The Complete Hit of the Week Recordings-volume 3

Today I love to share with you a contribution by Russ Shore.

CD: THE COMPLETE HIT OF THE WEEK RECORDINGS Vol. #3. Archeophone 3004. 4106 Rayburn Ct. Champaign IL 61822 USA.

While most record companies limited their output during the Great Depression, Hit of the Week issued an astounding number of discs during its short life: 1930 -1932. This collection features 51 sides made during the summer and fall of 1931, including a number of private issues and advertising discs that, while lacking jazz content, exude a certain period charm.
Hit of the Week, for those unfamiliar with the discs, were made of paper and coated with a resinous substance called Durium into which the groove was pressed. The discs held up fairly well, considering they were sold for 15 cents at newsstands, some people could carry them home with their evening newspaper. In addition, the sound quality was quite good, if occasionally erratic. Over the years, the Durium coating congealed causing the records to warp, or split which created challenges for those wishing to remaster them. Archeophone does an excellent job here.

Straight talk on the jazz content here. Not much. This collection features the well-known Fred Rich sides of Little Girl and It’s the Girl, which were two of the jazziest HOWs issued, with nice Bunny Berigan solos. There’s also a surprise with Phil Spitalny’s Some of These Days and some lovely singing from Helen Rowland whose brooding photo here offers the first glimpse I’ve ever seen of her. This set also includes the exceptionally rare Eddie Cantor Ballyhoo record. Listeners will notice a number of college anthems, the reason being – the notes by Hans Koert and Doug Benson explain - is that the HOW folks wanted to exploit the five-minute playing time but did not want to incur double royalty charges for using two pop tunes, thus the out-of-copyright college tunes became the filler-of-choice. Rah Rah Rah.

In all, the collection features well-played Depression-era dance music remastered with extreme care. The liner notes by Hans Koert and Doug Benson tell the HOW story well and discuss the artists involved, along with their histories. For those who have a fascination for the paper records or fancy early 1930s dance music, it’s an excellent set. We should thank Benson and Koert for documenting this fascinating era of recording.
RUSS SHOR

Also published at the VJM Vintage Jazz & Blues Mart

This 3rd volume in the Complete Hit of the week Recordings was preceded by the first and second volume in this The Complete Hit of the week Recordings. Volume four, which will contain the first half of 1932, will be published later. This contribution will also be posted at the Keep swinging blogspot on Saturday.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Veckans skiva and Nordisk catalogue

I received some great pictures from René A from Denmark and Han E. from The Netherlands. Both sets are from the 1934 Scandinavia Durium releases, then called Nordisk Durium and the so-called Veckans skiva series.

This is a Nordisk catalogue from 1934. Otto Lingston made numerous recordings for Durium.
Thanks to René A.

These three pictures are made from so-called Veckans skiva covers. As the Durium records were advertised as available at the news paper sellers, the Veckans skiva ( = Weekly record) looked like a magazine. The pictures in front has often nothing to do with the record inside, mostly a SUPER durium recording, released by Nordisk. Han E. sent me six images - I could insert all of it in my online Durium (GB) Discography.

Thanks Han and René

Keep swinging

Durium

keepswinging@live.nl

Ground Gripper Foot Exercise Record

Thanks to Jerry P. from Amsterdam I found an image of an early 17 cm ( 7-inch) Durium advertisement record made for the Ground Gripper Shoe Company, Inc.. Now I have an image of this record I guess I have to revisited the discographical information for this record in the Durium Advertisement and Custom Records Discography for this record. The info on the record reads:

.................. ( no further info)
Recorded New York City first half of 1931
C 100 B GROUND GRIPPER FOOT EXERCISE RECORD
DURIUM Reg US M’F’R’D BY DURIUM PRODUCTS CORPORATON

It is difficult to locate the correct recording date, as there are but few DURIUM advertisent records left from the DURIUM PRODUCTS CORPORATION that lasted until the summer of 1931. I think this one, which seems to be the start of a "new" series ( the matrix number C 100 suggests so) could have been released as one of the last items for the corporation before it broke and was might be released in the summer of 1931, as the new DURIUM PRODUCTS INCORPORATED had an A, a B, an N and an X -series. It is a fact that most of these records are much smaller ( 4-inch), but in the X-series the later releases are 17 cm ( 7 inch ) too. This record might be the only one, up to now, from that C-series. It is a fact that the label looks like the early DURIUM PRODUCTS INCORPORTATION labels.

On the reverse you can read:
RIGID SHOES RUINING NATION’S FEET most foot troubles are caused by cramping the feet into unnaturally shaped shoes with rigid unyielding arches. Under these conditions the feet are unable to exercise, retain their muscular strenght or natural shape. The exercises on this record are designed to help counteract the effect of improper footwear. They are endorsed by the medical profession, generally, as of the highest valve in remedying these common foot troubles, and in preventing them as well. Regularly followed, these exercises build up strong, graceful, healthy feet and keep them so. Exercise this way regularly, morning and night, bare footed. This is nature’s own method for assuring foot health. And, the sensible second step is to wear Ground Gripper shoes, which are designed to give the toes plenty of room, to strengthen the arches, and to assure graceful balance and walking. The automatically throw the weight on the outside of the foot where it is intended to be carried. Their soles, beneath the arch are flexible , permitting the arch muscles to function naturally and comfortably. Exercise your feet regularly and better yet wear Ground Gripper shoes every day for foot comfort and foot health. Visit your Ground Gripper shoe store and have a Gripper Graph analysis made of your feet. This is the scientific way to find out what is wrong and how to correct it. There is no charge for this service. GROUND GRIPPER SHOES WITH THE FLEXIBLE ARCH For Men, Women and Children >

A 1929 share for the Ground Gripper Shoe company, Inc.

Thanks Jerry, for pointing me to this unpublished record label up to now. It has been inserted in my online discography.

Keep swinging

Durium
keepswinging@live.nl

Merry Christmas

This small cardboard record is titled Jingle Bells and is one of the two recently discovered Durium records. It was recorded by Phil Spitalny's Music. It is one of the two known small cardboard records that were published by the Durium Products Inc. New York in December 1931. The other record is titled Silent Night. It is well possible that more records in this Merry Christmas series were published by Durium, but up to now, I only found these two items.
Both records were offered me during the July 2005 annual convention of the IAJRC ( International Association of Jazz Record Collectors) in Copenhagen (Denmark). When I saw both small records, I suspected both were unknown up to now, and that was true.

Durium Products Inc. was a record company, incorporated into the Irwin-Wasy Advertising Agency, a publicity agency managed by Chicago stockholders. This Durium company released the well known Hit of the week records and numerous records for export to Europe or Latin America. But as the parent company was an advertisement agency it also published numerous advertisement and custom records. Thanks to Kurt Nauck, who sent me his Durium notes, and a lot of record collectors, world wide, I could finally make a list of these cardboard records and publish it in my Durium Advertisement and Custom Records Discography ( now out of print ). The US records are now available in a free online discography. What about these small Christmas records? Both were free gifts for the Junior Home Magazine, a magazine for parents and children. Two other small Durium records, titled To All Parents: An Important Message and Christmas Suggestion, were made as promos for this magazine. A spoken sales talk on the Christmas Suggestion record says : A yearly subscription to Junior Home, the magazine for parents and children is a very finest Christmas gift you can select for young children and their mothers. Such a gift carries a loving remembrance each month for a whole year. It is a gift that children on your list will love and the parents appreciate. It will make them happy and makes you glad when you see the pleasure and benefit resulting for your so thoughtful gifts. A very attractive Christmas card in full colors with your name careful written in as the giver will be send free when requested. One subscription costs $ 2,50. Two or more gift subscriptions only $ 2,00 each. What can you give that will go so far and give so much pleasure for a whole year as a subscription to Junior Home magazine.

It seems as if these small 4-inch (10 cm ) Merry Chirstmas records were included into the December cover of the Junior Home Magazine.
Phil Spitalny was the director of the Durium studio orchestras during 1931 and 1932 and he recorded a lot of recordings for Durium. He was born in Odessa ( Rusland ) in November 1890 and passed away in October 1970. He got some fame as the leader of a sweet band, that contained only women -an All Women Band, famous in those days. He had his own radio program during the mid 1930s, titled The Hour of Charme in which his wife Evelyn performed as Evelyn and her Magic violin. They retired late 1940s and lived in Miami Beach for years. They recorded for Durium, but also for Victor, Brunswick, Perfect, Columbia and Vogue.The vocal group you hear are The Eton Boys, a quartet featuring Earl Smith, Art Gentry, Jack Day and Chas.Day.

Phil Spitalny also recorded the tune Jingle Bells in November 1931 together with Time On My Hands, which was released as a weekly Hit of the week record on Thursday ( the regular day to publish the Hit of the week) the 17th of December 1931, with Jingle Bells as an extra to complete the extra playing times of the average record.

All records, mentioned in this blog, the small advertisement records with Christmas suggestion, the Junior Home Magazine promos are reissued for the very first time in the third volume of The Complete Hit of the Week Recordings (Arch 3004) by Archeophone.
I wrote about this great set before: find these contributions at my link site filed as Hit of the week. These records are listed too in my online discography.

This contribution has also been posted in Dutch and English at my Keep swinging web log.

Season's greetings

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Get Yours Today

Eddie Cantor, a poor margin-called actor as he, in all due respects, describes himself, in a Hit of the week advertisement in the Afro-American - Baltimore of the 10th of May 1930. Eddie Cantor was also responsable for the song Cheer Up sung on the only Durium De Luxe Record release.

I thought Flo Ziegfeld was handling me a great big Hello. He came back all steamed up after hearing this new record. For 15¢ .... a full-size record .... high priced orchestras ... big musical Hits! I had to laugh. I hadn't had a good laugh since before I was caught short in the market. For 15 ¢? For 25¢ you couldn't buy even a piccolo solo! But then I heard the record played, right along side a 75 ¢ one. That's when I became interested in the business.
I listened to a mix of these Hit-of-the-Weeks records and if there's any difference between them and the kind I plunk down 75 ¢ for, I must be wearing our muffs

These records are one-sided. You can buy the music you really want without plunking down good dough for a dud on the reverse side. And they don't break ! I took one home. I sat on it. I hit it with a hammer. We used it in a cocktail tray. Even my pre-war ( that is "pre" the next war) stuff couldn't sour it. And then the cook fried an egg on it. It played just the same.There's not a break in a boxfull!

They are made of Durium, folks, and that's the whole secret. Durium was invented by Dr. H. T. Beans, professor of chemistry at Columbia University. He told me the chemical name and it made me dizzy, but, anyhow, the stuff looks something like brown patent leather. With the old type of record, a man and a machine can turn out 700 a day. With Durium, a man and a machine can turn out 70,000. Now your money can buy music instead of expensive material. That's why Hit-of-the-Week records can sell for 15 ¢.

But that's not all. There are more reasons why this is the biggest thing that ever hit the phonograph business. Only one record will be made each week and that will be a hit that has proved itself on the stage, and over the radio, and over the dance floor.

Flo Ziegfeld, Vincent Lopez and I will set as a music jury to pick out the most popular pieces of music every week. Then it will be recorded by one of the best orchestras that money can hire. Every record a hit! No flops admitted here. That is why you can buy Hit-of-the-week records without bothering to hear them at beforehand. You just know that each one's a wow. So step up, folks, and give a poor-margin called actor a break and give yourself a treat. You can buy these records AT ANY NEWSSTAND as easily as buying a magazine. Get yours today. This Week's Big Hit "Lazy Lou'siana Moon". Played by Jan Garber and his Orchestra.

Archeophone Records will publish the Complete Hit of the week Recordings in four 2CD sets. The first three sets have been published already and can be obtained. If you are anxious to learn more about this new record visit my link-site and scroll to Hit of the week and Durium to find more information.

Thanks Guido for sharing this ad with us. Thanks Dan, Thomas, Mike and Brad for your commends. You can find these commends below this re-post at my Keep Swinging web log. You can also read this contribuiton in Dutch.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Durium De Luxe

Archeophone Records has published the third double-CD in its series The Complete Hit of the Week Recordings.
The first and second double-CDs were released a few years ago and when the last and fourth double-CD will be published all Durium records in the Hit of the Week series will be reissued chronologically - an unique treasure in the history of sound recording. Some weeks ago I published a first contribution about this third double CD. I told about some novelties like the new 5-minutes recordings , twice the playing time of the average record and about the new numbering system that could be read as a kind of sell-by date. This time I love to tell you about an outsider in the weekly Hit of the week records series, the only released DURIUM DE LUXE record, not a regular weeky release, with its colourful label and cover.

This record was released as DURIUM DE LUXE K 6 late October 1931 and could be obtained for twenty-five cents. The tune Cheer Up is sung by Eddie Cantor, who was, together with Florenz Ziegfeld and Vincent Lopez one of the music jury, that selected the Hit-of-the-hour for the Hit of the week ( as stated on the first promo record, Tip Toe Thru The Tulips ( Hit of the week 1019) (volume 1 CD 1 track 2)

The tune is one of the so-called typically anti-Depression songs, that wants to put the bad times into another perspective: Cheer Up, ... better times are here. Sunny smilers we must be, the optimist asserts, Let's hang the fat-head to a tree! Cheer up, smile, nertz. Other typical anti-depression tunes are Cheerful Little Earfull (Volume 2 CD one track 14), Let's Have Another Cup O'Coffee and Sing A New Song, which will be published later in the 4th volume. The label is compleet different from the rather boring common Hit of the week labels. Archeophone used the lay-out for the print on its first CD. A nice detail !!

I found a film fragment where you can see and hear this record to be played, with comments from the owner. If you look carefully you can also see another novelty, the so-called visible interval between the two tunes. Well, we are used to this nowadays, because it was used on all 33rpm recordings later. This DURIUM DE LUXE contains a vocal and an instrumental version of this tune, as the maker of the movie volunteers halfway the record..
Enjoy it.

This contribution was also posted in Dutch and English at my Keep swinging web log.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

The Complete Hit of the Week Recordings - volume 3

Archeophone Records has publish the third double-CD in its series The Complete Hit of the Week Recordings. I received my copy yesterday and I'm really pride, as this series is the crowning glory of my research to this almost forgotten record label. The first and second double-CDs were released a few years ago and when the last and fourth double-CD will be published all Durium records in the Hit of the Week series will be published - an unique treasure in the history of the sound recording. Some weeks ago I published a first contribution about this third double CD. As the author of the Hit of the week Discography ( 6th edition) I was involved in the research and asked to write some background information about this curious record label. In the 24 pages booklet inside I wrote for volume one about the new invention of the Durium acetate, about its very first beginning and for the second volume I talked about the first Durium firm, named The Durium Products Corporation.
In the summer of 1931 times had changed and the first firm, The Durium Products Corporation was broken; a new firm was born: The Durium Products Incorporated. In the article "Durium Products Incorporated" I have told more about this period. In my previous blog I told about their new invention, the so-called five-minute recording, thanks to the invention of the so-called micro groove. This time I love to tell something about their new catalogue system. The Hit of the week records were sold at news stands, each week. If you like to dance - if you want to entertain your friends with the latest music -stop at any news-stand, or the place where you purchased this record, and get the new "Hit" each week. It was important to emphasize the fact the if you wanted the latest Hits, you had to buy a "fresh new" card board record at you news dealer each Thursday.
Thanks to its new catalogue system everybody could learn if you really had bought the latest hit. Each month got a letter and each week a figure. The first records in this system were released the September 1931, in its second week on Thursday the 10th of September 1931, so I Found A Million Dollar Baby by the Don Voorhees' Orchestra (disc one track 7) received the catalogue number J-2 ( September is the 9th month - the J the 9th letter in the alphabet ( minus the I )). Another example: I'm Just A Dancing Sweetheart by Freddie Rich's Radio Orchestra (Disc 2 track one) was released on Thursday the 5 November 1931, so its catalogue number was L 1
An extra item, the special Durium De Luxe Ballyhoo - Theme song "Cheer Up" by Eddy Cantor ( disc one track 23-24), received the catalogue number K-6. I'll tell you more about this special labeled record in a next contribution.

Records that were not sold during that specific week, where almost unsaleable the next week and had to be sent back to Durium. You can understand they had a rather huge stock of unsold records. So they changed the catalogue system a bit at the end of the year: each record became "fresh and new" for two weeks, so A Faded Summer Love by Rudy Vallee (disc 2 track 23), released on Christmas Eve ( 24th of December 1931) got the catalogue number M-4-5 and an extra item also released around that same date was labeled MM4-5 (disc 2 track 24). The last track on disc 2 is titled Some Of These Days by Erno Rapee's Orchestra ( disc 2 track 27) and was released on the last day of 1931 ( 31st of December ) and labeled M-5-N-1? Wrong - they started all over again. January 1932 was A again, so this record was catalogued as M-5-A-1.

This new Archeophone 2 CD record The Complete Hit Of The Week Recordings can be obtanied directly by Archeophone records or in the Netherlands at Timeless Records or Spronk Muziekhandel in Breda.

If you love to read more about this release or you love to hear the music, please open the informative site of Archeophone Records.

This contribution is also posted at my Keep swinging web log. Het is daar ook in het Nederlands te lezen.

Keep Swinging

Hans Koert

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