Re: [ARSCLIST] Can 78s sound better than LPs?

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Roger and Allison Kulp wrote:

> I have seen two stereo 78s,in my time.One,from South Africa,of Ol'Blue Eyes singing "Granada",on Reprise,and the other of a folkloric vocal group,from Columbia.I have heard reports of a stereo Elvis 78,or two,from India,from the 60s,but none have been verified.
>  Decca had thier own unique cutter head,too,that they adapted from Edison's design.Ron Penndorf's labelography,has a fairly decent summary of Decca,and the early history of ffrr,which was first developed for training records,for SONAR operators/submariners.
>
> Roger

I have a stereo 78 here, very recently recorded, by Toronto jazz singer Alex Pangman. Nicely done, too. Proceeds were going to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Here's the info from this past January's press release:


Alex Pangman wrote:

> JANUARY 29 2006
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> (please add to events listings)
>
> Alex Pangman & Colonel Tom Parker release a 78 rpm record / February 28th
> fundraiser for displaced New Orleans musicians.
>
>     In August of 2005 Hurricane Katrina delivered a devastating blow to the
> southern United States. The city of New Orleans was particularly affected
> when the levee system that had once protected it gave way and flooded it
> with the waters of Lake Ponchartrain, displacing thousands of citizens of
> the Crescent City.
>     This coming Mardi Gras (Tuesday February 28) there will be a special
> fundraising event in Toronto as "Colonel" Tom Parker (leader of local roots
> upstarts The Backstabbers) and Miss Alex Pangman (she of trad jazz combo
> Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats) team up to release their brand new 78 rpm
> recording in support of displaced New Orleans musicians.
>     Yep. A 78 rpm record. The last time these records were commercially
> available was before either of these singers was born!   Pangman performs
> the A-side and Parker takes the B-side on a song called "The Dead Drunk
> Blues". Same song, two very different styles.  Pangman's backing band the
> Royal Jelly Orchestra starts with a traditional New Orleans funeral march
> (trumpeted in by New Orleans' native Kevin Clark) then goes uptempo 1920's
> jazz, while Parker's Swinging Door band plays it old-school country-swing on
> the flipside.
>     The inspiration for this song (written by Parker) came from a visit to
> New Orleans last March by this music-making couple.  Smitten with each other
> and with this great city, the two came up with the idea to record the song
> and release it on the 78rpm format (they are both avid collectors of 78
> country and jazz recordings). The tune was recorded in Toronto, pressed in
> Nashville, and will now be available as a limited edition single (with
> special sleeve art by designer Stacey Case), with proceeds going to the New
> Orleans Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village Project.
>
>     Colonel Tom Parker & Miss Alex Pangman  78 rpm Record Release Party
>     Tuesday, February 28  7pm - 9pm
>     The Cameron House  408 Queen Street West, Toronto
>     no cover - 78 rpm records will be available for sale at this event ($25)
>     live music: Alex Pangman & her Alleycats + Colonel Tom's Swinging Doors
>     special guest: DJ Giv'er spins vintage country and jazz 78's
>     special auction: vintage gramophone (circa 1940's) goes to highest
> bidder
>
>     proceeds go to New Orleans Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village
> Project. Copies will soon become available online at www.jazzpromo.com
>           -  30  -
>
> For advance interviews, photographs etc contact:
>
> Colonel Tom 416.703.5949
> runmountain@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
> websites:    http://www.alexpangman.com    http://www.thebackstabbers.com
>
>
>
>






>
>
> steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marcos Sueiro Bal"
> > I have noticed that when recommending sound cards for podcasting 78s, some
> > on the list have not chosen top-of-the-line models with the assumption
> that
> > the sound quality of 78s is inherently inferior to that, of, say, LPs.
> That
> > seems generally to be the case, but I do remember once hearing a pristine
> 78
> > RPM acetate of a live jazz recording that blew me away --the sound was big
> > and detailed, clean, and also quite louder than the average LP.
> >
> > My question is: is the 78 "system" inherently an inferior product? I do
> not
> > know enough about it, but it seems to me that it is moving faster and the
> > grooves are wider, so, potentially at least, it could sound better than
> 33s
> > (stereo notwithstanding). Or could it?
> >
> First...you are correct in assuming that disc recordings improve in accuracy
> as the recording speed increases. In fact, I have a c.1968 experimental/
> promotional recording (one side stereo!) recorded at 78rpm for this reason.
>
> However, commercial "78's" were recorded from c.1889 to 1960...and during
> the vast majority of that period were far from "high fidelity!" Actually
> electrical recording wasn't introduced until the twenties...and wasn't
> perfected until a number of years thereafter. The first 78rpm records
> that approached "high fidelity" were the Decca(UK)/London "ffrr" discs
> that appeared after WWII, using technology originally intended for use
> in SONAR systems!
>
> Next question?!
>
> Steven C. Barr
>
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