78 RPM records: What (or when) was the last one in the U.S?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by marmil, Jan 25, 2017.

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  1. marmil

    marmil It's such a long story... Thread Starter

    I've always heard that it was Fannie Mae byBuster Brown (on the Fire label outta NYC), released in summer or fall of 1959. I know that What'd I Say by Ray Charles (Atlantic 2031) was released in July of '59. So does anyone know of any US 78s released after Fannie Mae?
     
  2. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    I bought a new John Fahey 2 x 78 set in 1996 - Morning/Evening Not Night. I seem to remember that I bought it direct from Dean Blackwood at Revenant Records. Maybe this is not what you were expecting.
     
  3. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    In England you could order 78s up to about 1961. In India they stayed relevant until about 1965. In Australia they didn't want to release Rock Around the Clock on 78 but it came out because of 'public demand'
     
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  4. EasterEverywhere

    EasterEverywhere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    July of '59 sounds about right for the last commercially sold 78 in the USA,however some labels,Atlantic was one,continued to press78 for jukeboxes into late 1960 or early 1961.78s this late were pressed in very small quantity,maybe a few dozen copies each.
     
  5. marmil

    marmil It's such a long story... Thread Starter

    A few DOZEN copies of some of my favorite-ever records?!?!?! Something else I have to find!
     
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  6. marmil

    marmil It's such a long story... Thread Starter

    I know about India as I've seen Beatles 78s. I've never heard one, though, but I bet they sound amazing.
     
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  7. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

  8. Dubmart

    Dubmart Senior Member

    Location:
    Bristol, England
    I'm reasonably confident that in the UK library music for film and TV continued to be released on 78 even after commercial labels had stopped doing so, apparently studios didn't want to invest in new gear until they had to, was that the case in the States or with more money did they abandon the format sooner in US studios?
     
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  9. jimjim

    jimjim Forum Resident

    As late as 1968 in India...

    78 Record: The Beatles - Hey Jude »
     
  10. marmil

    marmil It's such a long story... Thread Starter

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  11. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    "I Only Have Eyes For You" by the Flamingos is among the last that were commercially available in the US (mid-1959). I've only ever seen one copy and it had a very fat price tag.
     
  12. Perisphere

    Perisphere Forum Resident

    Depends on what 'last' you have in mind. As far as major label standard issues, two that come to mind include 'I got stung'/'One night' by Elvis on RCA Victor 20-7420, and 'Instant love'/'Everybody loves a lover' by Doris Day on Columbia 41195. A story in BILLBOARD claims sales figures for 'Twilight time' by the Platters (98.2% were 45s, the remaining 1.8% 78) was what led them to make it the last one Mercury produced (71289). All of those were in 1958. Labels like Chess and Atlantic produced 78s into 1959 or very early 1960. Children's records were regularly on 78 for several more years....Disneyland's last known 78 was a record of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' in very late 1964, and somewhere I have an unplayable copy of 'Do-re-mi' on one of those Peter Pan records, and that dates from 1965.
     
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  13. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I have it as well. Have you got the John Zorn one?
     
  14. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    78s have been made all along sporadically but there are a number of companies at the moment who only release 78s. Mostly blues and folk stuff.
     
  15. Lucretius

    Lucretius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cypress, TX
    There were probably lots of 78 singles issued on R&B/gospel labels in the USA in 1960. Tefteller had a couple in a recent auction. Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry on Old Town 1075:

    John Tefteller's June 11th Sabis auction: All original 78's! R&B, Blues, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Gospel & Country, with pictures, page 4 »

    Though I'd be careful with his dating. I've caught him dating some 1959 78s as being from 1960.

    There are some Duke 78s from 1960 I think. Perhaps a few from Chess.

    They are not easy to find, but I seriously doubt only "a few dozen" were pressed of 1960 78s. That would be too expensive to justify pressing. I'd think at least 300 were pressed of any 78s coming out in '60.

    This doesn't include novelty, children, educational and non-commercial "no interest" records that continued to be pressed into the early-to-mid '60s.
     
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  16. Lucretius

    Lucretius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cypress, TX
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  17. Lucretius

    Lucretius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cypress, TX
    282. Irma Thomas — "Set Me Free/Don't Mess With My Man" Ron 328 MINT RARE!!!!! 1960 78!!! MB $200
    342. Randy Newman — "The Beehive State/I Think It's Going To Rain Today" Reprise 0284 MINT WHITE LABEL PROMO pressed on thin VINYL from 1972 when Warner Brothers made a brief attempt to revive the 78 rpm speed MB $100
    John Tefteller's December 1st Sabis auction: All original 78's! R&B, Blues, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Gospel & Country Boppers, with pictures, page 4 »

    Interesting. I didn't know that Warner Bros was trying to revive 78s in 1972.
     
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  18. Lucretius

    Lucretius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cypress, TX
    252. Professor Longhair — "Go To The Mardi Gras/Everyday, Every Night" Ron 329 VG SUPER RARE 78 FROM 1960!!! First and only copy I've ever seen on 78—plays NICE!! MB $100

    Somebody ought to do a "78 rpm singles from 1960" discography.
     
  19. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
  20. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    That was new to me, but this internet is something sometimes.
    [​IMG]
     
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  21. Lucretius

    Lucretius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cypress, TX
    187. Elmore James And His Broomdusters - "Make My Dreams Come True/Bobby's Rock" Fire 1011 M- RARE 1960 78! MB $300
    John Tefteller's Sabis February 10th auction: All original 78's! R&B, Blues, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Gospel & Country, with pictures, page 2 »

    218. Roscoe Shelton - "Say You Really Care/It's My Fault" Excello 2170 VG SUPER RARE ONE FROM 1960! This is the last Excello 78 known to have been made. ONLY copy I know of. MB $100
    221. Tarheel Slim & Little Ann - "Forever I'll Be Yours/Anything For You" Fire 1021 M- YES, this is Fire 1021 on a USA 78 rpm from 1960!!! FIRST AND ONLY COPY I HAVE EVER SEEN! If you collect late 78's and miss this one, you will never see another! MB $200
    John Tefteller's Sabis February 10th auction: All original 78's! R&B, Blues, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Gospel & Country, with pictures, page 4 »
     
  22. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    No - I had no idea there was one. What's on it?
     
  23. chewy

    chewy Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Coast USA
  24. goodiesguy

    goodiesguy Confide In Me

    Location:
    New Zealand
    New Zealand seemed to phase out 78's by about 1957.
     
  25. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    A deejay at 3UZ used to make 78s of Rock Around the Clock at the station and sell them out the back. Festival records finally got the message and released it.
     
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