SH Spotlight Benny Goodman on RCA-Victor, 1937, recorded in Hollywood, wonderful sounding records. Give a listen

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Jan 17, 2016.

  1. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Two bumps for Benny! And for something for once not Rock and Roll. Keep swingin' Steve!
     
    Steve Hoffman likes this.
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I’m pitching ‘em but not many catching ‘em.
     
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  3. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    I loved Big Band and Jazz from young. Still do. And 78 RPM is the definitive way to enjoy it.
     
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  4. Hadean75

    Hadean75 Forum Moonlighter

    Love hearing Benny Goodman, and those recordings are excellent! Best I've ever heard from that era! :agree:
     
  5. zen

    zen Senior Member

    Last Sunday evening I had a Benny Goodman listening party. Focused on the 30's w/ Krupa!! :)
     
  6. Beer Milk Shake

    Beer Milk Shake Forum Resident

    He could..can.. really play that licorice stick. Big fan for a long time. Thank you very much.
     
  7. riknbkr330

    riknbkr330 Senior Member

    Thanks for the bump...the Benny stuff sounds great on my system. Love the Big Band sound!
     
  8. Alan G.

    Alan G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    NW Montana
    I have two versions of Bugle Call Rag on 78. Benny Goodman’s band from ‘36 (I think) has Gene Krupa, who just blows me away on this. The other is by the Metronome All Stars from the early ‘40s, also with Goodman, but with Count Basie, Charlie Christian, others, and Buddy Rich. I prefer the earlier one; I think better recorded. Both are hot!
     
  9. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    As a result of this site - maybe this particular thread - I have purchased six Benny Goodman RCA Victor 78s, including a mint copy of King Porter b/w Sometimes I'm Happy. This has spilled over into RCA Victor and Bluebird 78s of Artie Shaw, Bunny Berigan and Tommy Dorsey.
     
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  10. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I recently purchased a copy of Sing, Sing, Sing on 12" 78 (RCA Victor Swing Classics repress, though still labeled "Victor" for some reason). Great stuff!
     
  11. musicman1806

    musicman1806 Member

    Has anyone heard the Benny Goodman LP called "Benny Goodman & Paris" recorded in 1967 ? Not sure how much the 35mm tape made the difference, but it seems to be one of the best sounding instrumental recordings on vinyl I have heard, let alone best for Benny Goodman.

    I used to collect big band records from thrift bins when I was in high school and played them on a Crosley back then lol but enjoyed the music nonetheless.
     
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  12. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    I've got lots of Goodman CDs, LPs, 45s and 78s, but I don't think I've ever heard this one. I'll have to check it out.
     
  13. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
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  14. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Don't forget that there are two volumes of the Henderson CDs (and an Eddie Sauter CD, which I don't have). Some other CDs and LPs of the (RCA) Victor recordings are pretty good, but Hep is best.

    Though not the classic orchestra, Goodman's Columbia recordings are excellent and the sound also is excellent in a variety of formats, including LP (some 6-eye) and CD (Mosaic). The Capitol big band material tapers off a bit, but the Capitol small group sessions are quite good (especially via the long OOP Mosaic LP set).
     
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  15. Ere

    Ere Senior Member

    Location:
    The Silver Spring
    Isn't this photo of RCA-Victor at 1510 N. Vine Street?

    Was 1016 N. Sycamore RCA's earlier studio location?

    Trying to pin down the location for Duke Ellington's May 4, 1940 session for Cotton Tail/Never No Lament...
     
  16. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    RCA opened their first "Music Center of the World" studios at 1510 N. Vine in early 1959, and it lasted until early 1964 when they relocated to 6363 Sunset Blvd. They would've been at the Sycamore location at the time of that Ellington session.
     
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  17. Ere

    Ere Senior Member

    Location:
    The Silver Spring
    Martin Turnbull, the source of the photo, dates it 1949 and the location at 1510 N. Vine (the southeast corner of Vine and Selma). The Huntington Library has a photo of NBC dated 1949-54 looking up Vine where the RCA signage is visible on the studio building. Los Angeles building permits show it was already standing in 1931, though not used as a recording studio originally.

    Harry McCracken's site has an informative entry on 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, and its time as home to the Charles Mintz Studios and also RCA Photophone and Radio Recorders.
    [​IMG]
    credit: scrappyland.com
    He dates the arrival of Radio Recorders to the location in 1944, but mentions its earlier sound recording history only in passing.
    He repeats the assertion of Scotty Moore that it was built and recorded in during 1929, but the original building permit was issued by LA in May 1930. It was designed by Charles Jules Weyl for executive offices, warehouse, and as a "studio motion picture laboratory." The permit had the following note on the back:
    [​IMG]

    The permit to build a "new 'echo' room on roof size 10' by 20'" of the building was approved in Jan. 1952.
     
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  18. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    A Saturday bump.
     
  19. ella_swings

    ella_swings Forum Resident

    I just took the plunge and bought 61 of Goodman's Victor, Okeh, and Columbia Red 78s. I've always been hesitant to jump in due to their fragility, but found someone willing to sell and ship in bulk. Lots of nice original titles. Can't wait to get them. 78 cartridge for my new daily-driver turntable arriving tomorrow. Really curious to hear the sound quality on these versus my LPs and CDs.
     
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  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    He had the best white band, didn't he? Couldn't match the great black bands of the era but I'm sure that was not Benny's goal. His trio and quartet could though, they had Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton! Benny's 1937 orchestra (with Gene Krupa and Harry James) is considered the top of the top during the Swing Era (for the white groups, that is..)
     
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  21. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    From what I've read, the grounds of 1016 N. Sycamore could have dated way back to 1929 - the year RCA bought Victor Talking Machine Co.
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Possible. The lack of information on this stuff couldn't fill a page in an eye dropper.
     
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  23. Exotiki

    Exotiki The Future Ain’t What It Use To Be

    Location:
    Canada


    Not exactly the same time period but interesting nonetheless.
     
  24. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yes, it's a classic. But, notice how lackluster the sound quality is, typical 1935-6 Victor. In 1937, things got better. Great music though, great Krupa hi-hat work..

     
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  25. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Hopefully any broken ones will be inferior (though how could you tell) duplicates. I've never had a problem with large shipments. There seems to be a bit of safety in numbers. It's when two or three are shipped that there might be a problem. It all comes down to the shipper (and the carrier).

    Which 78 cart did you decide on? I have:
    (1) a Pfanstiehl 4820-D3 (3 mil spherical), which tracks at 3.0-7.0g; and
    (2) a Shure M78 (2.5 mil spherical), which tracks at only 1.5-3.0g.
    I think the Shure sounds better, but it can bounce on some 78s (mitigated somewhat by a 2g headweight). The Phanstiehl (formerly a Stanton D5127) tracks much better.
     

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