The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here's a really fun record I acquired recently. Harry Raderman's Red Hotters playing a red hot version of "Looking For A Boy". Recorded February 19, 1926 in New York, and issued on Okeh (Truetone) 40570. A lot of bass for an acoustic!

https://app.box.com/s/vwi1p4kuj0dwrkk8uqa0r1hmfspbx1h9

I wonder if that is acoustic. Okeh attempted an early (inferior) electric recording process. That record has characteristics of an acoustic or boxy electric.

This Red Hotters record of slightly earlier numbering sounds electric, albeit a bad one. Could be the transfer. Other non Western Electric electrics of this early period have this kind of distortion though.

https://youtu.be/VD9uXpZWZS0

I think this may actually be an electric, considering it was recorded in February of 1926.

-Steve

This article claims that TrueTone electrics started in "spring" of '26. Some companies were still lagging on recording electric in 1926. Edison didn't start until 1927.

http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/r ... detail/210

Wolfe wrote:I wonder if that is acoustic. Okeh attempted an early (inferior) electric recording process. That record has characteristics of an acoustic or boxy electric.

This Red Hotters record of slightly earlier numbering sounds electric, albeit a bad one. Could be the transfer. Other non Western Electric electrics of this early period have this kind of distortion though.

https://youtu.be/VD9uXpZWZS0

I read a short article on Okeh Truetones on http://www.vjm.biz/new_page_15.htm, and I quote: The only technically deficient recordings made by OKeh are the electrical titles made by OKeh’s own Truetone system from April 19 to October 29, 1926 (matrix numbers 80001 to 80198).

Since my recording is from February 1926 and the matrix nr is 74018-B it could still be an acoustic. The article also mentions that some electric takes were rejected and re-recorded acoustically.

I doubt my transfer has anything to do with it. I use decent quality equipment, and except for some light declicking and decrackling with Click Repair I didn't perform any denoising or anything that could cause distortion.

^ I was referring to the record in the YouTube clip as having distortion. Yours is much cleaner sounding.

Wolfe wrote:^ I was referring to the record in the YouTube clip as having distortion. Yours is much cleaner sounding.

It could just be that the record in the YouTube clip has a little more wear. It sounds more "electric" than mine, though.

^ I thought so, too.

bart1927 wrote:Here's a really fun record I acquired recently. Harry Raderman's Red Hotters playing a red hot version of "Looking For A Boy". Recorded February 19, 1926 in New York, and issued on Okeh (Truetone) 40570. A lot of bass for an acoustic!

https://app.box.com/s/vwi1p4kuj0dwrkk8uqa0r1hmfspbx1h9

If it's an acoustic, the recording quality is about as good as an Edison of the same vintage...

Bill

I can't decide whether that's a very good acoustic or a very anemic electric.

I liked the sound effects. What sort of contraption produced them?