The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Norman, Are you the one who made the only diamond disc reproduction ever made of the Diamond Disc advertisting record? I believe you made 100 copies of it for Charlie Hummel? My question is do you ever think you will make more diamond disc repros of something that will sell well, like "Doin' the Racoon" and "I scream for ice cream". Is it harder to make disc repros and can they be made with songs on each side?

Really looking forward to "One of these Days"! Hope you will give us a heads up here when it is available.

Clay

Speaking of "Some of These Days", the BBC published an article today about Sophie Tucker. It includes that song.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35505532

Yes, Charley and I put out the advertising diamond disc a few years ago. With one or two exceptions, I left the distribution exclusively to Charley.
It wasn't probably the best title to start with as this very early DD recording is faint and quite noisy, something that people may thought was owed to the reproduction (which was not the case).

But yes, I am pursuing another title on a new Diamond Disc. Unfortunately, there are still some technical obstacles to overcome yet, which I had expected to be solved earlier. I have a working sample record of "Beale Street Blues" with me but really would like to have some bits and pieces optimized before. I now, it's quite embarrassing to keep announcing the disc and nothing appears to move onward. But I think it's better to delay and go for more quality.

The aim is focused on cutting a record from a source rather than a directly moulded copy off an old record. Given that, at least right now, it is way more complicated to do a double-sided disc, starting with double initial costs for two masters.

Also good news about Sophie: I heard the BBC radio feature on NPR this morning and just about one hour afterwards I received the first test sample cylinder with "Some of these Days". I am very happy how it turned out. I will very likely have it ready in a couple of weeks.

Thanks Norman for all that you do. It is good to see you posting and keeping us up to date.
Cheers,
John

Norman, when you say you prefer to get the music from a source, do you mean some music that has already been digitized? What was the source of Beale St. blues? Was it a diamond disc? I would be interested in single sided DDs if two sided ones are too problematic. Marc.

Was this originally issued on a cylinder? I have this on an Edison Needle Cut record.

howardpgh wrote:Was this originally issued on a cylinder? I have this on an Edison Needle Cut record.

This was one of the very cool late late Edison recordings that made it on to THREE Edison media:

Diamond Disc (52495-R)
Blue Amberol Cylinder 5682
Needle Cut (as you well know)

The only format from Edison's post-1912 output that this recording was NOT included on was the Long Play.

Virtually nothing was originally released on cylinder after 1915; in almost all cases cylinders after early 1915 were dubbed from the Diamond Discs.

pughphonos wrote:

howardpgh wrote:Was this originally issued on a cylinder? I have this on an Edison Needle Cut record.

This was one of the very cool late late Edison recordings that made it on to THREE Edison media:

Diamond Disc (52495-R)
Blue Amberol Cylinder 5682
Needle Cut (as you well know)

The only format from Edison's post-1912 output that this recording was NOT included on was the Long Play.

Virtually nothing was originally released on cylinder after 1915; in almost all cases all cylinders after early 1915 were dubbed from the Diamond Discs.

Very true...I think there a few that I can think of off hand that were not released on disc....Come Josephine in my Flying Machine and "Chicago" by Stevens.

marcapra wrote:Norman, when you say you prefer to get the music from a source, do you mean some music that has already been digitized? What was the source of Beale St. blues? Was it a diamond disc? I would be interested in single sided DDs if two sided ones are too problematic. Marc.

Yes, by doing a re-cut from a digital source. With several interesting numbers, such as Beale Street Blues, it is the only possible way to do it. This song only exists on a few Needle Type test pressings and never made into the official catalog. It was just too late (rec. Oct 4 '29). These Mal Hallet Orchestra recordings are, to what I am aware off, by far means the most progressive jazz numbers that ever made it into the Edison recording studio.

ps.: I won't be able to check back until late Sunday or Monday, in case anyone is wondering.