Capitol Americana - Latest Updates

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Comment by xiphophilos:

The original release is the one without a hyphen between A-prefix and catalog number.
From late September to mid-October 1947, Capitol added a hyphen to separate prefix and catalog number; in late October 1947, it dropped the prefix altogether.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

Yes, Capitol 40274 is a reissue from Jan. 1950.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

A side:
[YouTube Video]

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Comment by xiphophilos:

B side:
[YouTube Video]

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Comment by xiphophilos:

The history of the "Americana" series and the reason and date for the A prefix has now been added to the series profile.
LaurenceD's copy without A prefix on the A side, but the original A-prefix on the B side is from the transitional time in late October 1947, when Capitol had just dropped its letter prefixes again (starting in July 1947, they had used A for "Americana" and B for Pop) and were using up already printed older labels.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

Ron's slightly different labels show the song titles in the expanded type face (Metroblack No. 2) characteristic for Los Angeles pressings. The Scranton pressings show the narrower Intertype Vogue Bold Condensed.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

LaurenceD, your alternative label is a Los Angeles pressing. Song titles are set in an expanded type face; the Scranton labels have a narrowly set type face.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

The labels without the A prefix are represses from Nov. 1947-Apr. 1948. All the variants here have song titles in the narrow typeface used by Capitol Scranton pressings.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

Another record originally released as an "Americana" series release with A-prefix.

Available for listening on archive.org:
A side mpeg
B side mpeg

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Comment by xiphophilos:

Switched image order. The original release had the A-prefix, which was used until September 1947. Represses without the A prefix, but still with the series name "Americana" are from between October 1947 to April 1948. After that, the "Americana" logo was dropped.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

A side:
[YouTube Video]

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Comment by xiphophilos:

Both sides (Scranton pressings):
[YouTube Video]

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Comment by xiphophilos:

historyofcountrymusic, would you please add a photo of your A side as well?

It can't be a complete match of the A side here, because your image shows the title set in the expanded type face used for Los Angeles pressings, whereas the other two images are Scranton pressings. My guess is, your A side looks like this one.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

A clear example that Billboard's Advance Record Releases can sometimes lag far behind actual release dates: Billboard had already reviewed Wesley Tuttle's "Mail Order Mama" a week before it finally listed the record as forthcoming soon.

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Comment by han enderman:

Cap A-40044 - track & image order should be Y-Z. [mod- re-ordered]

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Comment by xiphophilos:

This was probably one of the last Capitol Americana releases with A-prefix.

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Comment by xiphophilos:

This record was the first Capitol record that sold 1,000,000 copies, according to Peter La Chapelle, "That Mean Ol' Oakie Boogie", page 154.