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I have the 1948 demonstration set,sent to Philco dealers,that has a talk by Wallerstein to demonstrate how little space the material on a 78 would take up on a side of an LP. Roger ________________________________ From: Steve Ramm <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 8:06 AM Subject: [ARSCLIST] Info on birth of Columbia LP needed for Documentary series Jane Klain of the Paley Center asked if I could post this (because I know one of the ARSC listers will be able to help.). Please reply DIRECT to Jane at her email address. Steve Ramm "Klain, Jane" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask]) > wrote: >Dear Friends, > >There are so many of you on this list who are historians and experts >about the history of recordings and records. So I turn to you.... > >A researcher/friend, whom I've worked with on numerous TV projects, is >currently just starting research on what promises to be an exciting >documentary series. Here is what she is specifically looking for at this >early date, but I'm sure that she will want to contact experts on the >list as the project goes along: > >"As I mentioned, NYC-based film & television production company Show of >Force is making a multi-part (possible 8-hour) documentary series for PBS >on recorded music. We're at the earliest stage of research and >development for the series and, as I mentioned, have decided to first >create a 7-10 minute in-house" sample" reel -- just to share with >colleagues at PBS and other potential broadcast/productiocolleagues at >approach to the series/story. > >You said you'd kindly send this query out to colleagues in the "cast >recordings" group, to see if they have any radio/audio (I dare not dream >of video-newsreel-of video-newsreel-<WBR>film?) related to the launc >Records in 1948. > >There was reportedly a Columbia Records LP launch event for the press on >June 20, 1948 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in NYC. After that, Columbia >presented the brand new LP in Atlantic City for industry people. (We have >audio from an RCA preview record sent around to excite people about their >new 45 rpm record. So, we'd love to have a similar audio promo for the >new LP!) > >FYI: >Here's a quick account of the Waldorf event I found quickly online: >RE: THE LAUNCH of the LP in 1948 >Edward Wallerstein:Edward Wallerstein:<WBR>"...June 20, 1948, the first pu >held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. By this time. Bachman and the rest of >the team had managed to lengthen the LP to about twenty-two minutes. As I >stepped up to the podium to address the fifty-odd representatives of the >press, on one side of me was a stack of conventional 78-rpm records >measuring about eight feet in height and another stack about fifteen >inches high of the same recordings on LP. After a short speech I played >one of the 78 rpm records for its full length of about four minutes, when >it broke, as usual, right in the middle of a movement. Then I took the >corresponding LP and played it on the little Philco attachment right past >that break. The reception was terrific. The critics were struck that only >by the length of the record, but by the quietness of its surfaces and its >greatly increased fidelity. They were convinced that a new era had come >to the record business..." > >Here's a quick account of the Atlantic City event: >"...At our annual sales convention a little later in Atlantic City, Paul >Southard, our sales manager, had a rather clever idea: He designed his >speech so that it ran exactly the length of The Nutcracker Suite, which >was on one side of an LP. When Paul began to speak the stylus was placed >on the record, which continued playing very softly in the background. >When the speech ended and Paul removed the stylus, the distributors went >wild. And the reception in the stores was overwhelming.wil > > >NEWS ABOUT COLUMBIA LP RECORDS press release (from Tom Tierney/Sony Music >Archives Library) dated June 21, 1948 reads in part: >"Long Playing Microgroove Disc Demonstrated by Columbia Records - >Revolutionary New Home Phonograph Record Plays 45 Minutes -- Entire >Symphony on One 12-inch Disc...A revolutionary non-breakable Microgroove >phonograph record which plays 45 minutes on one 12 inch double-faced >record with full fidelity and absence of distortion hitherto unknown in >this field was demonstrated to the press here this weekend by Columbia >Records Inc....At the press demonstration Edward Wallerstein, Chairman of >Columbia Records disclosed that a wide and representative library of >selections from his company's catalog is immediately available on LP >Microgroove records...classical and popular numbers..." > >The editors here would love any ca 1948 launch audio/radio announcements >or promos on the birth of the Columbia Records LP. Please let us know if >anything occurs to you re this. We are looking for a celebratory tone. >Thank you." > >Does anyone have the audio/radio material she's looking for? > >Thanks for any assistance, > >Jane > >Jane Klain >Manager, Research Services >The Paley Center for Media >25 West 52nd Street >New York, NY 10019 >(212) 621-6631 (p) >(212) 621-6646 (f) >[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])