Duophone - Latest Updates

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Comment by han enderman:

Duophone D-4019 - Label variant added, which uses a narrower font and has a different layout of the B title. I assume it is an earlier variant that was replaced by the better readable normal font. A-side image ID 1445196 is a less clear image of this label type, but possibly is dark purple instead of black. I think purple was the colour for the orig. issues at that time.

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Comment by Leedon:

Images Added.

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Comment by slholzer:

Per the American Dance Band Discography, the B-side of the illustrated disc was made in new York on 5-Nov-1928. Mike Thomas' mgthomas.co.uk website assigns the identity of Paul Specht's orchestra to the Lanin Syncopators. In the ADBD, Rust was unable to mkare that determination and lists the band under its own name.

Per Mike Thomas' mgthomas.co.uk website's Duophone list, there is an alternate version of Duophone D. 4045.

One side of the alternate is identical to the A-side of the illustrated disc, credited to the Cross Roads inn Orchestra and featuring Let's Fall In Love. The other side of the alternate is credited to the Savoy Plaza Band and features Singing In The Rain.

Per Thomas, the Cross Roads inn Orch. is Meyer Davis AHO on both versions. The Savoy Plaza Band is Cecil Norman AHO.

British Dance Bands On Record advises the Norman side was made in London on 9-Oct-1929. The vocalist is id'd as Cavan O'Connor. Jazz Records (6th ED.) dates the Davis side to Nov. 13 or 14, 1928 in New York.

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Comment by slholzer:

Hal's Dixie Collegians are identified in the American Dance Band Discography and on Mike Thomas' mgthomas.co.uk website's Duophone listing as Hal Kemp AHO. The ADBD identifies the A-side vocalists as Hal Kemp, Saxie Dowell and Gus Mayhew. The B-side vocalist is reported as Skinny Ennis.

Both sides were recorded in New York. The A-side is dated 28-Sep-1928. The B-side is dated c. 29-Nov-1928.

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Comment by slholzer:

When Rust's American Dance Band Discography went to press (so many years ago), he listed the two tracks illustrated here on Duophone D-4034. When he went to press with Jazz Records (6th ed.) he still listed Tiger Rag on D-4034, but he had put in mx E-28657B (Do You? (That's All I Want to Know) as also on D-4034. Previously, he had listed that track as on Duophone D-4046 with no mention of D-4034. Now JR6 showed it as on both D-4034 and D-4046.

The data listed in Mike Thomas' mgthomas.co.uk Duophone listing is consistent with Rust's original position as stated in the ADBD.

Clearly, this raises a question whether there is an alternate version of Duophone D. 4034 or not. As we know, it is virtually impossible to prove a negative, but if there issuch a creature, somebody must a copy. Can anybody help?

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Comment by slholzer:

Per Rust's Jazz Records (6th Ed.), these two sides were recorded in London on 2-Jan-1929.

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Comment by slholzer:

Mike Thomas,' mgthomas.co.uk website's Duophone listing identifies the A-side artist as Myer Davis AHO. Thomas offers no clue to the exact identity of the Lanin's Syncopators, nor does Rust in the American Dance Band Discography, where they have their own chapter. Per Rust, the Lanin involved could be Howard or Sam or someone else entirely.

The A-side is part of a group of sides characterized by Brian Rust in JR6 as uncharacteristic of Meyer Davis' usual product, hence their placement in Jazz Records and his speculation that Davis probably had little or nothing to do with them, aside from arranging them. It was recorded in New York, c. November, 1928.

The B-side, so far as is known, only appeared on Duophone. Smith Ballew is identified as the vocalist by the ADBD. It was recorded in new York on 5-Nov-1928.

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Comment by slholzer:

On his mgthomas.co.uk website, Mike Thomas relates that Duophone D. 4018 was one of five Duophones announced in Melody Maker of 1928 with artists and titles that were never, so far as is known, released in that form. The projected artist for D. 4018 was Davy's Broadway Syncopaters. The titles were to be When Eliza Rolls Her Eyes backed with What A Night For Spooning.

The mgthomas.co.uk website's Duophone listing identifies the A -side artist as Kenn Sisson's Orch and the B-side artist as Meyer Davis AHO. The American Dance Band Discography shows the Sisson side as recorded in New York on 12-Nov-1928. The Davis side is not listed in ASDBD under Davis' name, but might be extrapolated as also recorded in New York in November, 1928 by the presence of two closely adjacent matrices attributed to him.

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Comment by slholzer:

Per the Duophone listing on Mike Thomas' mgthomas.co.uk website, Ralph Walters and Fred Wilberforce are probable pseudonyms. The candidates for their real identities (with ? appended in these cases) are Dick Henderson and Robert Carr respectively.