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SUN 261 Plays Too Fast

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:07 pm
by CDBPDX
Just got a nice SUN 261 featuring Carl Perkins playing MATCHBOX and YOUR TRUE LOVE. Pretty hopping tunes, but the YOUR TRUE LOVE side plays way too fast at 78 rpm, like chipmunks. I slowed it down and now it sounds more like Carl Perkins than Alvin. A quick check of YouTube shows this played from a 45, haven't found anything on 78 yet. Even the 45s sound a bit fast, but not as fast as this disc. Here are a couple links with both recordings:

Played at slower than 78 rpm:
http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/SUN261/YOUR-TR ... 1-1957.mp3

Played at 78 rpm:
http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/SUN261/YOUR-TR ... 1-1957.mp3

Here is a link to the flip side, MATCHBOX:
http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/SUN261/MATCHBO ... 1-1957.mp3

I'm going to post to YouTube shortly with the slower version and a note in the comments describing the slower play.

Cliff

Re: SUN 261 Plays Too Fast

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:21 pm
by Wolfe
Unless I'm mistaken, Sam Phillips always mastered (cut) these sides himself, but he's dead now so you can't ask him. ;)

Sounds like a mistake rather than something intentional. I know of no efforts at Sun to alter the pitch of records for some artistic or commercial purpose.

Re: SUN 261 Plays Too Fast

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 4:48 pm
by bfinan11
These types of mistakes did happen, even into the vinyl era. I have at least one example in my collection, a copy of the Playmates' "Beep Beep" on a "40 rpm" record. Playing it at 45, it is too fast, a half-step sharp relative to modern reissues, and 15 seconds shorter than the run time marked on the label...

Re: SUN 261 Plays Too Fast

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 5:24 pm
by Wolfe
Well, it looks like Phillips did have Bill Putnam master some things, so, I stand corrected.

Putnam is probably most well known to the layperson for founding United / United-Western Recorders, a progressive (depending on your POV) recording studio facility in Hollywood in the late 50's - early 60's. Pretty much the antithesis of Sam Phillips' little studio at 706 Union in Memphis. The Carl Perkins above was made at 706. Phillips built another studio in the 60's.