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Re: [ARSCLIST] Stereo records.
On 17/06/06, steven c wrote:
>> One UK phenomenon that didn't really achieve the same popularity in
>> the US
> was
>> the extended play 45. An album of fourteen cuts might have the four
>> (or eight) "best" tracks released on one (or two) EP(s), which in
>> Britain were considered a "poor man's album".
>>
> Well...I vuz dere, Sholly!
>
> 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.
I think albums by Cliff Richard and/or The Shadows were selling well
long before that.
Popular records were reviewed (briefly) in The Gramophone throughout the
60s. Jazz records got full reviews, Latin and Popular had columns.
And there was already a strong market for popular music LPs
from the big band tradition - Sinatra, Peggy Lee, etc. - and for jazz
albums by Chris Barber/Lonnie Donegan and others.
> 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!
>
> 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?!
Regards
--
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx