Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Wed, 29 May 91 03:01:49 GMT From: Bill Vermillion Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Did Western Electric Also Make Sound Recordings? Message-ID: Organization: W. J. Vermillion - Winter Park, FL Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 410, Message 2 of 4 Lines: 43 In article 0004133373@mcimail.com (Donald E. Kimberlin) writes: > He says that by 1933, "... the record business in America was > practically extinct," referring to almost 70 years of virtually no > development beyond Edison's basic acoustic methods. Apparently, the > record industry had not of its own accord adopted any of the advances > that electronics could bring. Even so, my 1928 reference book shows a > phono pickup and states that, "Modern electric phonographs, usually > combination phonograph and radio broadcast receiver ..." Some of the companies made the changeover to electric, but the budget companies stuck with accoustic, as there were no royalties to pay, and therefore they could get to market cheaper. > So, while it might seem that the Great Depression was sounding a > death knell for the record business, "The Movies" were coming on > strong. The other thing that was killing records, in conjunction with the great depression, was that new-fangled toy, radio. In the 1927-1929 era there were three records that were million sellers. My Blue Heaven - Gene Austin, Prisoners Song - Vernon Dahlhard, and I forgot the third one. Then in the depression era a good selling record was 50,000 copies. Next million seller didn't come along until 1942, Elton Britt - THere's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere. The first patriotic hit of that era. A good reference book for record industry is "From Tin Foil To Stereo - The Evolution of the Phonograph" by Read and Welch. The first edition was printed in 1959. I have the second edition printed in 1976. Highly recommended if you can find one anywhere. It was published by Sams. Bill Vermillion - UUCP: ...!tarpit!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP