The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

As I catalog my records, at the pace of a dead turtle, it amazes me how many times I have a record in my hand that I can find nothing about on the internet. Sometimes I can find info but it is not what I have in my hand. IE. correct songs and singer, wrong label. Just seems strange to me. Sometimes I wonder...I can't have the only one of these. Anyone else have these kinds of troubles doing record research?

Sometimes it's that way.

For me, research on the 'net has been largely a boon. I remember a time when, lacking the funds or willingness to buy all the expensive specialist print discographies, I relied on a lot on guesswork and general dating guides and things to help.

Sites like the DAHR don't seem to be very error ridden and they are expanding all the time.

There were so many records produced in the 78 era (60 years or so) on so many labels that it doeesn't surprise me at all that some are absent any mention.

VV XI wrote:As I catalog my records, at the pace of a dead turtle, it amazes me how many times I have a record in my hand that I can find nothing about on the internet. Sometimes I can find info but it is not what I have in my hand. IE. correct songs and singer, wrong label. Just seems strange to me. Sometimes I wonder...I can't have the only one of these. Anyone else have these kinds of troubles doing record research?

If I had to hazard a guess, it sounds like you are running into things like the discography saying it's on Harmony but yours is on Clarion, record was issued on Victor but yours is on Bluebird, record was issued on OKeh but your is a Vocalion or Brunswick, etc.

Yes, it can be annoying and head scratching at times.

You need to do some research into families of companies and how labels are related to each other- and then there is the whole other quicksand of pseudonyms, like Annette Hanshaw being Gay Ellis, Rudy Vallee being Frank Mater, Scrappy Lambert being Burt Lorin, etc.

Post some of your most frustrating mysteries up and maybe we can help.

I had one tonight. Label Stinson record # UK 13. I could not find this on Stinson but found it on some other label. Don't remember the name. Another one I have records from a label Herald I could not find anything about, I did find the artist Ben Yost Singers had a album with the same records but with Varsity.

Just makes you scratch your head, log it in the catalog and move on to the next record.

I've been at it most of the evening. At the moment I have 575 records cataloged and put up on my record shelves.

The Stinson might have been issued on Asch.

Wolfe wrote:The Stinson might have been issued on Asch.

Or Disc or Folkways. All 4 labels were associated at one point. Sometimes, but not always, the matrix number will shed more light on what's going on.

I had to look it back up. The label I found is Surma instead of Stinson.

Wolfe wrote:Sometimes it's that way.
There were so many records produced in the 78 era (60 years or so) on so many labels that it doeesn't surprise me at all that some are absent any mention.

I can't believe how many labels they had back in the day. I think I have as many label dividers for my records as I have records. LOL

gramophone-georg wrote:

Wolfe wrote:The Stinson might have been issued on Asch.

Or Disc or Folkways. All 4 labels were associated at one point. Sometimes, but not always, the matrix number will shed more light on what's going on.

On not sure that any actual 78's were issued with the Folkways label ? Yes, Disc is also related, Disc 78's are somewhat common.

VV XI wrote:I had to look it back up. The label I found is Surma instead of Stinson.

Are we talking about Russian/ Ukranian/ Eastern European records recorded there but pressed in USA? I've seen the Surma label and I think that label was used for private pressings for a "boutique" music supplier.