Re: What to call "albums"

On Jul 25, 11:03 am, JNugent <J...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
lukejazz wrote:
though I suppose "LP" could
technically be applied to any of those formats.
LP is an abbreviation for "Long Playing Record" which plays at 33 and
a third RPM (rotations per minute) as opposed to 78's or 45's.
LP's are generally 12 inches in diameter as are 78's.  45's are I
think, 7 inches?. I think there was also a 10 inch format somewhere
along the way but I never saw one of those.

I'm aware of all that!

And I have seen - indeed, I own several - 10" LP records.

The technical breakthrough of the LP format was that it allowed about
25 minutes or more on each side.

It was more of a design and marketing breakthrough, which had to be
synchronised with the availability of new record-playing equipment capable of
handling the new format. In fact, longer-playing records had been available
(in a technical sense) for a couple of decades by the time the LP was put on
sale. The Movietone system (used for the 1927 film "The Jazz Singer" utilised
long-playing records - though they were massive and impractical for domestic use.

That much music on one piece of
plastic was a very big deal.  Stereo LP's came later.

Yes... aware of that.

Record makers could put an "album" of songs on an LP record, as
opposed to one or two songs are parts of a piece of music on one
record. Longer works like symphonies, etc., early on would be split up
over several 78's.  You could stack them up on your record player in
sequence if you had one that would automatically change records, then
flip them over after the last of the stack played.

I think I once read that the biggest-selling (pre-LP) "record album" was the
USA Decca release associated with the film "The Jolson Story". Several 78 rpm
10" discs in a sleeved folder. I'bve never seen that one, but I've seen lots
of classical 78rpm albums at secondhand sales and flea-markets.

The public had to wait for LP until the major companies' "battle of the
formats" had been resolved. CBS with their 12" (and 10") 33.33333rpm LP and
RCA with their 7" 45rpm single (with microgroove capabilities, giving up to
seven minutes a side).

Sorry for the verbosity. Please excuse - I think I just felt like
writing this morning.

You're obviously knowledgeable in the history of recordings, which is
why I can't understand why you said this:

In fact, when new releases could come on LP, cassette and/or CD,
calling them
"albums" was the only thing that made sense, though I suppose "LP"
could
technically be applied to any of those formats.

I guess I didn't understand what you meant that the term "LP" could
technically be applied to cassettes and CD's when it's my
understanding "LP" was considered an advance in vinyl disks and has
nothing to do with cassettes and LP's. - but whatever, it certainly
doesn't matter to me. I apologize if it sounded like I was talking
down to you

.....must...find....some....lithium....

take it easy and keep swingin'
Luke
.

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