Harmony was launched in the summer of 1925 as a budget label. It retailed at $0.50 (I think) and slightly more west of the Rockies. Columbia's electrically-made products required royalty payments to Westen Electric. Harmony (and spin-offs Velvet Tone and Diva) didn't require royalties and allowed acoustic recording equipment from becoming obsolete, at least for a few years. Vocalion also became a budget label for a few months in 1925, retailing acoustically made discs for fifty cents until 10/22/1925, when the first electric masters for Vocalion were made. The price soon went back to 0.75.
Dick
George Brock-Nannestad <pattac@xxxxxxxx> Sent by: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx>
10/23/2006 02:23 PM
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Subject Re: [ARSCLIST] Early Polydor electrics, the depression, etc
From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad
Hello,
Steven Smolian wrote (snipped)
I have no documentation to prove it but feel certain that the reason Columbia made paralell recordings acoustically to their electrics, the former issued on Harmony, was to cater to the old wind-up market.
----- I have always thought that when Frank Andrews in his discography of 10" English Columbia records speaks about "electrical re-recording" in 1925 he
means taking the acoustic record, playing it and creating a new electrically recorded master, while retaining the old catalogue number. So I never thought that they were making parallel recordings
----- someone with a better collection than mine (or better finding aids) may be able to confirm this - there is a chance of a change in the background noise at the beginning of the electrical one (if in pristine condition)
----- on the other hand, I would prefer positive proof that parallel sessions were used.
Kind regards,
George