The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

transformingArt wrote: I actually have this record - it is an earlier pressing with a Multi-Track record on the back.

Your double sided record is a later but highly unusual pressing. The coupling with "A Puzzle record - the conundrum ( a paradox)" is very strange. Do you have it at hand?

Starkton,I did see your copy sell out of England on Ebay a few months back.I noticed you got it.Well done and it was a very good price indeed.It also looked very clean.I wonder how many labels there are of this record.I showed mine to Kurt and he told me mine was also a late 20's pressing.I to have never heard of a double sided version.Mine is the one in my catalogue.A 12" black one sided pressing.Some had mentioned that it was pressed right up to the 40's.However,I'm not sure of this.

Starkton wrote: Your double sided record is a later but highly unusual pressing. The coupling with "A Puzzle record - the conundrum ( a paradox)" is very strange. Do you have it at hand?

Here's my copy of Gas Shell Bombardment record - I thought this was a earlier pressing. The label of Conundrum is actually torn away, so there's nothing to show you.

Here is the "GSB" record in the #2 cataloge.

Here is the "GSB" record in the #2 cataloge.

transformingArt wrote: Here's my copy of Gas Shell Bombardment record - I thought this was a earlier pressing. The label of Conundrum is actually torn away, so there's nothing to show you.

I must correct myself after looking at the label. I am not sure when it was pressed, but it must be a few years earlier than mine and gramophone78's.

Can you read the mx. and catalogue number of "Conundrum" in the dead wax? Is it possible to post the track on youtube as I have never heard it.

TA's label appears to be early to mid 20's.

Do any of you know if and why this record was pressed so many times over so many years??.Was it that popular???.Gram-Shane,if I remember you had a catalog that provides a litle more info than my #2.Was this record first pressed as a double sided issue with the conundrum??.I have the conundrum on another G&T record.I will see if I can find it.
While we are discussing G&T.Can one of you fill me in on this record I have.It's the only one I've had with this color label.

gramophone78 wrote:I have the conundrum on another G&T record.I will see if I can find it.
While we are discussing G&T.Can one of you fill me in on this record I have.It's the only one I've had with this color label.

Note: Only records manufactured by "The Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd." until late 1907 are called "G&T". Then follows the "Pre-Dog" era, lasting until early 1909 when the HMV trademark surfaced on record labels. In short, yours is a "Pre-Dog" pressed 1908 or 1909, reissued from a 1906 "G&T".

The Caruso/Scotti duet was recorded in March 1906 and issued some weeks later on red G&T label. From 1908, during the Pre-Dog era, the label colour of celebrity recordings changed to designate price categories. Only duets involving Caruso and solo records by Tamagno received light green labels. In Germany, for example, records with that label cost Mark 20.- (about $5)

Quartets (light blue, Mark 25.-) and the only sextet (white, Mark 30.-) involving Caruso were even more expensive.

Starkton wrote: Can you read the mx. and catalogue number of "Conundrum" in the dead wax? Is it possible to post the track on youtube as I have never heard it.

The information on the dead wax area reads; "09225", "25673r (or f?)". The condition of this side is so unbelievably bad, and I can't even play one of the three tracks. After 50 times or more of trying, I still can't find it. But another YouTube user Victrolaman actually posted What I believe a same identical recording (Victor release) on his channel, and here it is;

[youtubehq]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozPct-CiZK4[/youtubehq]

By the way, I heard that there are actually several different versions of this Conundrum side; some has a Ballad as one of the tracks, or some has a 'Dan Leno style' of comedy routine. Mine has a ragtime number, a song number, and the Unknown.