4 minutes?

[MisterGramophone]

They play - as long as they play... What difference does it make, unless you are manufacturing new records to fit a given size blank?

It is weird because I have seen some Victors going as long as 6 minutes while some 12 inch Victors are less than 3 minutes, why waste space like that?

[Rastus10]

It is weird because I have seen some Victors going as long as 6 minutes while some 12 inch Victors are less than 3 minutes, why waste space like that?

What's an example of a twelve-inch Victor whose playing time is less than three minutes?

Not meant to put you on the spot, but I can't think of any, off-hand, and am curious.

[MisterGramophone]

It is weird because I have seen some Victors going as long as 6 minutes while some 12 inch Victors are less than 3 minutes, why waste space like that?

What's an example of a twelve-inch Victor whose playing time is less than three minutes?

Not meant to put you on the spot, but I can't think of any, off-hand, and am curious.

Victor 88178, it is a 12 inch Victor that plays for only 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

[JerryVan]

It is weird because I have seen some Victors going as long as 6 minutes while some 12 inch Victors are less than 3 minutes, why waste space like that?

What's an example of a twelve-inch Victor whose playing time is less than three minutes?

Not meant to put you on the spot, but I can't think of any, off-hand, and am curious.

Victor 88178, it is a 12 inch Victor that plays for only 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

Is it a one-sided record? If not, how long does the other side play?

[Rastus10]

Victor 88178, it is a 12 inch Victor that plays for only 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

Interesting. Thank you; I appreciate that specific example.

Also issued on 74046.

The 88000 series were $3 each, I believe; and 74000 series were $1.50 each.

deGorgoza was not exactly the top-shelf of Red Seal talent, either.

I would have passed on that one.

https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/ ... u_toreador

[Viva-voce]

There are indeed many Victor Red Seal 12” single faced records, both domestic and imported recordings from Europe, containing 3 minutes of music or less.
Some notable examples (from the top-tier artists whose solo 12-inch discs sold for $3) can be found on several of Melba’s such as Si mes vers and Per valli, per boschi from 1907, barely two minutes each, Comin thro’ the Rye from 1913, 1:48, a real bargain at only $3, and the Per Valli being a duet with another singer (Gilibert) cost $4. And one of her early mauve label imports from 1904 “Sempre libera” from Traviata clocks in at around 1:50, and that series of records sold for $5 each! If one considers these prices adjusted for today’s economy, it’s truly staggering. Several of Caruso’s 12” discs run for only 3 minutes, Cielo e mar (1910) even less at 2:48, and one, Triste ritorno from 1906, lasts only 2:30. A great many items in the red seal catalogue could easily have been recorded on 10-inch discs with room to spare. I suspect the two main reasons were artists royalties and Victor profits.
These and others I’ve come across are almost all from the pre WW1 period. After that the A&R dept. at Victor seemed to have been more consistent in ensuring the 12-inch red seal records played long enough to assure the record-buying public they were getting their money’s worth.

And regarding longest playing time, I don’t think any of the 12-inch victors I’ve heard, at least from the acoustic era, make it to the 5-minute mark, but I know of a few that have come very close, most famously Caruso’s 1911 version of Celeste Aida.

Steven

[Rastus10]

There are indeed many Victor Red Seal 12” single faced records, both domestic and imported recordings from Europe, containing 3 minutes of music or less.
Some notable examples (from the top-tier artists whose solo 12-inch discs sold for $3) can be found on several of Melba’s such as Si mes vers and Per valli, per boschi from 1907, barely two minutes each, Comin thro’ the Rye from 1913, 1:48, a real bargain at only $3, and the Per Valli being a duet with another singer (Gilibert) cost $4. And one of her early mauve label imports from 1904 “Sempre libera” from Traviata clocks in at around 1:50, and that series of records sold for $5 each! If one considers these prices adjusted for today’s economy, it’s truly staggering. Several of Caruso’s 12” discs run for only 3 minutes, Cielo e mar (1910) even less at 2:48, and one, Triste ritorno from 1906, lasts only 2:30. A great many items in the red seal catalogue could easily have been recorded on 10-inch discs with room to spare. I suspect the two main reasons were artists royalties and Victor profits.
These and others I’ve come across are almost all from the pre WW1 period. After that the A&R dept. at Victor seemed to have been more consistent in ensuring the 12-inch red seal records played long enough to assure the record-buying public they were getting their money’s worth.

And regarding longest playing time, I don’t think any of the 12-inch victors I’ve heard, at least from the acoustic era, make it to the 5-minute mark, but I know of a few that have come very close, most famously Caruso’s 1911 version of Celeste Aida.

Steven

Fascinating. That's admirably thorough.

John McCormack's "Snowy-Breasted Pearl" (1910) "clocks in at" about five and a half minutes.

[Viva-voce]

Fascinating. That's admirably thorough.

John McCormack's "Snowy-Breasted Pearl" (1910) "clocks in at" about five and a half minutes.
[/quote]

Thank you and I completely missed that John McCormack example. That has to be the longest acoustic red seal I’ve heard. And what marvellous singing! Thank you for pointing it out.

Steven