Topic: 78s and differences among them

[Shovel]

So I'm still kinda green when it comes to 78s.

I've got a question about the attached images - how do you account for the different sizes of the name 'Georgia Crawl" on the attached pics?  Is it possible one was a first run, and it sold well, and the other is an example of them printing more copies to meet demand and the print was smaller or larger the second time around?  If so, do collectors often differentiate on these, and place extra value on the early issue?  

I'm also curious because I've got a 78 of Lowe Stokes and his North Georgians 'Home Brew Rag / Unexplained Blues" and the label reads "Low" Stokes instead of Lowe Stokes.  I'm wondering if this could be an example of an 'error' that was corrected in later runs.  Can't find any images of that song online, maybe they all misspelled it Low.

Any insight much appreciated.

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[Eric Hubbard]

Shovel,
There's a whole genre of literature devoted to this topic.  I think I have this book:

https://www117.safesecureweb.com/78rpm/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=ee7e7ec4503792aef028651eef3154a7&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NRC&Product_Code=210-080&Category_Code=210

But I'm on the road for a few days.  When I return I'll see what I can find.   The short story is there were many, and confusing, not necessarily logical or chronological variations.  And yes, earlier pressings are more desirable to collectors.

[LB]

Sounds logical. I just wanted to say, nice records!!

[Shovel]

Sounds logical. I just wanted to say, nice records!!

 

Thanks man, just a couple of image files from the internet.  I am lucky enough to own the ones mentioned (my two best finds, probably), just not the ones pictured. 

[Shovel]

Shovel,
There's a whole genre of literature devoted to this topic.  I think I have this book:

https://www117.safesecureweb.com/78rpm/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=ee7e7ec4503792aef028651eef3154a7&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NRC&Product_Code=210-080&Category_Code=210

But I'm on the road for a few days.  When I return I'll see what I can find.   The short story is there were many, and confusing, not necessarily logical or chronological variations.  And yes, earlier pressings are more desirable to collectors.

Thanks for the heads up and clarification.  I must say I watch a lot of 78s come and go on ebay and I've never seen an early pressing mentioned.  I'll have to start keeping an eye out for that kind of thing as well.  I wonder if there are any particularly notable early pressings / differences?

[Richard]

I think the first thing is to realise that the 'artwork' and copy were not produced by musicians, but by somebody off to stage right who was just doing typesetting (as we are very much pre the computer graphics age) as job in a printing shop. Doubtless hundreds of different labels were required, so I imagine it was essentially just another job in another printings works where the possibilty of a typo or spelling mistake were high. Whether or not these things were printed in house I don't know, but imagine they were.

What you want to look out for are not the small differences of the lables as such, but the difference in the matrix numbers in the wax around the edge of the labels, which will indicate different takes. For example you might see 12345678 -1 and if you are lucky enough to get another take it would be 12345678-2.   

And, for instance the original recording may well appear under a different lable possibly at a later date. Typically a lot of jazz say 30's stuff by Duke Ellington will appear on English labels and a check of the matrix numners will confirm they are pressing from the original recording.

It gets very complicated but I hope that helps to get you started 

[Lyle Lofgren]

Something's also fishy with the Lowe Stokes labels. Tony Russell's "Country Music Records -- A Discography 1921-1942" has this note for "Home Brew Rag" and "Unexplained Blues" (Co 15241-D): "Some copies are as by "Low Stokes & his North Georgians." The on-line discography project (http://www.78discography.com/) lists both that record (released 10/31/27) and 15267-D ("Wave That Frame" and "Take Me To The Land of Jazz", released 10/27/28) as "Low Stokes." I'm not sure where the on-line discography info came from -- the later Columbia recordings are all listed as being by "Lowe Stokes."

I have a hard time imagining that any of these were popular enough to be re-pressed, although I can't think of any alternative explanation for the variation, either.

Lyle

[Eric Hubbard]

Department of Better Late Than Never:

I finally found my copy of Note the Notes, An Illustrated History of the Columbia Record Label, and in the general time frame this record was released, Columbia had at least three variations of the Viva-Tonal label.  Unfortunately the original poster's graphics are gone, so I can't provide any more detail other than to say that Columbia would use up existing stocks of blank labels before using new ones.  Also, I had duplicates of a Blind Willie Johnson record with the same variation, but I sold one of them.  I have no idea how many of the Lowe Stokes were sold but I am fairly certain that if it was a decent seller, they would do another pressing.