An Early Phase

After dragging everyone through 1961 and 1962, let's be different and listen to an album from about the same vintage.

Different in what way, you ask. Well, in many ways. This is a London Records Phase 4 Demonstration record that is showcasing the best and the brightest that they had to offer. With their superior recording techniques and artists from England and Europe, this was very different for a lot of people. Finding a middle ground between Enoch Light's Ping Pong Percussion and Mercury's PPS, this is a wonderful way to give your stereo a workout. Added bonuses: A Polka, a sing along and a portion of an Opera! What more could you ask for?

Rewind

Backing up a year, Billy Vaughn gives us his versions of the greatness that was 1962. Bringing his signature saxophones along as usual, we get most of the slow and middle tempo songs from the year. Quicker tunes are Telstar (Tons-o-Sax) and The Lonely Bull (Played authentically and beautifully).

He also takes a swing at The Stripper, somehow making it less down and dirty than the David Rose original. For those that love the Billy Vaughn Singers, they are here on a few tunes for added effect.

In other words, another typical Billy Vaughn album; beautiful music that's easy on the ears.

Smashing!

Looking a bit like Cary Grant, Ray Anthony takes us on a ride through 1963 and what a fine year it was for music. There's a lot of good music here, played with style and flair by the man himself.

Some of the arrangements definitely change the music (Cast Your Fate To The Wind, for example) while others play it pretty straight. A chorus chimes in now and then. Overall, a nice mix of slower music and upbeat tunes.

Demo Week Concludes With The Voice Of Music

The V-M Company of Benton Harbor, MI made turntables and tape recorders from the 50's through the 70's. You may not not have see their product with their name on it, however the chances you've used one is very good. You see, they were the supplier of turntables to Sears, Montgomery Wards, WT Grants and many other department store chains. The designs found their way into so many different consoles and and portables that there is a website still selling all the parts you need to keep them running. Voice Of Music Website

V-M goes about their Demonstration Record a little different. Subtitled: Music To See Your Travel Agent By, there is no Voice Of Authority patting you on the back for buying their record player. This is in Hi-Fi (issued in 1956 or 1957) so no Stereo tricks. Simply a great selection of what was on Capitol Records at the time with the theme of songs from around the world. Some unavoidable noise is here and there, just to show how old this record is. So, as they say on the cover, let's go on a sort of a safari with music!

Track List: Harry Sukman-Brazil/Webley Edwards-Sweet Leilani/Les Baxter-The Poor People Of Paris/John Raitt-Lady Of Spain/Roger Wagner Chorale-Blue Bells Of Scotland/Bobby Hackett-New Orleans/Nelson Riddle-Lisbon Antigua/The Royal Polynesians-Tamure/George Shearing-Autumn In New York/Les Baxter-Poinciana/Roger Wagner Chorale-Santa Lucia/Ray Anthony-Basin Street Blues

Demo Week: A Custom Demonstration

A special treat today, as we we are showcasing a custom made stereo demonstrator. Listener Peter from the UK provided this and I'll let him tell the story of how it came about:

It was 10 years ago when I was searching (unsuccessfully) for a SetUp/Demo CD that I decided to make my own CD from two vinyl EPs from the 60s & a few high grade CD tracks. The first EP I used was a setup disc from Germany (But in English), the second contrasts with this as it is from the UK & is typically English. The tracks from the CDs show either very strong stereo separation or 5 star recording quality.

His creation has outstanding sound from both the Decca FFSS album and the German setup disc. Plus, we get 3 different Voices Of Authority telling us how to set up our speakers and doing various tricks of talking while strolling from channel to channel. Train sound effects, Ted Heath and many more artists; it's the most fun I've had listening to a demo record ever. A big thank you to Peter!

So follow the directions on how to set up your rig, sit back and enjoy the show!

Demo Week: The Voice Of Authority Compares

Moving up two years from Capitol's High Fidelity series, RCA takes a different approach not only having the Voice Of Authority tell you about what you're hearing, but comparing old vs. new recordings. This of course shows that high fidelity is superior in sound quality and that old recordings were not fit for man nor beast. Adverts for new RCA hi-fi sets are on the back, pick one up today! EZ payment terms!

This album leans harder on classical music than Capitol, but that doesn't mean there's not some gems here. Henri Rene appears along with Hugo Winterhalter, The Melachrino Orchestra and The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. The last group sounds like early exotica to me. Along with the smiling but deadly serious narrator, I think you'll find this to be quite a retro treat.

Track List: Excerpts From Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue/Moussorgsky-Pictures At An Exhibition/Excerpts From Leoncavallo-I Pagliiacci/Wagner-Lohengrin-Prelude To Act III/Mozart And Schubert Excerpts/Offenbach-Gaite Parisienne Overture/Your Narrator Concludes Side I/Richard Strauss- Excerpts From The Dance Of The Seven Veils/Johann Strauss-Freikugeln Polka/Rimsky-Korsakoff-Russian Easter Excerpts/Robert Russel Bennett-Waltz Of The Vinylite Biscuits/Henry Rene-My Impossible Dream/The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra-Eddie And The Witch Doctor/Hugo Winterhalter-Melancholy Serenade/The Melachrino Orchestra-By The Sleepy Lagoon

Demo Week Begins: Studying Hi-Fi

This week we're going to wander into the past with Demonstration records. Some were made to show off the wonders of Hi-Fi and Stereo, some are compilations from record companies to advertise the artists and their superior sound. Real or imagined. Also, we'll be showcasing a Stereo Test file shared by a listener. More on that later in the week.

Starting off with our oldest, Capitol Records in conjunction with High Fidelity Magazine issued a series of LP's in 1952 with various artists and sound effects to promote Hi-Fi and all of it's qualities. As usual for this vintage of a sampler, you get one side of popular tunes and one side of classical music. The choices are outstanding and the fidelity is higher than you might expect. After 57 years of being played and improperly stowed, there are some sounds I could not get rid of. Still, very much worth a listen as you'll see from the track list below.

I can imagine this caused quite a sensation when played on a high end system back then. The jump in sound clarity was amazing when you went from 78's and early 10" records to Hi-Fi.

Track List: Ray Anthony-The Continentals/Hal Rees-Studies In Percussion/Dick Stabile-Foghorn Boogie/June Hutton & Axel Stordahl-Song From Moulin Rouge/Les Paul-Meet Mister Callaghan/Les Baxter-Quiet Village/Stan Kenton-23N_82W/Glazounov-The Seasons/Hal Rees-Studies In Percussion 2/Ernest Bloch-Concerto Grosso/Tchaikovsky-Quartet No.1 In D Minor/Villa Lobos-Nonetto/Shostakovich-Concerto In C Minor/Aaron Copeland-Rodeo