I have a letter (in the envelope) from Eisenhower, written in his own hand, to a mother of a lost soldier from the European war theater, promising to do what he could to inform her of the circumstances of her son's death. I got it at a garage sale from one of that woman's grandchildren. I asked the person if he really didn't want it. He said, "Nah. 25 cents."
I don't think you could tell a really good forgery. I just like the idea that Goodman might have signed it. I rarely see any signed Victors, but would kill for a signed copy of Sing Me a Swing Song (and Let Me Dance).
White ink was quite common in days of yore.... I have a Krupa autograph on one of his Columbia 78s -- on the label. Can't help thinking that one pass of a steel needle on that copy of "I'm Gonna Love That Guy"= instant autograph eradication.
I have several very early records by Pablo Casals where he etched his autograph into the dead wax area, probably with a heated scribing tool. Each is different. Probably a very special series sold in a deluxe NYC Victrola shop. Maybe he did an in-store appearance!
I've seen several with that white ink. A couple I've seen have shown signs of the ink flaking off. Not knowing what kind of ink it is will make it harder to preserve, but that will be my next task.
I got the disc yesterday and it looks very close to a contract signature of his. Will figure out how and post a photo.
I suspect the best evidence won't be how it looks - though it should resemble his signature - but whether it's the type of thing that Goodman would have signed and the circumstances are such that it's likely Goodman would have signed it. However, I'm not sure how one establishes that. EDIT - You should go on Antiques Roadshow!
There are just too many varying examples on line for someone like me to opine. For example, the "B" varies surprisingly from autograph to autograph. I would expect variations to exist on subsequent letters, not the first.
After having collected all of his Victors, all but three of his red Columbias, and much of his pre-Victor work, I'm just delighted to look over at my record shelf and see a signed copy. I have a signed CD that I got personally autographed by one of the Supremes, but other than that, I'm not a big autograph collector. It's just nice to have given the extent of my collection of his music.
I have a baseball card autographed by Johnny Bench that someone bought for me. I've never tried to authenticate it. It's in a plastic case and was sold at a reputable sports memorabilia store. I've never tried to prove (even to myself) that it's real, as I'm sure Bench has signed tens of thousands of these in the past few decades. I didn't let on to the person who gave it to me that I would have preferred Pete Rose. Regarding the Goodman 78, it has surface credibility because I imagine a forger wouldn't bother using a 78. A picture or a simple piece of note paper (maybe one with a hotel name on it) would be more likely. You **** up on a piece of paper, that's nothing. There's a lot of pressure forging on a relatively hard to find 78.
Worth more than I thought. He signed 50 of these. One sold for $57 on eBay (18 bids). I think the person who bought it for me paid $20-25, but that was probably 15 years ago.
80 years of atmospheric pollution will settle everywhere except in a vacuum. Virtually all materials that are not diamonds will interact with that atmosphere and change as well. It is amazing that some of us keep going that long.
So I started re-reading this thread starting back at page 71 . If I do have to say so myself, there are some amazing posts here (none from me, all from others!). If anyone wants to become a more in-depth Goodman fan, this is the thread for you!
I'd like to revise my earlier thread(s) on the best Goodman purchases. I've learned much since then . . . thanks to everyone here!
I've been doing some collection filling, eg. getting second copies of discs I play frequently, and being the Helen Ward fan that I am, I really appreciate these four sides she made with Goodman in 1953. I saw a 45rpm of these tracks and expect that it was made concurrently (not remastered). If there is a 78rpm of You're A Heavenly Thing/I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling, I haven't found it yet. I don't see it on any of the Columbia matrices I have.
A marvelous pair of sessions (23 February and 4 March 1953)! Yes, the EP was concurrent with the 78 release. No 78s on Heavenly / Falling. Different take of Moonlight on the Columbia LP versus the EP/78... and a third take surfaced on CD (Sony Special Prod/Collectors' Choice Music "Complete Helen Ward on Columbia"). Lots to dig into - and dig - on these dates.
Don’t think I’ve heard these sessions with Helen Ward. In fact I don’t think I’ve got anything Benny Goodman post 40’s.
I second that, for what it's worth. These are excellent sessions, and Don Lamond really swings the band. And, Goodman is inspired!
