History of the Gramophone

[dennis]

Have you seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhgKsFce ... re=related

Not 100% accurate, but very interesting, especially the film clips of recording machines.

[Nat]

Thanks for posting that - I enjoyed it very much!

[FloridaClay]

Fascinating. Many thanks for posting this link. If anyone knows the source of the original film please post. I would love to get a DVD of the whole thing, if available.

Clay

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Fascinating. The original clips are great. The one of the Original Dixieland Jass Band was a segment from a " March of Time" short that was done on the 20th anniversary of the original recording...they did a re-creation of the original session. And what's most interesting is that the engineer is from the look of him one of the Sooey brothers,,,probably Raymond who was still with RCA in the late 30's. Speaking of engineers, the one in the HMV clips....the one with glasses and the snub nose looking over the cutter is I think...Charlie Gregory, but again I have no proof other than the pics I've seen of Gregory, and the fact that he was one of the head honchos in the recording room. I've seen that Pathé newsreel the Gigli session before. I would really like to know who the invited audience is. There is one close up....not shown in this version.... of Fred Gaisberg, but the rest are mere guesses.
The one " clanger" in the programme is that pic of Melba. She's not recording, she's broadcasting. That pic was taken when she did an early experimental broadcast in 1920 at British Marconi.
Every time I see that newsreel of Tetrazzini listening to the Caruso re-recording, I wonder why they didn't have her do an electrical side or two. She wasn't at her early best but she still could sing in 1932.

Jim

[Nat]

Jim -

have you read Fred Gaisberg's autobiography? Some very touching bits about Tetrazini's last concert trip to London - perhaps when the clip was made?

Nat

[Wolfe]

That film was made at HMV offices in 1932.

I believe the tour to which you refer was in 1934.

[transformingArt]

The original clips are great. The one of the Original Dixieland Jass Band was a segment from a " March of Time" short that was done on the 20th anniversary of the original recording...they did a re-creation of the original session. And what's most interesting is that the engineer is from the look of him one of the Sooey brothers,,,probably Raymond who was still with RCA in the late 30's.

I was looking for the source material for this newsreel clip. Thanks for sharing the info.

Speaking of engineers, the one in the HMV clips....the one with glasses and the snub nose looking over the cutter is I think...Charlie Gregory.

I think you are right about Charlie Gregory - that HMV clip with him was actually belonged to another newsreel showing the 1932 BBC Symphony Orchestra session with Edward Elgar conducting (clever editing involved here!), and I believe Charlie Gregory was the one who was on the control with these BBC Symphony sessions.

I've seen that Pathé newsreel the Gigli session before. I would really like to know who the invited audience is. There is one close up....not shown in this version.... of Fred Gaisberg, but the rest are mere guesses.

There's a photograph of Gigli at the HMV studio taken around this session - in that photograph he is with Peter Dawson, George Bernard Shaw, and Duke of York (later King George VI). I can't locate that photo right this minute, but I know the latter two, especially Shaw, was a frequent guest to HMV studios back then. Of course, I know they are not appearing in this newsreel.

Every time I see that newsreel of Tetrazzini listening to the Caruso re-recording, I wonder why they didn't have her do an electrical side or two. She wasn't at her early best but she still could sing in 1932.

HMV issued two re-recorded (a la Caruso) versions of Tetrazzini records in 1932 - but, like you said, I wonder why HMV never tried to record her once more with microphone - after all, HMV even recorded the 74-year-old Blanche Marchesi (although privately) in 1937 even though Marchesi's voice was in a serious state of decline!