Re: [ARSCLIST] Harmony acoustics, 1925

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Harmony existed as a budget LP label from around 1956 well into the 70s, and
also briefly as a 78 label in the late 40s. That version was sold through Eli
Oberstein's channels (Columbia also pressed some Varsity discs at that time)
and consisted mostly of reissues of Columbia and Brunswick sides, plus some new
recordings by Rosemary Clooney and Pearl Bailey (both of whom were moved onto
the regular label when they were found to have sales potential).

Harmony reissues on LP had horrible EQ, designed to sound good on cheap HiFi
units. Tons of reverb added on their pop reissues, and pressings on something
akin to styrene but not quite (at least in Canada we got the same borderline
regrind vinyl the full-price Columbias got).

dl

Rod Stephens wrote:

> As an additional sidebar,  Harmony was still being used by Columbia as a
> budget label in 1958 when re-released a shorter version of my college
> choir's original 1954 Entré LP.   It was shortened by four selections,
> and of course, sold for less.
>
> Rod Stephens
>
> Dick Spottswood wrote:
>
> >Harmony was launched in the summer of 1925 as a budget label.  It retailed
> >at $0.50 (I think) and slightly more west of the Rockies.   Columbia's
> >electrically-made products required royalty payments to Westen Electric.
> >Harmony (and spin-offs Velvet Tone and Diva)  didn't require royalties and
> >allowed acoustic recording equipment from becoming obsolete, at least for
> >a few years.  Vocalion also became a budget label for a few months in
> >1925, retailing acoustically made discs for fifty cents until 10/22/1925,
> >when the first electric masters for Vocalion were made. The price soon
> >went back to 0.75.
> >
> >Dick
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >George Brock-Nannestad <pattac@xxxxxxxx>
> >Sent by: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx>
> >10/23/2006 02:23 PM
> >Please respond to
> >Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx>
> >
> >
> >To
> >ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> >cc
> >
> >Subject
> >Re: [ARSCLIST] Early Polydor electrics, the depression, etc
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad
> >
> >Hello,
> >
> >Steven Smolian wrote (snipped)
> >
> >
> >
> >>I have no documentation to prove it but feel certain that the reason
> >>Columbia made paralell recordings acoustically to their electrics, the
> >>former issued on Harmony, was to cater to the old wind-up market.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >----- I have always thought that when Frank Andrews in his discography of
> >10"
> >English Columbia records speaks about "electrical re-recording" in 1925 he
> >
> >means taking the acoustic record, playing it and creating a new
> >electrically
> >recorded master, while retaining the old catalogue number.  So I never
> >thought that they were making parallel recordings
> >
> >----- someone with a better collection than mine (or better finding aids)
> >may
> >be able to confirm this - there is a chance of a change in the background
> >noise at the beginning of the electrical one (if in pristine condition)
> >
> >----- on the other hand, I would prefer positive proof that parallel
> >sessions
> >were used.
> >
> >Kind regards,
> >
> >George
> >
> >
> >