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I bought a phonograph today and was given a dozen or so records that were with it. There was a 12" Columbia from the Royal Blue Series in the group. These blue Columbia records are new to me as I haven't come across any until today. I looked online and found the common information about when the series began and ended, that they are known to have good fidelity when clean, etc. I wasn't able to find answers to some questions I have.

My record is part 1 and 2 from the 4 part set of Bach's Sonata No. 1 In G Minor by Joseph Szigeti. I didn't see another blue record in the bunch and was disappointed that I was missing the record with the other parts. It turns out the other record was in the bunch, but was black instead of blue.

My first question is why are these different colors? I wouldn't think they would have been issued together like this. Is it possible that these were from two different sets released at different times during the switch from black to blue records?

Also, most of the Royal Blue Series records I have seen don't have the Viva-tonal label with the "Electrical Process" written on them like mine. Is this uncommon or am I missing something?

Last, (and forgive me if I should have learned this in Recording Basics 101) the "Imported Recording" written on the label was new to me. Does that mean it was recorded over seas and the master or masters were sent to the United States to press the records here?

Any information about these would be much appreciated as always!

By coincidence I was listening to a Columbia of this series at the home of Paul Morris on Saturday, when he hosted a meeting of the CLPGS West of England Group.

The record was from an album set of "La Boheme" and when played on Paul's EMG with a fibre needle there was no surface noise whatsoever.

Paul believed it to date from about 1927, but the sound quality could have been mistaken for 1957. It was an expensive premium product, and the Depression probably contributed to it's demise.

SonnyPhono wrote:
My first question is why are these different colors? I wouldn't think they would have been issued together like this. Is it possible that these were from two different sets released at different times during the switch from black to blue records?

I have no idea. Something tells me they were all issued in the same set.

SonnyPhono wrote:Also, most of the Royal Blue Series records I have seen don't have the Viva-tonal label with the "Electrical Process" written on them like mine. Is this uncommon or am I missing something?

Any Royal Blue issued up into 1933 should have those same Viva-Tonal labels.

SonnyPhono wrote:Last, (and forgive me if I should have learned this in Recording Basics 101) the "Imported Recording" written on the label was new to me. Does that mean it was recorded over seas and the master or masters were sent to the United States to press the records here?

Yes.

SonnyPhono wrote:
My first question is why are these different colors? I wouldn't think they would have been issued together like this. Is it possible that these were from two different sets released at different times during the switch from black to blue records?

I have no idea. Something tells me they were all issued in the same set.

SonnyPhono wrote:Also, most of the Royal Blue Series records I have seen don't have the Viva-tonal label with the "Electrical Process" written on them like mine. Is this uncommon or am I missing something?

Any Royal Blue issued up into 1933 should have those same Viva-Tonal labels. Though I don't know exactly what year your set was made.

SonnyPhono wrote:Last, (and forgive me if I should have learned this in Recording Basics 101) the "Imported Recording" written on the label was new to me. Does that mean it was recorded over seas and the master or masters were sent to the United States to press the records here?

Yes.

epigramophone wrote:
The record was from an album set of "La Boheme" and when played on Paul's EMG with a fibre needle there was no surface noise whatsoever.

Just as an aside, when I've played these records on modern equipment, they haven't sounded any quieter to me than any contemporaneous black Columbia. Played with a thorn needle on an EMG could well hear them sounding noiseless, I wouldn't know.

Wolfe wrote:

SonnyPhono wrote:Also, most of the Royal Blue Series records I have seen don't have the Viva-tonal label with the "Electrical Process" written on them like mine. Is this uncommon or am I missing something?

Any Royal Blue issued up into 1933 should have those same Viva-Tonal labels. Though I don't know exactly what year your set was made.

So the Viva-tonal records are the earlier variation of label in the RB series and would have only been written on the labels for the first year or so of production.

I will try to get a good audio recording of both records for comparison. It will be interesting to hear the difference in surface noise when comparing the two audios side by side considering both records are in identical, excellent condition.

This site http://majesticrecord.com/labelscolumbia2.htm claims 1932 (not 1933) was when Viva Tonal was removed from Columbia labels, right about the same time the blue records were introduced. So, if this is the case, it would appear that your set is an early one.

Wolfe wrote:<span>This site <a href="http://majesticrecord.com/labelscolumbia2.htm" class="smarterwiki-linkify">http://majesticrecord.com/labelscolumbia2.htm[/url]</a> claims 1932 (not 1933) was when Viva Tonal was removed from Columbia labels, right about the same time the blue records were introduced. So, if this is the case, it would appear that your set is an early one.</span>

Thanks for the link. This may be completely off, but is it possible that this particular compisition was introduced at the end of the black record era and continued in their release through the beginning of the Royal Blue introduction?

That was recorded in England in 1931. When Columbia began pressing Royal Blue records there were a number of records where they still had already-printed stocks of the older-style labels. These would be used up before new batches of labels in the newer style were printed.

I have 2628-D (Ben Selvin, recorded February 1932) on a RB disc; it was first released on black wax and my copy sports late black Viva-Tonal labels.