Playing vinyl records

[CarlosV]

I believe that eBay itself is mainly responsible for this, it categorises ‘all’ records as ‘Vinyl Records’. There is no separate category for ‘Shellac’ creating the false impression that all records are vinyl and miseducating the public.

eBay had such categorization for shellac 78 rpm records some years ago, but it disappeared. They also removed the geographic location of sellers from the customized search list of options, so now I get flooded with Chinese gramophone-named stuff. But the global vinyl categorization is broader than what is sold on eBay: everything round and flat that plays music is now a vinyl, it is how the industry is working now, and the denominations we grew up with, LPs, EPs, 78s etc now only live in the foggy memories of the older generations.

[Steve]

I wish people generally would stop referring to every format of micro-groove record as "vinyl" and worse still, "vinyls". The plural of vinyl is vinyl but I see references to "vinyls" everywhere online!

But more than this, records didn't used to be called "vinyl" anymore than CD's are called "polycarbonate plastic" or "78's", shellac.

When microgroove records first appeared a single song on either side of the 7" diameter record was referred to as either a "45" as they played at 45rpm OR a "single". When two songs were on either side it was a 45rpm "E.P." or "Extended Play". The 10" or 12" records with multiple songs on both sides were an "L.P." or "Long Playing" records. No one lumped all of it into this meaningless generic description of the material the records were made from.

Welcome to a new (dumbed down) world order.

[JerryVan]

...And of course, referring to a record as an "album".

[jamiegramo]

Actually 10” microgroove records were not LPs. They have the designation MP for Medium Play as opposed to LP which was specifically for 12” microgroove records. A detail that is now often forgotten, but then MPs didn’t really survive the 1950s. The early industry standards were:

SP or Single Play. A 7” 45RPM Record normally with one track per side.
EP or Extended Play. A 7” 45RPM or 33RPM Record normally with 2 tracks per side.
MP or Medium Play. A 10” 33RPM Record normally with 4 tracks per side.
LP or Long Play. A 12” Record normally with 5 or 6 tracks per side.

The tracks shown are averages for popular music. Classical music has fewer but longer tracks.

[Steve]

Actually 10” microgroove records were not LPs. They have the designation MP for Medium Play as opposed to LP which was specifically for 12” microgroove records. A detail that is now often forgotten, but then MPs didn’t really survive the 1950s. The early industry standards were:

MP or Medium Play. A 10” 33RPM Record normally with 4 tracks per side.

I've never seen or heard a reference to the MP before. As you say, since LP's took over the term MP seems to have been largely forgotten. Thanks for the information.

[CarlosV]

I've never seen or heard a reference to the MP before. As you say, since LP's took over the term MP seems to have been largely forgotten. Thanks for the information.

It is also the first time I hear MP for a 10 inch record. I looked at some of my 10 inch records, and the only reference I find is LP, like in the one below, from around 1950. Maybe some specific label named them MPs. There were also other names now obsolete, like the Living Stereo, the Duophonic, The Orthophonic High Fidelity, the Full Frequency Range Record etc , all utilized by labels to promote the magnificence of their products versus competition.

[jamiegramo]

I've never seen or heard a reference to the MP before. As you say, since LP's took over the term MP seems to have been largely forgotten. Thanks for the information.

It is also the first time I hear MP for a 10 inch record. I looked at some of my 10 inch records, and the only reference I find is LP, like in the one below, from around 1950. Maybe some specific label named them MPs. There were also other names now obsolete, like the Living Stereo, the Duophonic, The Orthophonic High Fidelity, the Full Frequency Range Record etc , all utilized by labels to promote the magnificence of their products versus competition.

That’s interesting I looked and it’s seems MP may only have been used by Decca. Maybe used to separate 10 inch from 12 inch records which were both long playing. So yes both LPs! I stand corrected.

[travisgreyfox]

I've never seen or heard a reference to the MP before. As you say, since LP's took over the term MP seems to have been largely forgotten. Thanks for the information.

It is also the first time I hear MP for a 10 inch record. I looked at some of my 10 inch records, and the only reference I find is LP, like in the one below, from around 1950. Maybe some specific label named them MPs. There were also other names now obsolete, like the Living Stereo, the Duophonic, The Orthophonic High Fidelity, the Full Frequency Range Record etc , all utilized by labels to promote the magnificence of their products versus competition.

Now we have stereo sound, 5.1 surround sound, 7.2 surround, dolby dts, (lossless tracks) dolby atmos, spatial or 3D audio, Windows Sonic, and on and on. I guess some things never change. In two generations from now I wonder if arguments will break out on Dolby DTS vs Dolby Atmos tracks?

[CarlosV]

That’s interesting I looked and it’s seems MP may only have been used by Decca. Maybe used to separate 10 inch from 12 inch records which were both long playing. So yes both LPs! I stand corrected.

Yes, it is what I guessed, the name MP was probably only used by the UK Decca label. I checked the US Decca and a Decca-sister label made in the UK, London, and both name their 10 inchers as LP, see below.