Transcription Mystery Disc # 174

This is a 10-inch Soundcraft transcription disc. It spins at 78 RPM and has an outer edge start. It is clearly labeled and dated and for once in clearly printed letters "RICH & MARILYN STORIES & SONG 12-30-46.  The recorded Side A on New years even and Side B on New Years day.

Rich & Marilyn
 
The recording is peculiar though. The father, mother and children act out rehearsed and scripted comedies. The level of dedication is unusual, leaving me to wonder if one of them might have been active in at least local theater, if not radio theater. Dad has a bit of an odd sense of humor to say the least.

Transcription Mystery Disc #79

This disc has no date, no name, and the back side is totally blank. It's a total mystery and the content makes even less sense.

Reeves set up his Soundcraft Corporation began making transcription discs in 1946. This one was recorded at 33 rpm so it was probably recorded after 1954. Reeves was a graduate of Georgia Tech, and a quiet genius. He was the president of Cinerama corporation who worked on audio for film.

He was no MBA. He was an inventor. He who invented the Magnastripe process for field recording. The Transcription discs that Soundcraft made were nothing special, probably an afterthought. Soundcraft was still selling common stock and still making the discs in 1959. The short recording mentions several turning points in car history stopping in 1959 so clearly the disc must date to no earlier than 1960, possibly in the mid 60s.
The recording is of an unidentified male reading a short essay on the history of the compact car.

Transcription Mystery Disc # 43

This is a two-fer. I found a pair of transcription discs both SoundCraft Microlac, both recorded by "Air-Tone" located at 1710 Sansom Street in Philadelphia. It lists the phone number as LOcust 3-8388. The selected letter exchange practice with phone numbers died out in the 1960s. the 2-letter exchange standard began in the 1920s so that gives me an initial time frame of 1930-1960. It's not very specific I know.

The disc is a Soundcraft Microlac manufactureed by Reeves Soundcraft based in Danbury, Connecticut - at least at the time of this pressing. Other sources put them at 10 East 52 Street - New York 22, New York City... typical historical incongruity. Anyway Mr. Reeves had a recording studio in New York by 1933, and founded SoundCraft in 1946. On the first disc you can see the SoundCraft label under the Air-Tone label. It's the Soundcraft "Audition" Type 2 disc according to Phonozoic. In the end I put the disc in the early 1950s.

You may notice the name stamped over and over on the discs is Luis A. Fernandez-Rivas. With the difference among the discs I'd guess he was an engineer before I'd believe he was a performer. The first disc is flamenco-ish music with full orchestra accompaniment. It's certainly dubbed from some other source material. The second disc is all Sevillanas and very obviously recorded at Air-Tone. It's a bit muddy and clearly has been played out a bit. maybe Luis snuck some friends in for a weekend session? Who knows. There were a couple Sevillanas to each side of the disc, I've done my best to separate them and EQ them. the last track is a strange piece of all hand drums and flute.. seems out of place. Enjoy.