Caruso Value Myths

[jnorman111]

(J.M.J.)
I know what you are saying, Beaumonde and Wolfe, but you probably are not taking into consideration that most Caruso one sided Victor red seals are not "First Edition", as they run of the mill one sided sold after the "First Edition", as the song was very popular during the Great War. And because Caruso sang in both French and English on the same record makes this a one time event specialty for some.

[Wolfe]

Joel Whitburn lists Over There as a # 1 charting record upon release in 1918 (whatever that's worth) I do believe it was very popular. RCA/BMG also made it their Caruso entry in the first volume of the Nippers Greatest Hits CD series.

And I suspect that many folks, who want to own something of Caruso, but are not necessarily opera fans, may be driven to acquire it, for it's historical association and the fact that it's partially sung in English. Caruso's other recordings in English are of lesser known songs of a sometimes treacly variety.

[melvind]

I would say the value of Caruso records varies quite a lot when dealing with the early one sided victors. Some are so common you can't give them away, but others seem to never show up. I've been trying to collect all the Victor Caruso's for nearly 10 years now and I'm still missing about 20 of them. Just try to find the 1st Victor releases in the 5000 series! If you do find one, they are expensive. So, it's all a bit objective and there are so many late copies for cheap that it's sometimes hard to tell what is worth what. But, it's a fun goal for me to find all the Victors. I have a few really early Victors and are rare, and many that you see in every antique mall in the USA. The really fun ones are things like Victor Red label Deluxe Records. There are a few I would pay good money for just to get the collection completed.

Dan

[beaumonde]

My favorites to collect are the ca. 1904-05 Grand Prize issues with piano accompaniment. These tend to be so well recorded compared to the later ones (having only a piano as opposed to the stodgy "Victor Orchestra" is also a plus).

[Wolfe]

My favorites to collect are the ca. 1904-05 Grand Prize issues with piano accompaniment. These tend to be so well recorded compared to the later ones

They sure do. Very forward sound, that, upon being played back on decent equipment, can give you the illusion of being right in that room at Carnegie Hall where they were recorded. The sound just leaps off the grooves. And I've never a heard a transfer (Ward Marston's included) that really does them justice.
You have to collect the originals.

I've very unimpressed, and occasionally irked by the way Victor recorded Caruso in the later years, not very good.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

I have to say that Over There is one of my favourites: when he launches into the French version " Johnny sac au dos... Entends-tu le clairon sonne... " WHEEEE! it puts me in a good mood for hours . I think I'm easily amused . But seriously, listening to great artists sing second rate music is a revelation into just what amazing musicians they were!

Jim

[m1tch]

I think the only ones that are extremely valuable are the earliest recordings on the Zonophone label, before G&T/Victor snapped him up as an exclusive artist.

Probably:

Zonophone
Pathé
G & T
Victor

In that order of value.

I've have heard before about there being a high demand for Over There. It's a currently popular title. A bit like the Edison (not Caruso) disc of A Cup Of Coffee And Sandwich And You. Otherwise, no other reason for the price to be driven up. It doesn't seem to me like a particularly rare disc. Not even the rarest of his Victor records. by a long shot.

I have just found a Regal Zonophone record, does it have any value?

[Wolfe]

I have just found a Regal Zonophone record, does it have any value?

I don't know, who is it?

Not a Caruso on 'Regal' Zonophone.

[gramophoneshane]

"Regal" was Columbias cheap brand, and "Zonophone" was HMVs cheap brand of record since before WWI until 1932 when HMV & Columbia merged to become EMI. At this point, the "Regal Zonophone" label was born as EMIs cheap label.
Some recordings can found on the Regal or Zonophone label, as well as on the Regal Zonophone label around the time the two cheap labels merged into one. I've got Eddie Cantors "What a perfect combination" on both the Regal & Regal Zonophone labels.
I'm not sure about the UK, but here in Australia, the Regal Zonophone label eventually became mostly country & western music, & continued to be used until around 1958 for 78rpm releases, but there was no RZ label used for 45rpm & 33rpm pressing available at the same time.
A good example of this is Slim Dustys "Pub with no beer". Slim was signed to the RZ label, so his 78s were released on RZ, but his 45s were released on the Columbia label because the RZ label didn't exist for 45s.