Rare Beatles 78

[jamiegramo]

Here's something unusual!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNOqrWYmJJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyXBPnZ_Dbw

Also a previous attempt to upload it playing with a thorn needle on an Expert Senior, with a bit of narrative - the copyright owners had blocked my every attempt until I played only a few seconds. (For the new videos linked above, I raised disputes worded as kindly requests, which to my surprise were honoured.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrbiP5JwCFc

Thank you for posting the videos of this unusual 78 and seeing the Garrard 301 in action. I still don’t quite understand how you got away with it and not the EMG demonstration!

I would procrastinate a little longer over selling that record, well maybe. Unless you need the money. Being able to demonstrate a record from that period on an acoustic EMG is a unique experience for any visitor or enthusiast.

[Marco Gilardetti]

Also a previous attempt to upload it playing with a thorn needle on an Expert Senior, with a bit of narrative - the copyright owners had blocked my every attempt until I played only a few seconds. (For the new videos linked above, I raised disputes worded as kindly requests, which to my surprise were honoured.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrbiP5JwCFc

Well, seeing it from a different perspective, perhaps you have been spared hundreds of messages from the usual "masters" eager to "teach" you that that record is not supposed to be played that way, that you are damaging it forever, that this is a detriment for all generations to come, that as the owner it is your religious duty to preserve it for posterity, etc. etc. etc.

[Orchorsol]

Thank you for posting the videos of this unusual 78 and seeing the Garrard 301 in action. I still don’t quite understand how you got away with it and not the EMG demonstration!

It's simply that I asked very politely under the guise of a copyright challenge in the latter case.
With the Expert Senior I'd been frustrated with it being blocked several times over (subsequent videos with shorter and shorter snatches of the music) and hadn't thought of that approach. I suppose I could try again sometime with a new video, but it isn't great listening! I find that even with EMGs and Experts, all 78s later than 1950 or so are better played on modern equipment.

Well, seeing it from a different perspective, perhaps you have been spared hundreds of messages from the usual "masters" eager to "teach" you that that record is not supposed to be played that way, that you are damaging it forever, that this is a detriment for all generations to come, that as the owner it is your religious duty to preserve it for posterity, etc. etc. etc.

Ain't that the truth, absolutely!

Seeing comments about fake Beatles 78s, I'd be tempted to make scans of the labels and make one myself, then break it on screen just to annoy those folks...

[Marco Gilardetti]

Seeing comments about fake Beatles 78s, I'd be tempted to make scans of the labels and make one myself, then break it on screen just to annoy those folks...

[Steve]

Thank you for posting the videos of this unusual 78 and seeing the Garrard 301 in action. I still don’t quite understand how you got away with it and not the EMG demonstration!

It's simply that I asked very politely under the guise of a copyright challenge in the latter case.
With the Expert Senior I'd been frustrated with it being blocked several times over (subsequent videos with shorter and shorter snatches of the music) and hadn't thought of that approach. I suppose I could try again sometime with a new video, but it isn't great listening! I find that even with EMGs and Experts, all 78s later than 1950 or so are better played on modern equipment.

Well, seeing it from a different perspective, perhaps you have been spared hundreds of messages from the usual "masters" eager to "teach" you that that record is not supposed to be played that way, that you are damaging it forever, that this is a detriment for all generations to come, that as the owner it is your religious duty to preserve it for posterity, etc. etc. etc.

Ain't that the truth, absolutely!

Seeing comments about fake Beatles 78s, I'd be tempted to make scans of the labels and make one myself, then break it on screen just to annoy those folks...

Oh please, please (me) do!

I have quite enough with the total Beatles obsession dominating the Steve Hoffman music forum, it would be great to see a total obsessive lose his nut over a broken "rare" 78!

I didn't have any Beatles 78's but up until recently I did own about a dozen Cliff Richard 78's from India on various labels, including Columbia and HMV. I sold them all for a reasonable sum. I cannot believe that there are people who can't understand that 78's were made into the 1960's when The Beatles were current. It's not unusual (to quote Tom Jones) to find them.

[jamiegramo]

I suppose I could try again sometime with a new video, but it isn't great listening! I find that even with EMGs and Experts, all 78s later than 1950 or so are better played on modern equipment.

I did wonder if a thorn needle can play through the whole side?

[Woody]

I’m curious about one of the comments you made in that (very cool!) video. You mentioned that the Beatles 78 was pressed on shellac. Is that true of 1950s and 1960s Indian 78s in general? Or do vinyl/soft-compound 78s also start popping up in India too?

[Orchorsol]

I’m curious about one of the comments you made in that (very cool!) video. You mentioned that the Beatles 78 was pressed on shellac. Is that true of 1950s and 1960s Indian 78s in general? Or do vinyl/soft-compound 78s also start popping up in India too?

I don't know but I believe so. Photos of the later Beatles 78s have that look about them but it's hard to be sure. It would seem to make sense that India was probably a very late adopter of new heavy industry to process and press vinyl, and enough numbers of electric record players sold.

[Woody]

Thanks!

[Marco Gilardetti]

I did wonder if a thorn needle can play through the whole side?

In my experience yes, it can be done in most cases, given some circumstances:

1) the surface of the record shall be in pristine or however excellent conditions;
2) the record shall be carefully and abundantly cured with ibota wax;
3) the thorn needle shall belong to the "extra thin" gauge selection.

I have to agree with Orchorsol, though, that playing such late records on gramophones doesn't add anything special to the listening experience - they are usually much more enjoyable when played on period radiograms. Also from a psycho-acoustic standpoint, the too obvious time lag between the gramophone and the record puts the listener into an uncomfortable atmosphere - although I'm persuaded that listening late 78s on gramophones is not strictly anti-historical, as I figure that youngs in the 50's would carry to pic-nics Elvis records and a portable gramophone.