The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ok I’ve came across something I haven’t come before in a small lot of DD records I recently acquired…on the unlabeled B side of this Anna Case record there is a man talking about the artist.
Were these demo records for Tone Tests? How often was this done?

I uploaded a video to YouTube about this recording but the record is chipped at the edge so the first few seconds are unplayable.

https://youtu.be/IiKHzEK0moY

This was done on dozens if not hundreds of Diamond Discs in the various 80000 series. They are usually referred to as "explanatory talks". You can search the board for that and you'll find additional discussions. The usual speaker was Harry Humphrey, but there are others.

I think only one other--John Charles Thomas, of all people, cut a few of the talks. I always get amused when I see an eBay listing headed "Edison Diamond Disc--Explanatory Talk." As if that's the side that would be of interest to anybody! I've actually gotten some nice ones on the cheap that way.

Incidentally, although the talks make for some mighty dry listening, they are worth playing; not infrequently at the end they'll include tidbits about the singers that you'll never see in a "standard reference."

52089 wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 7:56 pm This was done on dozens if not hundreds of Diamond Discs in the various 80000 series. They are usually referred to as "explanatory talks". You can search the board for that and you'll find additional discussions. The usual speaker was Harry Humphrey, but there are others.

Interesting. Because this is the first one I’ve ever came across so far in 6 years. Maybe because I really don’t seek out opera records. (Preferring Jazz, classical, country, Novelty, ragtime, WWI and other social issues of the day, and Vaudeville Sketches)