rpm stage. I never considered that series as the earliest LPs, because in MY opinion, (and that’s all it is), in order to qualify as an LP, the micro groove stylus is just as important as the speed!  By the same token, coming in the back door, I don’t consider modern 78s, cut with a micro groove stylus as really being 78s; but you’re right; if they aren’t 78s, what are they?  

I’ve done a lot of opining here and everybody’s welcome to disagree!

db 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 28, 2022, at 13:32, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com.invalid> wrote:
> 
> 
> One other thing to remember about "first Lp" issues is the matrix numbers, rather than Catalog numbers. I've never seen a listing of the records in matrix number order, but the lowest issue numbers were not the lowest matrix numbers. All the ones I've seen are at least three digits. The 10 inch Lp and 12-inch XLp numbers are intermixed in one series.
> Michael Biel.
> 
> Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
> ________________________________
> From: Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 1:24:03 PM
> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>; 78-l at 78online.com <78-l at 78online.com>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] First real LP
> 
> South Pacific was also released simultaneously on Lp and 78. The recording session used tape as an experimental backup, but the tape was never used until a CD in the 1980s. It was quickly pulled when there was outrage that Carefully Taught was incomplete. The replacement used the disc masters, but I am not sure if they used the original discs or an old tape transfer.
> Michael Biel.
> 
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> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com <78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com> on behalf of dlennick dlennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca.invalid>
> Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 1:11:56 PM
> To: 78-l at 78online.com <78-l at 78online.com>
> Subject: Re: [78-L] First real LP
> 
> 
> To clarify, I Can Hear It Now WAS mastered on tape. Joel Tall was
> credited with the editing in the 78 liner notes.
> 
> 
>    ------ Original Message ------
>    From: dlennick at sympatico.ca.invalid
>    To: 78-l at 78online.com
>    Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 10:59 AM
>    Subject: Re: [78-L] First real LP
> 
> 
>  Not sure if I'm getting thjrough to the list this morning. Test 1-2-3.
> 
>  And "I Can Hear It Now" went direct to 78 and LP in 1948.
> 
>  Milhaud's "Le Boeuf Sur le Toit" was in the can for aboiut 4 years
> till
>  issued on 78 and lp in 1949.
> 
>  dl
> 
> 
>      ------ Original Message ------
>      From: saag at telia.com.invalid
>      To: 78-l at 78online.com
>      Sent: Monday, February 28, 2022 10:10 AM
>      Subject: [78-L] First real LP
> 
> 
>    According to Howard Scott at Columbia Records Bruno Walter's
> recording
>    of Mendelssohn's  "Concerto In E Minor For Violin And Orchestra Op.
>  64"
>    (Columbia ML 4001) was the first 12'' LP ever released, and Frank
>    Sinatra's "The Voice Of Frank Sinatra" (Columbia CL 6001) the first
>    10''. Both featured reissues of recordings previously released on
>  78's.
>    At the time of release (1st of July 1948) Columbia had about a
> hundred
>    different titles ready for release, so being "the first" albums
> these
>    two obviously were first only due to their numbering.
> 
>    But what was the first LP release of "original" material, produced
> for
>    LP, and previously not released on 78?
>    The topic was discussed here in 2004, without conclusion:
> 
>    Steve Abrams wrote about US Columbia:
> 
>    "I am not aware of any recordings mastered from tape in 1948. There
>  may
>    have been some experiments with tape in '48 but tape was not
>    introduced until the spring of 1949, for back-ups."
> 
>    And David Lennick wrote:
> 
>    "I believe that all of US Columbia's first lps were mastered direct
> to
>    disc from
>    the original 16" lacquers, which contained the original 4-minute
> takes
>    recorded
>    for 78 issue."
> 
>    Perhaps it wasn't Columbia at all who first released an "original
>    recording" on LP?
> 
>    Kristjan
> 
> 
> 
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