Century-Old Sounds

Victor 10-Inch Single-Sided Black-Label Records 1901-1913
Victor introduced the ten-inch disc in January 1901 and they quickly became the new standard for the next sixty years. No other recording format has yet to exceed this length of dominance on the market. The twelve-incher, launched in 1903, was also popular but still a distant second. They captured the voices of opera singers and vaudevillians that cut their teeth in the late 1800s as well as Elvis Presley and other early rock 'n' rollers starting out in the 1950s. Some were children during the American Civil War and a few even served. Some were post-WWII musical pioneers and a few are still alive today. The Ten-Inch 78 RPM Record is truly the cultural crossroads of the Twentieth Century.

Even though all of them are called 78s today for convenience, that speed would not become the standard until the mid 1920s. They were actually recorded at a variety of speeds from 60-120 RPM. During the acoustical recording age (before electric microphones in 1925), speeds varied among the companies and even within due to equipment inaccuracies and mastering preferences. Acoustic Victors were normally recorded at 76 RPM and the company was very good in maintaining that. On rare occasions the speed may vary by one or two revolutions, which still doesn't sound obvious by casual listening.

As for this section, Victor produced ten-inch single-sided Black Label records from 1901 to 1913. Double-sided records were introduced in 1908, causing that drop-off a few years later. Victor's classier single-sided Red Label (Red Seal) line lasted until 1923 when market forces required them to double-up too. The Black Label is the oldest of the colors before the musical genres were split up into red, purple, blue and so forth a few years later. Black Labels contained the popular and mainstream music of the day. They also included comedy, Vaudeville and spoken word presentations. They were more expensive than cylinders but were preferred for their longer playing time and louder volume. Most carried a patent label on the blank reverse, a consequence of the patent war that had been going on since the beginning of the industry and which would continue for some time. This was also the decade when discs overtook cylinders and transformed recorded sound from a novelty into a serious entertainment medium.
Encoded Speed: 192 Kbps


Herr. Snickelfritz and His Band	(Blank)
Len Spencer
Victor 5009
Matrix# B-3924, Take 3
October 26, 1906
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Chicken Charlie	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5011
Matrix# B-3410, Take 2
May 24, 1906
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Needle dig 0:52-1:03. Studio noise before and after.


Victory (Easter Hymn)	(Blank)
Trinity Choir
Victor 5015
Matrix# B-4187, Take 1
January 21, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Becky and Izzy (A Yiddish Courtship)	(Blank)
Miss Jones and Mr. Spencer
Victor 5034
Matrix# B-4277, Take 2
February 28, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


La Gitana Waltz	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5076
Matrix# B-3411, Take 3
May 24, 1906
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Coppelia Valse	(Blank)
Victor Concert Orchestra
Victor 5079
Matrix# B-4251, Take 1
February 15, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Hermosillo - Intermezzo Mexican	(Blank)
Victor Orchestra
Victor 5111
Matrix# B-4290, Take 3
March 7, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Worn at start.


New Colonial March	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5126
Matrix# B-4402, Take 2
April 16, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Very worn.


Lorelei	(Blank)
Mme. Kitty Berger
Victor 5128
Matrix# B-4468, Take 2
May 4, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Blondy and Her Johnny	(Blank)
Miss Jones and Mr. Spencer
Victor 5133
Matrix# B-4456, Take 1
May 2, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Since You Called Me Dearie	(Blank)
Byron G. Harlan
Victor 5146
Matrix# B-4472, Take 3
May 9, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Worn. Needle run throughout.


Kiss, Kiss, Kiss (If You Want to Learn to Kiss)	(Blank)
Miss Jones and Mr. Murray
Victor 5165
Matrix# B-4445, Take 2
April 29, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Monastery Bells	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5179
Matrix# B-4492, Take 3
May 15, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Minnie and Herman	(Blank)
Miss Jones and Mr. Spencer
Victor 5186
Matrix# B-4556, Take 1, 2 or 3
June 4, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


On the Belvidere	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5206
Matrix# B-4633, Take 1 or 2
July 3, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Needle dig 0:18-0:21.


'Neath the Old Cherry Tree, Sweet Marie	(Blank)
Byron G. Harlan
Victor 5214
Matrix# B-4720, Take 2 or 3
July 29, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Some scratches throughout.


Comin' Thro' the Rye - Humoresque	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5218
Matrix# B-4479, Take 2
May 14, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Parade Post With Kaiser Friedrich March	(Blank)
German Cavalry Band
Victor 5255
Matrix# B-4748, Takes 1, 2 or 3
August 2, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)


Under Any Old Flag at All	(Blank)
Billy Murray
Victor 5339
Matrix# B-4967, Take 1
December 12, 1907
Camden, New Jersey (?)


Dixie Fantasia	(Blank)
Arthur Pryor's Band
Victor 5458
Matrix# B-4497, Take 2
July 3, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (?)
Note: Hairline crack halfway through but not audible.


I Want You	(Blank)
Henry Burr
Victor 5463
Matrix# B-6031, Take 5
April 28, 1908
Camden, New Jersey (?)


Henny and Hilda at the Schuetzenfest	(Blank)
Miss Jones and Mr. Spencer
Victor 5520
Matrix# B-6289, Take 3
July 3, 1908
Camden, New Jersey (?)
Note: Scratches towards end.


Guarantee of Bank Deposits	(Blank)
William Jennings Bryan
Victor 5539
Matrix# B-6278, Take 2
July 21, 1908
Lincoln, Nebraska


Irish Humor	(Blank)
William H. Taft
Victor 5558
Matrix# B-6334, Take 1
August 5, 1908
Hot Springs, Virginia
Note: Click Here for a more-filtered version.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Haydn Quartet

Victor 5570

Matrix# B-6395, Take 3

September 9, 1908

Camden, New Jersey (?)

Note: Played at 74 RPM. Start cue before beginning.


When Grandma Was a Girl	(Blank)
Ada Jones
Victor 5574
Matrix# B-6353, Take 2
August 18, 1908
Camden, New Jersey (?)
Note: Worn.


B. P. O. E. (Elks' Song)	(Blank)
Nat M. Wills
Victor 5614
Matrix# B-6541, Take 2
October 14, 1908
Camden, New Jersey
Note: Click Here for a smoother sound with a 2.6 mil stylus, though a bit more unnatural.