Question about Victor single sided records, etc?

[briankeith]

I have a question about Victor / Victrola records: When did Victor stop making single sided records? I have always wondered why some Victor single-sided records are just plain on the back yet some have a small square label with price information ($3.00 a dozen for example), and some have a much larger label describing the actual recording on the disc. Then there are the records with the big word VICTOR on the reverse and some with a big RCA VICTOR and a spider-web pattern. Were these latter two just a form of advertising gimmick? I have collected mainly cylinder recordings over the years but these one-sided Victors have always interested me. (Both the 10" and the 12" Victors)

[Harold Aherne]

Different label classes had their last single-sided issues at different points--

Black label: The 10-inch 5000 series was mostly dormant by the fall of 1911, but a few were issued during 1912 and one in January 1913. The series seems to have ended at 5872. As for the 12-inch 31000 series, the EDVR shows the last one as 31889, issued in November 1913.

Purple label: These were always single-faced; when Victor doubled selections from this series, they were moved to the blue 45/55000 catalogue blocks. The 10-inch series appears to have ended at 60144 (issued January 1917), the 12-inch series at 70125 (July 1920). All of the purple 12-inch issues after 1915 were by Harry Lauder.

Other members here will know more about Red Seals, overseas series, etc. Even after the last single-faced Red Seals in 1923-24, Victor still offered custom pressings of deleted material, special-purpose records and the like, any of which could be single-faced. Doubtless these continued until at least the 40s or 50s.

-HA

[FloridaClay]

The really fancy Victor backs that I have seen were issued with sets where there was an odd number of sides. For example, if a symphony or opera took up 7 sides, the back of the 4th record might have the fancy embossed back. I don't know when that practice began and ended. Of course the example in your photo would have been after RCA's acquisition of Victor in 1929.

Clay

[briankeith]

How about those reverse applied labels? (aprox. 2" X 2") The one I have say $3.00 a dozen and the record itself seems to be a bit thicker. I also have a complete set of 10 single sided 12" records with large labels on the reverse giving alot of information about the recording artist, song title, etc. These labels are aprox. 5" X 6" and are quite detailed with lots of information? It seems such a waste not to record music on both sides of the record. Again, I ask these questions because I collect mainly cylinders but find these Victors quite interesting indeed........

[gregbogantz]

The graphic designs that were used on the backs of single-sided records were there for both advertising and for improved record molding. We maintained a set of graphic stampers that we used in the very rare instance that a customer wanted only a single-sided record made by us at RCA Records when I was there. When molding vinyl, the record does not release from the record press as easily and cleanly when one stamper is completely smooth and flat, hence, the graphic stamper was used instead of a flat stamper. It didn't cost the customer any more to have the record made this way or with a music stamper on both sides of the record. So most customers who wanted only one side of music usually selected having the B side with the same stamper as the A side instead of using the graphic stamper on the B side.

[briankeith]

gregbogantz - Great information! Are you talking about the older 78 recordings or the later 33 ⅓ LP recordings? I am also curious to find out the reason for applying the labels on the reverse side of the recording rather than actually using both sides to create more music play time, etc. I have noticed that the large labels applied with artist information were only used in the Victor "boxed sets". I have found many loose one-sided recordings with the large V I C T OR embossed on the back side. 78RPM.

[Wolfe]

How about those reverse applied labels? (aprox. 2" X 2") The one I have say $3.00 a dozen and the record itself seems to be a bit thicker. I also have a complete set of 10 single sided 12" records with large labels on the reverse giving alot of information about the recording artist, song title, etc. These labels are aprox. 5" X 6" and are quite detailed with lots of information? It seems such a waste not to record music on both sides of the record. Again, I ask these questions because I collect mainly cylinders but find these Victors quite interesting indeed........

Single sided Victors thst I have with the stickers on the back date from before the switch to double sided press. And those are applied to records that have no embossing, just a blank back.

[gregbogantz]

Well, my experience dates from the early 1970s at RCA Records, so we were not making any 78s at that time. All our records were made of vinyl at that time - styrene 45s came later - BLYEECCHHH. Styrene was the worst thing ever to happen to analog records. Fortunately, record companies have quit using that crap, so all the new records that I've seen (including 7 inch 45s) are now made of vinyl once again. So I don't know if the record molding advantage with the graphic stamper was also realized when molding shellac, but I suspect it was.

[epigramophone]

How about those reverse applied labels? (aprox. 2" X 2") The one I have say $3.00 a dozen and the record itself seems to be a bit thicker. I also have a complete set of 10 single sided 12" records with large labels on the reverse giving alot of information about the recording artist, song title, etc. These labels are aprox. 5" X 6" and are quite detailed with lots of information? It seems such a waste not to record music on both sides of the record. Again, I ask these questions because I collect mainly cylinders but find these Victors quite interesting indeed........

Single sided Victors thst I have with the stickers on the back date from before the switch to double sided press. And those are applied to records that have no embossing, just a blank back.

Here is an example of the larger reverse label from a Red Seal of about 1910 :

[howardpgh]

Some of my one side records have an angel stamped on the back. One has a picture of a building (Odeon) on the back.
I think the story on the back of the record is a nice touch.