Re: [ARSCLIST] Stereo records.

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> steven c wrote:
> > LP's first emerged as a major format (versus singles) around 1966-67...
> > primarily due to the immense popularity of the Beatles' "Sgt.
Pepper's..."
> > LP, and the fact that it was probably the first popular/"rock" album to
> > be reviewed by major record/music critics.
> >
> > However, the single record (available only as a 45, except for a
> > handful of 33-1/3 singles intended for jukebox use) remained, and
> > was the standard format for AM radio, until at least the early
> > 1990's (as I recall, that was the last time I saw 45 singles
> > being sold in record stores...and they were being dumped at
> > bargain prices).
> >
> > What "put the kibosh" on singles was the replacement of the analog
> > record by the digital CD. There was some experimentation with CD
> > singles, but they were the same physical size as CD albums...so
> > buyers felt they were being "ripped off" by several songs...and
> > didn't buy the dommed things!
>
> There were also smaller-size CDs, which were a nuisance because they
required an
> adapter. I still have one around here..it came in a normal-sized CD sleeve
from
> EMI and held a 3" sample disc, the point of which is still lost on me, and
one
> manufacturer actually did put out a 3" CD in a small sleeve, containing
only
> Ravel's Bolero (the 1930 recording supposedly conducted by the composer).
>
And they still exist! I have seen, and think I still have, CD "business
cards"
which are the size of business cards but have a centre hole around which is
recorded digital information. Note that a CD player wots not of the size of
the object it is playing, unless it is too large to fit the player (thus we
shall be spared 20" CD's!)
> >
> > However, at the same time, the other idea that failed was jukeboxes
> > offering complete albums (but for a higher price than one song).
> > The consumers were so used to putting a nickel(/dime/quarter) in
> > and hearing their favourite song, the idea of playing an entire
> > album for several of them just never caught on...as well, if
> > jukeboxes played entire albums, imagine how long you would have
> > to wait until your selection was played?!
> Weren't those so-called "albums" actually 33RPM 7" discs containing 3
tracks per
> side? I also have a number of 33rpm juke box singles with ONE stereo track
per
> side, along with 7-inch album slicks to display in the juke box. I'm sure
> patrons couldn't wait to listen to Roger Williams and the Ray Charles
Singers in
> stereo while they downed their cheeseburgers.
>
True...again IIRC! You put in a quarter instead of a dime, and you
could play three tracks off of a "hit"(?) album instead of a single
record...

...stevenc
http://users.interlinks.net/stevenc/