First Electric Recording 1924 - Compo Canada

[Governor Flyball]

The Canadians were actively making electric records prior to 1925. The Compo Company founded in Montreal by the son of Emile Berliner was making electric test recordings through 1924.

Compo matrix E146 or E147 (depending whether you believe the write up or the photo of the record) from September 1924 is on YouTube:
Watch "COMPO ELECTRIC TEST, Matrix E147, Sept 14, 1924, Howe's Orchestra, "Nobody's Sweetheart Now"" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/sKyoKcpFcPA

Under a Compo issued record labelled for Sherwin-Williams, I recently found a copy of Compo matrix E148. It consists of an electric spoken rendition of a fairy tale (perhaps spoken by one of the Berliners?) with a sung verse of the song "Tis Springtime Again". On the flip side is a complete acoustic rendition of "Tis Springtime Again". Matrix E148 sounds very similar in quality to E146/7 posted on YouTube. It has a pinched nasal quality but is definitely electric.

I am curious if anyone has discovered any other Compo E matrices from the same period?

[Governor Flyball]

I have found two copies of this record. It is not a test pressing.

So the question is, if as suggested it was recorded in September 1924, can this obscure disc be considered the earliest release of an electrical recording? Not much appears known of the Berliner electric recording activities in Montreal during this period.

That is apart from Canadians Merriman and Guest and their crude 1920 recording of the Armistace Day Ceremonies at Westminster.

[Wolfe]

In the U.S.A. Orlando Marsh was making electrical recordings for his Autograph label by mid-1924. Marsh might have been recording electrically even in 1923. Marsh has the jump on your Compo. The Compo sounds quite suprisingly good though.

[Governor Flyball]

Are any Marsh records in circulation? There appear none on YouTube.

As I said, I have found two copies of the Sherwin-Williams disc. I shall post it on YouTube and link it here soon.

The Compo Company began experimented with electrical recording about the same time as Marsh. It is one thing finding test recordings. But the 1924 Sherwin-Williams disc was published and widely distributed.

[Wolfe]

There indeed issued Autograph 78's circulating. But a quick search of YT for one turned up this interesting early test from February, 1924 :

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRKOfom3_nM[/youtube]

It sounds like a primitive electrical process.

[Governor Flyball]

Interesting disc. However there is nothing that truly links it to Marsh. It could be a very good acoustical recording.

Did Marsh issue records commercially? If so, where are they?

Compo on the other hand was an offshoot of the Berliner Gramophone Company. They were well equipped to mass manufacture and had the network to distribute the records.

The Berliner Gramophone Company became a fully owned subsidiary of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1924. Canadian Victor differed from the US parent by advertising on the record label Orthophonic Electric New Process recordings through 1925. I suspect this was no doubt due to competition from Compo who were very early advertising Electric recording.

[FellowCollector]

Are any Marsh records in circulation? There appear none on YouTube.

For what it's worth, I have an Electra label record posted on my YouTube channel that clearly indicates "Marsh Laboratories Chicago" on the label. The recording features an 85 year old Civil War veteran singing a song dedicated to his fallen comrades. It is one of the more popular videos on my YouTube channel with more than 166,000 views:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKiBTSOWVZA[/youtube]

Granted, this was a later 'specialty' recording by Orlando Marsh and surely only a handful were pressed but Marsh's Autograph label featuring Milton Charles (organist) among other artists seem to surface occasionally as I have a few of those in my collection that I've found in various places over the years.

[Wolfe]

Interesting disc. However there is nothing that truly links it to Marsh. It could be a very good acoustical recording.

Did Marsh issue records commercially? If so, where are they?

Well, they aren't like copies of Der Bingle's White Christmas, but they do exist. They look like this :

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUCq0IhVuDk[/youtube]

[gramophone78]

Here is a thread on the Sherwin-Williams record.
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... n+williams

Emile Berliner started operations in Canada January 1900 in Montreal.

The Compo Co. was started in 1918 by Herbert Berliner (Emile's oldest Son). This move by Herbert created a riff between Father and Son as Emile look at it as direct competition against the Berliner Gramophone Co.

In 1919, Compo record pressing began for the Phonola line, followed in a few months by the Gennett label for the Starr Co. of Canada.

The Compo Co. offered several labels....Sun (May 1921), Apex (July 1921), just to name a few.

A book published in 1975 titled "Roll Back The Years" by Ed Moogk is an excellent source on the early recording and Gramophone manufacturing industry in Canada.