Steve,

thank you for the gracious return note.  good luck on the hunt!

-brewster


On 2/4/22 9:38 AM, Steve Smolian wrote:
> Hi, Brewster,
>
> The first image is the same as that about which I'm inquiring.  Rob Bamberger is on the case and I'll hear from him Monday.
>
> One fellow who would know, Jeff Wheeler, ex pres IAJRC has a disconnected telephone and, from our last conversation, may have died.
>
> What is interesting about this item is that the address on the object conflicts with known, published data.  That you have one in your files implies that mine is not a one-off but may be the first pressing.
>
> I hope to hear from Alan Sutton on this topic.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Brewster Kahle
> Sent: Friday, February 4, 2022 11:37 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Commodore Records 526 Strange Fruit
>
>
> Steve--
>
> These are the 3 on the Internet Archive if this is helpful:
>
> https://archive.org/search.php?query=title%3A%22Strange%20Fruit%22%20AND%20collection%3Ageorgeblood%20AND%20creator%3A%22billie%20holiday%22
>
> There are high rez tiffs of the center of the center of the disks if that is helpful:
>
> https://archive.org/download/78_strange-fruit_billie-holiday-and-her-orchestra-sonny-white-lewis-allan_gbia0066462a/78_strange-fruit_billie-holiday-and-her-orchestra-sonny-white-lewis-allan_gbia0066462a.tif
>
> -brewster
>
>
> On 2/3/22 11:30 AM, Steve Smolian wrote:
>> Has anyone detailed information on the Commodore label/ pressing sequence?
>> I've read Alan Sutton's article on Commodore in his 'American Record Companies, etc." book.
>>
>> I have three copies of Holiday's "Strange Fruit" on Commodore labels of slightly differing designs.
>>
>> All have the matrix number in Columbia's typeface of the period.
>>
>> Two, and others I've seen, are on the tomato red label.
>>
>> Both my tomato red examples have the address 136 E. 42d Street (Sutton
>> gives mid 40s- early 50s.)
>>
>> One has two lines of perimeter print along the bottom. The end of the
>> top line says Electrically Recorded 4-39 (matrix wp 24403 B #
>> (handwritten) and 2 (machine stamped) ) and is 0089 thick
>>
>> In the same place, another has 2 blank spaces followed by .39  (matrix
>> wp 24403-B and N (thin line, hand drawn) and is .0070 thick
>>
>> Others I've seen are variations of the above.
>>
>> These appear to be Decca pressings, without the Columbia shininess.
>>
>> BUT
>>
>> I also have one that is
>>
>> 46 West 52d Street (Sutton gives late 40s- early 50s)
>>
>> and gives the date as April, 1939, not 4-39 (Matrix WP 24403 B and has
>> a "6' at the 10 o'clock position, under the outside edge of the
>> label., all in Columbia's typeface)
>>
>> The label is maroon. The record is 0093 thick.  It looks and feels like a good shellac prewar Columbia pressing.
>>
>> ARC was sold to CBS in Jan, 1939, and Commodore lost its pressing arrangement.
>>
>> It begins again in November, 1939, pressing with Decca.
>>
>> TRYING TO SORT THIS OUT
>>
>> In the later 1930s, the Columbia Bridgeport plant, operated by ARC,  made pressings that were .0093 thick.
>>
>> Postulation:  The first pressings of "Strange Fruit" were made by ARC with a maroon label on shellac that is .0093 thick, sometime in  1939.
>>
>> Argument against: The label uses a later address for Commodore.
>>
>> Is it possible that Commodore had more than one location, ,say one for retail and one for stock and shipping, and the latter address was 46 West 52 St.?
>>
>> Confused,
>>
>> Steve Smolian