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My life-long Hobby - Collecting 78 r.p.m. Records
I inherited a stack of 78s from my father at a very young age, and when I wasn't rolling them along the floor or carelessly kneeling or treading on them, I'd play them on my 'wind up' gramophone and absorb much of the music I heard. I found that I could reproduce elements of the music on the piano and ultimately I learned to play entirely by ear. The vintage music that I was exposed to, and indeed the records themselves had a profound influence on my early life. I am convinced that without these 78s I may never have been a musician. I had many favourite 78s, including a cracked, but playable 9 inch 'Broadcast' label record by Bobbie Comber singing 'Skinamalink The Sergeant'. Another was a 12 inch 'His Master's Voice' of vocal selections from Gounod's 'Faust'. This record had a large piece missing and I was only able to play the last inch of one side! I played it often, even so.
On Saturday afternoons it was a common occurrence for my Mother and Grandmother to visit local 'Jumble-sales'. These were less prosperous times, and even though she was buying items of clothing for the family, she would occasionally return home with some 78s for me. She even brought a portable wind-up gramophone on one occasion. I'm sure this was to replace the existing one that I'd over-wound breaking the main spring! When I was in my teens, I'd make regular tours of the Southend-On-Sea junk shops and take the bus journey home with arms full of records. School friends, who I'd occasionally bump into, must have thought I was quite odd! Those were the days when large quantities of 78s could easily be found in 2nd hand shops, and stocks would change frequently. I did 'pick up' some really nice records from time to time, and still have many in my collection today. Over time, I developed a preference for 1920s and '30s Jazz and dance band items. I researched my records by looking them up in Brian Rust's two-volume discography, 'Jazz Records 1897-1942' which had been a Xmas present from my parents in 1975. After more than 30 years of use I still refer to these extraordinary books every week of my life. I now have a collection of some 5000+ Jazz and 'Hot dance' 78s covering early Ragtime from the 1900s to 1950s Modern Jazz. I buy a lot from auction lists and from sellers on Ebay and have acquired some expensive rarities this way. Generally, 78s have little value. Most music that is of any quality has already been digitised and made available in CD or other modern formats. This has had the effect of reducing the financial value of the original 78s, and reducing the number of collectors - many of whom had just wanted access to the music on the records. But in spite of the amazing clean transfers that are produced today, there are some collectors who will swear that the music sounds better on the original 78s - complete with hiss and scratches! I wouldn't go that far, but I can certainly vouch that owning an original copy of the 'Original Dixieland Jazz Band' recorded in London in 1919 on twelve-inch Columbia - is somehow, a far more satisfying experience than just listening to a digitized copy of the music. |
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