Mario Lanza - The Student Prince and The Great Caruso, RCA RB 16113

In 1951, Mario Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in The Great Caruso, which proved an astonishing success, though it did not adhere strictly to the facts of Caruso's life. At the same time, Lanza's increasing popularity exposed him to intense criticism by some music critics, including those who had praised his work years earlier. His performance earned him compliments from the subject's son, Enrico Caruso Jr., a tenor in his own right. Shortly before his own death in 1987, Enrico Jr. wrote in Enrico Caruso: My Father and My Family(posthumously published by Amadeus in 1990) that, "I can think of no other tenor, before or since Mario Lanza, who could have risen with comparable success to the challenge of playing Caruso in a screen biography... Lanza was born with one of the dozen or so great tenor voices of the century, with a natural voice placement, an unmistakable and very pleasing timbre, and a nearly infallible musical instinct." He went on to praise Lanza's tempo and phrasing, "flawless" diction, and "impassioned" delivery, adding that, "All are qualities that few singers are born with and others can never attain." In conclusion, he wrote that, "Lanza excelled in both the classical and the light popular repertory, an accomplishment that was beyond even my father's exceptional talents."

In 1952, Lanza was dismissed by MGM after he had pre-recorded the songs for The Student Prince. The reason most frequently cited in the tabloid press at the time was that his recurring weight problem had made it impossible for him to fit into the costumes of the Prince. ^[18] However, as his biographers Cesari and Mannering have established, Lanza was not overweight at the beginning of the production, and it was, in fact, a disagreement with director Curtis Bernhardt over Lanza's singing of one of the songs in the film that led to Lanza walking off the set. MGM refused to replace Bernhardt, and the film was subsequently made with actor Edmund Purdom miming to Lanza's voice. Ironically, the eventual director of the film was Richard Thorpe, the same man whom Lanza had pleaded with MGM to replace Bernhardt, and with whom the tenor had enjoyed an excellent working relationship in The Great Caruso.^[19]

Depressed by his dismissal, and with his self-confidence severely undermined, Lanza became a virtual recluse for more than a year, frequently seeking refuge in alcoholic binges. During this period, Lanza also came very close to bankruptcy as a result of poor investment decisions by his former manager, and his lavish spending habits left him owing about $250,000 in back taxes to the IRS.

  

Alternative covers RCA Victor RB 16113 and RCA RB 16113

Tom Jenkins and The Palm Court Orchestra - The Laughing Violin EP, HMV 7EG 8035

Tom Jenkins was born in Leeds in 1910 and at twenty-five joined the Hastings Municipal Orchestra at their conductor, Julius Harrison’s request. For the next few years he played the odd concerto engagement with the orchestra and followed the usual migratory travels for British orchestral musicians of the time; seasonal spa work and light music. In 1936 he joined J.H. Squire’s very popular Celeste Octet, a launching ground for many string talents, and his employer arranged for him to take lessons from the now London resident Carl Flesch (Jenkins had earlier studied with Edward Maude, leader of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and with Charles Woodhouse, the long time leader of Henry Wood’s Proms). Jenkins was appointed to lead the orchestra of the Grand Hotel Eastbourne in 1938, which typically comprised a solo violin, two violins, viola, cello, bass, piano and organ/celeste. Prestigious positions followed with the BBC Salon Orchestra and the Grand Hotel, after Albert Sandler’s miserably early death, but the biggest move was a projected one to lead Beecham’s RPO, thwarted by Jenkins’ illness – a lung was removed and, weakened, he took a position as an orchestral player. He died in 1957, like Sandler before him still in his forties.

 

Orkestris "Bellacord" ‎– Donavas Viļņi / Vines Meža Stāsti, Bellaccord Electro ‎3226

  

Label:

Bellaccord Electro ‎– 3226

Format:

Shellac, 10" 

Country:

USSR, Latvian SSR

Released:

after 1940

Genre:

Classical

Bellaccord Electro

Bellaccord Electro, generally known as Bellaccord, is a record label founded in Latvia. After the invasion of Latvia by the Soviet Union in 1940, the company produced records under the labels Rīgas skaņuplašu fabrika (1940-41 and 1945-57), Baltija (1957), Līgo (1958-61) and Melodija (1961-64). Company was founded in the spring of 1931 in Riga on Kalntsiema street 40. Its founder was Helmar Rudzītis (Helmārs Rudzītis) - owner of the largest book publishers in Latvia "Gramatu draugs." 

In 1920 the name of Rudzitis echoed over the country - he was the owner of the largest book publishers in Latvia, but later suddenly decided to start a new business. In 1931, to him went a famous Latvian opera singer, who had just returned from a tour in Germany.

"He told me that there is a great excitement about records. "And why don't we start producing records in Latvia? - He suggested to his friend. - In Germany, there are people willing to help."

Premises for the future enterprise were bought soon after - in Kalnciema street 40. It was much more difficult to get modern equipment. In the end, it was bought in Germany sound equipment company Neumann, now engaged in the production of high-quality professional microphones. 

"I came up with the name - "Bellacord - Electro ", - says Rudzītis. - The first word is meant to be a great sounding records, the second - that they are released for the electronic equipment."

However, the first records were far from perfect. Squeak, squeak. Rudzītis  changed one sound engineer after another until he got what he wanted. In 1934 in an exhibition at Stockholm Latvian records were also represented. "And could you play anything?" - Asked the Prince Gustav Albert, who was among the visitors. "Gorgeous" - he said after listening and shook Rudzitis' hand. "I did not wash her for a week", - said the head of the factory.

Quality of Riga records was noticed two years later at an exhibition in Brussels. There the entrepreneur from Latvia met the famous gypsy artist Morfessi, an immigrant from Russia.

On the "Bellacord" label mostly released dance music which then enjoyed the highest demand. As for the songs, in the beginning the company focused on the Latvian audience - national recording artists. Later Rudzītis met Russian Petr Leshchenko and offered to sign for "Bellacord."

The success was enormous. Records with the singer soon resounded around the world: in Bucharest, Berlin, Paris, New York, Shanghai. Experts noted particularly "phonogenic voice," and those envious of Leshenko called him "singer for records" (meaning his skill showed more in a studio than on the stage).

Popularity came not only to him, but also to the authors of his songs: Oscar Strok, Mark Maryanovsky.

In November 1940, the factory was nationalized, but the name «Bellacord Electro» held out after nationalization and was replaced by a featureless RZG (Riga factory records) label only in 1950. Records released in 1940/41 are easily identified by the letters "NU" in the upper part of the label, that stand for "nationalized company", as well as by usage of prerevolutionary (old fashioned) Russian spelling of the inscriptions. Postwar labels contain a notice stating that the record belongs to the relevant ministry. In 1950 the factory was called «Baltija», then «Līgo» - which is a traditional Latvian celebration on the summer solstice - Midsummer Day, similar to Russian Ivan Kupala. Amongst Russian collectors, these labels are called "The Seagull" as the image of the trademark is reminiscent of the bird. In August 1961, the company was renamed «Melodija» Records and released under this label until June 1964. After that all records published in Latvia went under the "Melody" label.

  
Examples of labels as from 1940/41 to 1950

Dave Edmunds - I Knew The Bride/Back To Schooldays, Swan Song SSK 19411

"I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song written by Nick Lowe and first popularized by Dave Edmunds. It was released on Edmunds's 1977 album Get It and a year later in a live version by Nick Lowe's Last Chicken in the Shop on Live Stiffs Live, a compilation released by Stiff Records.

 

Single sold in company sleeve                         Plain sleeve issue

Swan Song Records

Swan Song Records was a record label launched by Led Zeppelin on May 10, 1974. It was managed by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels. The decision to launch the label came after Led Zeppelin's five year contract with Atlantic Records expired at the end of 1973. Atlantic Records ultimately distributed the label's product.

   

The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, Parlophone R 5570

1. First pressing, February 17, 1967. The initial 250,000 copies of the single were packaged with a wavy cut at top full-color picture sleeve. Additional copies of the sleeve were manufactured for EMI for export to foreign countries, including Ireland, Sweden and Denmark.

  

The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy, Parlophone R 5084

1. First pressing, November 29, 1963. The records were housed in the Type 3 company sleeves. Black label with silver print. The publishing year was printed on the label, as “RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1963″. The beginning of the perimeter print was written with a fully capitalized “PARLOPHONE CO. LTD.”. Tax code KT. Push-out center. Matrix numbers: Side A: 7XCE 17559-1N, Side B: 7XCE 17560-1N.

Type 1 labels do not have “NCB” at the end of the publishing credit:

  

Parlophone R 5084 - I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy (First pressing, with "The Parlophone Co. Ltd" in upper-case only, Matrixes: 7XCE 17559-1N/7XCE 17560-1N, in Type 1 sleeve)... 15 GBP

The Beatles Parlophone company sleeves

The changes in company sleeve designs were similar to those of the other EMI labels and the changes between the different designs occurred at approximately the same times.

Type 1 sleeve. Blue, red, yellow and green multicolored sleeve designed in the late 50's to be used with the red label. Used from 1958 until 1963 with Parlophone series 45-R 4441 – 45-R 4988 including The Beatles singles 45-R 4949 “Love Me Do” and 45-R 4983 “Please Please Me”.

Shirley Bassey - Shirley Bassey, Columbia 33SX 1382

Shirley Bassey is a 1961 album by Shirley Bassey, her fifth studio album and her third with EMI/Columbia. Bassey was accompanied by Geoff Love and his orchestra and The Williams Singers (The Rita Williams Singers). The album spent eleven weeks on the charts, beginning in February 1962, and peaking at #14.

This album was issued in mono and stereo. This album's monetary value may be very low, but nevertheless it is one of the best albums of the 60's.

  

Original mono sleeve 1961

Richard Tauber - My World Is Gold Because You Love Me, Parlophone RO 20287

Heart's Desire is a 1935 British musical drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Richard Tauber, Leonora Corbett, Kathleen Kelly, Diana Napier and Frank Vosper. Its plot involves a young opera singer who is discovered in Vienna and brought to London where he rises to stardom. The film was made at Elstree Studios in April/May 1935, and had its charity premiere at the Regal Cinema, Marble Arch, London on 17 October that year. It was part of a cycle of British operetta films.

My World Is Gold Because You Love Me - 'hearts Desire' - PARLOPHONE (British) - RO.20287 - 1935-06-26; Composer: Rudolf Sieczynski; matrix: CE 7056-2; Location: London; ~3 min

Richard Tauber - Speak To Me Of Love/Macushla, Parlophone RO 20509

Macushla is an Irish song copyrighted circa 1910 with music by Dermot MacMurrough and lyrics by Josephine V. Rowe. The title is a transliteration of the Irish mo chuisle meaning "my pulse" as used in the phrase a chuisle mo chroí (pulse of my heart) meaning "darling" or "sweetheart". 
"Parlez-moi d'amour" is a song written by Jean Lenoir in 1930. An English translation was written by Bruce Sievier (1894, Paris – 1953) and is known as "Speak to Me of Love" or "Tell Me About Love". Lucienne Boyer was the first singer to record the song and she made it very popular in France, America, and the rest of the world.

"Macushla was recorded on 14 July 1941, and Speak to me of Love on 19 August 1941. Both titles were recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
The record was released in March 1942."
Daniel O'Hara
Author of Richard Tauber, a New Chronology (Thank you for the information! A.S.)

 
78/Parlophone RO 20509 (Richard Tauber with orchestra conducted by Henry Geehl)

Maxi Priest - Wild World/On And On, Ten TEN 221

Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliot (born 10 June 1961) is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre and one of the most successful reggae fusion acts of all-time. Priest's musical career began with him singing on the South London reggae soundsystem Saxon Studio International, after which some independent single releases followed. His first major album was the self-titled Maxi Priest (1988) which, along with his cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", established him as one of the top British reggae singers.

  

Kate Bush - Wow/Fullhouse, EMI EMI 2911, 72803 (Canada)

The single version is an edited version of "Wow", although it is not labelled as such. On all European "Wow" singles, the first 12 seconds of synthesiser chords have been removed. Brazil and Canada used the full-length LP version. The Canadian single featured a unique sleeve and was pressed on transparent yellow vinyl. The song was a moderate hit on Canada's Adult Contemporary singles chart in RPM Magazine.

The song was released in the UK on 9 March 1979 and peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for ten weeks. This was an improvement on Bush's previous single, "Hammer Horror" which had stalled at No.44 a few months earlier. A video was filmed for the release, featuring Bush performing the song in a darkened studio, and then backed by spotlights during the chorus. She also made a guest appearance on the TV Special ABBA in Switzerland, where she performed this song in April 1979. Also around the time of this release, Bush embarked on her only live concert tour. Due to this and the release of the single, Bush's second album Lionheart saw a resurgence of interest in the UK albums chart, by making a re-entry into the top twenty for several weeks. The song became a hit in other countries such as Ireland where it reached No.17.

  
Original first issue picture sleeve

Various Artists - Porgy and Bess, Bravo BR 341

Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward. All three works deal with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row (based on the area of Cabbage Row) in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s.

Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an "American folk opera", Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring artistic choice at the time. Gershwin chose the African-American musician Eva Jessye as the choral director for the opera.

John Lennon, Yoko Ono - Happy XMas/Listen The Snow Is Falling, Apple R 5970

Apple Records released "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and "Listen, the Snow Is Falling" in the U.S. on 1 December 1971 (APPLE 1842). Issued in 7" single format on transparent green vinyl with a card-stock picture sleeve, the pressing bore two label variations, one of which displayed a sequence of five images that showed Lennon's face transforming into Ono's that was originally featured on the reverse cover of the exhibition catalogue for Ono's career retrospective This Is Not Here, presented October 1971 at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York.

A legal dispute between music publisher Northern Songs and Lennon over royalties from Ono's co-writing credit on his songs delayed the release of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" in the UK until 24 November 1972 (APPLE R 5970). The initial British run was issued in 7" single format on opaque green vinyl with the picture sleeve and variant label, but it sold out quickly and had to be repressed on standard black vinyl.

 
Original issue with picture sleeve.

Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swinging Lovers, Capitol LCT 6106

Songs for Swingin' Lovers! was the tenth studio album recorded by the American singer Frank Sinatra for Capitol Records, it was arranged by Nelson Riddle and released in March 1956.

It took an alternative tack after In the Wee Small Hours (1955), recording existing pop standards in a hipper, jazzier fashion, revealing an overall exuberance in the vein of Songs for Young Lovers and Swing Easy!. The original cover had Sinatra facing away from the young couple, but in 1957 Capitol altered the cover with a new image of Sinatra facing the couple. All CD releases have retained the new cover.

In 2000 the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and ranked number 306 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.

The album was the first ever number one album in the UK. It was knocked off the top after two weeks by Carousel (the 1956 movie's soundtrack).

 

Original 1956 cover

Ronnie Ronalde - In A Monastery Garden/Bells Across The Meadow, Columbia DB 2583

Ronnie Ronalde (born Ronald Charles Waldron, 1923, London) is a British music hall singer and siffleur. Ronalde is famous for his voice, whistling, yodeling  imitations of bird song and stage personality. His crystal clear yodeling gained him acceptance with connoisseurs of Alpine and Western music around the world.
After early struggles, Ronalde's first successful UK tour (in the late 1940s) met him with a wave of interest. Ronalde’s first recordings were with Decca Records (these were only to be whistling performances), but his first major label contract came from EMI. Ronalde would also join Pye, Major Minor and Columbia records, becoming a million selling artiste.

“If I Were a Blackbird” (1950) is among Ronalde’s most famous songs from this period. This rendering of Delia Murphy’s Irish folk song had him in the British top 20 for 6 months. She would later jovially express her thanks for boosting her income. Other songs include “Tritsch Tratsch Polka” (a showcase of Ronalde’s high speed delivery whistling) and “Bells Across the Meadow” (by Albert Ketèlbey). His best known recording is “In a Monastery Garden” (by Albert Ketèlbey). Ronnie has played it as his show finale for decades, and over a million copies of it have been sold in their varying formats.
  

Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas/ Feed The World, Mercury FEED 1

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on 29 November 1984.

In October 1984, a BBC report by Michael Buerk was aired in the UK, which highlighted the famine that had hit the people of Ethiopia. Irish singer Bob Geldof saw the report and wanted to raise money. He called Midge Ure from Ultravox and together they quickly co-wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

Tab Hunter - Young Love / Red Sails In The Sunset, London Records HL D 8380

Arthur Gelien was given the stage name "Tab Hunter" by his first agent, Henry Willson. His good looks landed him a role in the film "Island of Desire" opposite Linda Darnell. Hunter had a 1957 hit record with the song "Young Love", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks and became one of the larger hits of the Rock n' Roll era. He also had the hit "Ninety-Nine Ways", which peaked at #11. His success prompted Jack Warner to enforce the actor's contract with the Warner Bros. studio by banning Dot Records, the label for which Hunter had recorded the single (and which was owned by rival Paramount Pictures), from releasing a follow-up album he had recorded for them. He established Warner Bros. Records specifically for Hunter. 

Hunter starred in the 1958 musical film Damn Yankees, in which he played Joe Hardy of Washington D.C's American League baseball club. The film had originally been a Broadway show, but Hunter was the only one in the film version who had not appeared in the original cast. The show was based on the 1954 best-selling book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant by Douglass Wallop. Hunter later said the filming was hellish because director George Abbott was only interested in re-creating the stage version word for word. Hunter was Warner Bros. top money grossing star from 1955 through 1959.

    

Carol Deene - Norman / On The Outside Looking In, His Master's Voice 45 POP 973

Carol Deene (born Carole Carver, 3 August 1944, Thurnscoe, Yorkshire, England) is an English former pop singer.

After appearing on Joan Regan's BBC TV programme Be My Guest in 1961, when she was 16, Deene was signed to the HMV label, and scored three Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart in 1962. "Norman" reached number 24 in January 1962, "Johnny Get Angry" reached number 32 in July, and "Some People" hit number 25 in August. Her first chart hit was "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)", a number 44 entry in the UK chart in October 1961.

In 1962, Deene briefly hosted her own show on Radio Luxembourg. Despite a serious car accident in 1966, Deene continued to record throughout the 1960s and into 1970, and regularly toured the northern clubs. After another car crash in 1974, she only recorded sporadically for a number of labels until the late 1970s.

   

The Bachelors - No Arms Can Ever Hold You/Oh Samuel Don't Die, Decca F 12034

The founding members of the group were Conleth (Con) Cluskey (born 18 November 1941), Declan (Dec) Cluskey (born 23 December 1942), and John Stokes (Sean James Stokes) (born 13 August 1940). In 1957 they formed their first band together: "The Harmonichords" (also seen as "The Harmony Chords"), a classically styled instrumental harmonica-act.

As The Harmonichords, they appeared on Hughie Green's 'Opportunity Knocks' on Radio Luxembourg and on the 'Ed Sullivan' TV Show St. Patrick's Day Special (filmed in Dublin, broadcast 15 March 1959), where they played "Danny Boy." They also played background music plus featured pieces in a 25 week radio comedy series called 'Odd Noises' on Radio Éireann featuring Eamonn Andrews. They changed their name to "The Bachelors" in 1962 at the suggestion of Dick Rowe, A&R at Decca Records, who reportedly recommended the name "because that’s the kind of boy a girl likes."

Russ Conway - Conway Capers No.2, Columbia DB 7312

Conway was born Trevor Herbert Stanford in Bristol England. He won a scholarship to Bristol Cathedral Choir School and was largely self-taught on piano as he whiled away hours as a youngster during a three-year term in borstal. His father then let him join the Merchant Navy. Conscripted into the Royal Navy in 1942, he served in the Merchant Navy from 1942 to 1948, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal as signalman in a minesweeping flotilla "for distinguished service, efficiency and zeal" in clearance of mines in the Aegean and operations during the relief of Greece 1944-45. During his Navy service, he lost the tip of the 3rd finger of his right hand while using a bread slicer. He was discharged on health grounds because of a stomach ulcer.

Conway was talent-spotted while playing in a London club, signed to EMI's Columbia label and spent the mid-1950s providing backing for artists on their roster, including Gracie Fields and Joan Regan. He recorded his first solo single "Party Pops" in 1957, a "medley of standard songs" which included "Roll the Carpet Up" and "The Westminster Waltz".

Between 1957 and 1963, Conway had 20 U.K. chart hits, achieving a cumulative total of 83 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1959 alone. This included two self-penned number one instrumentals, "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", the latter deposing Elvis Presley's "A Fool Such As I". He was a fixture on light entertainment TV shows and radio for many years afterwards, appearing at the London Palladium on a number of occasions and becoming a regular on the Billy Cotton Band Show for several seasons.