This Recordisc transcription disc is in the worst condition I think I've ever seen... well the worst that still had any thing attached to the substrate. I thin we've all seen a bald disc or two. This disc is labeled and dated, though the damage has physically removed the data from large portions of both sides. I carefully cleaned what was left and made a somewhat successful attempt to recover at least some of the audio.
The disc is 8 inches in diameter and spins at 78 rpm with an outer edge start. The recording dates are for October 14th and 15th of 1941. The first cut "Everybody Blames Us" is totally unknown to me but the other side, "When the Mists" is an old hymn from the late 1800s. In this version it's a male lead supported by a church organ, it's followed by a little preaching. The first cut is either a dub or a radio recording, it's hard to say which with so much audio missing. the other sounds more like a live recording... from 72 years ago. Below is the other side after a thorough cleaning. It was too nasty to put on my scanner.
That's the first label I've noticed with an Underwriter's Laboratory seal, apparently because it was "slow burning." It's easy to forget how flammable these things could be. I guess back in the day UL tested the safety of records by setting them on fire.
ReplyDeletewell acetate lacquer is way flammable.. it's a reasonable concern if you have a stack of them. Cleanly this one was kept wet just for safety.
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