What types of unusual records have you heard of/have?

[Curt A]

I have forty or fifty different "puzzle records", an early 1930s Victor 10" 33rpm record, a Pathé cement record from 1906 which has a picture side and a French picture disc with can-can dancers from the Moulin Rouge.

Ditto to the puzzle records, I have quite a few English ones - the most unusual being one on a 5 ⅞ inch kiddies' record, and one with no fewer than 24 grooves per side.

Just curious what the 5 ⅞ kiddies' record is - do you have a pic of the label? Also, is the record with 24 grooves per side an HMV Limerick record?

[Curt A]

Does anyone have a Berliner puzzle record?

[poodling around]

I have forty or fifty different "puzzle records", an early 1930s Victor 10" 33rpm record, a Pathé cement record from 1906 which has a picture side and a French picture disc with can-can dancers from the Moulin Rouge.

Ditto to the puzzle records, I have quite a few English ones - the most unusual being one on a 5 ⅞ inch kiddies' record, and one with no fewer than 24 grooves per side.

Flexibles - we have quite a few English labels, some being various kinds of celluloid (Filmophone, Phonycord, Goodson - many of the latter being from Grey Gull masters), some single-sided pressed on card backs (Durium, some being small advertising records, and Tuck postcards) and some laminated card picture discs (Trusound, early 1930s).

Stollwerck chocolate records!

I'm sure I'm forgetting various others...

I have some 'Filmophone' records. Absolutely amazing, surreal colours ! The 'When We Were Very Young' 'Now We Are Six' three set is my favourite !

[CarlosV]

I accumulated many unusual records, some of them are listed below:
- about a dozen 50 cm Pathés, weighing circa 2 kg each
- WWII records, including Churchill speeches, Roosevelt's war declaration and other speeches, Eisenhower D Day speech, Pétain speech, a picture disc honoring general Léclerc, Gigli's and Martinelli's recordings of Giovinezza, Mussolini's speech while visiting the US, recording of a RAF raid over Germany
- Autographed records: Gigli, Carlos Gardel, Conchita Supervia, Tito Schipa, Raie da Costa
- Autographed album of Othello, with Paul Robeson leading the cast
- Album of John McCormack songs autographed by his accompanist Edwin Schneider
- Two different versions of Caruso Pathé recording: one center start and a later issue with paper label
- Dozens of Comedian Harmonists records, including their versions of Creole Love Call and Tea for Two
- Ray Noble's Midnight, the Stars and You, made famous when included in the soundtrack of The Shining
- Test pressing of a Carmen Miranda movie soundtrack, plus several of her Brazilian recordings
- A Pathé recording of a boxing match, including the sound of the blows (!)
- Another Pathé recording of a tram ride in Brussels, including the call of stations
- John Barrymore's Hamlet Soliloquy
- Al Jolson Little Wonder recording
- Miniature advertising records for the English Imperial label
- Mistinguette Pathé records with her picture on the label
- Maurice Chevalier first recordings on Pathé
- Louis Armstrong's records made in Paris in the early 30s
- English Marathon records (unique long playing vertical cut)
- Julian Huxley - Aldous's brother - record of birds (plus book)
- Gandhi's recording
- Rudy Valentino's only record
- Ramon Novarro singing
- Laurel and Hardy's only recording - made in England, 12 inch
etc

[AmberolaAndy]

Oh I forgot, I also have two Vogue picture discs. I never saw the big deal with them, and I actually think the art work is ugly on them. But I know collectors gobble them up.

Oh yeah I got one of those. The “Sugar Blues” one.

I have a 78rpm copy of Sweet Georgia Brow by Brother Bones

And who can forget the Okeh laughing/crying records and the rip-off Button Buster record.

And the Len Spencer advertising record. (I just wish I had a better copy)

[Orchorsol]

I have forty or fifty different "puzzle records", an early 1930s Victor 10" 33rpm record, a Pathé cement record from 1906 which has a picture side and a French picture disc with can-can dancers from the Moulin Rouge.

Ditto to the puzzle records, I have quite a few English ones - the most unusual being one on a 5 ⅞ inch kiddies' record, and one with no fewer than 24 grooves per side.

Just curious what the 5 ⅞ kiddies' record is - do you have a pic of the label? Also, is the record with 24 grooves per side an HMV Limerick record?

[Menophanes]

Barry's 33 r.p.m. disc is a great curiosity. The conductor Percy Pitt died in 1932, so that this must be one of the earliest records made to play at that speed. What kind of machine could have sustained such a low speed in those days, while coping with the considerable weight of an early pick-up? And how on earth, if at all, can such a record be played today?

Oliver Mundy.

[Menophanes]

I have some 'Filmophone' records. Absolutely amazing, surreal colours ! The 'When We Were Very Young' 'Now We Are Six' three set is my favourite !

I too have a couple of these, one being a potpourri from Verdi's Rigoletto played by a very respectable orchestra (band and conductor both unidentified). This is pressed in dark-green translucent plastic, the other (two military-band marches) being pink. I am surprised that these flexible records were not more successful; they have quieter surfaces than many conventional discs of the period, and they stand up perfectly well to playing on acoustic machines. Their only drawback is that they tend to distort if not stored either horizontally or with something (I use another record) included within the sleeve to keep them rigid.

In terms of content, perhaps my oddest record is a Favorite, from 1908, of two English hymn-tunes played on the carillon of the Town Hall (Rathaus) of Munich, Germany – forty-three tower bells, played from a keyboard. I have digitised one of the sides on my web-page http://www.horologia.me.uk/discs.html (near the bottom).

Oliver Mundy.

[Inigo]

Ah, and I've got two of the very first and only Spanish shellac 33 rpm lps issued in 1933, by our independent Columbia label, labeled Regal. These were recorded in Spain, I suspect that under technology imported from UK Columbia, who were then leading the recording activities by our associated branch.

[Dischoard]

I'm not sure they're unusual but they aren't something you find out in the wild everyday. When I was still in college I came upon a small oak box filled with 7" records that I picked up for $90 I think. Turns out they were E. Berliner Gramophone discs. 25 or 26 of them, I don't really remember as I don't open the box all that much. I actually sent 6 of them off to DonnieJ so he could make copies of them.

Just about a month ago my father was helping a friend clean out a house and came upon a bunch of Vogue picture discs loose in a trunk. His friend let him take them and he gave them to me. 7 discs with music and art that, to some, is of questionable nature, but for me it was totally worth it for the Art Mooney version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad"... such a cool track.

Like the others I have a V disc, some home recorded discs (on one a kid is obviously practicing his French) and still digging through my boxes trying to get a handle on what's in there. It's fun and like having my own antique store to explore in the house!