Antony Pepper provided this information about Ellington's 1932 stereo recordings, through the Duke-LYM e-mail discussion list.
From: Antony Pepper
To: Duke-lym@concordia.ca
Subject: Re: 1932 stereo recordings (was Re: 1952 band)
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:48:42
I can't speak as to the purpose but the two simultaneous recordings at these sessions were made through different chains, one the licenced Western Electric process and the other apparently RCA's own. The serial number prefixes indicate this as I recall.
From: Antony Pepper
To: Duke-lym@concordia.ca
Subject: Re: 1932 stereo recordings (was Re: 1952 band)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:30:04 +0100
Right okay, an update & correction to my earlier post...
Found the pages of EMI's copy of the Victor's Recording Book for the sessions in question. See below.
Firstly though, on the question of simultaneous cuts in general, at various times (and especially from the mid '30s till the end of direct-cut recording around 1942) Victor appears to have cut two waxes of each take of a work, one marked with the suffix A after the take number. The serial (master) numbers appear generally to be of the form
size | process | number |- take number | [recording]
A is 7" (I think...)
B is 10"
C is 12"
(The records are actually around 1/8" smaller than these nominal sizes.)
For example
BVE 123456-1
BVE 123456-1A
would indicate two waxes for take 1 of work 123456, recorded by process VE for pressing on B-sized records.
As well as the A suffix, an R suffix exists for re-recorded (dubbed) cuts.
There is an additional prefix, L, for long-playing sides (33 1/3).
VE indicates Western Electric (VE in a ringlet stamped on the master). Later on, RCA's own process became simply given as S (as in BS and CS masters & showing VE in a diamond).
I've not heard of any stereo so far being found pairing "blank" takes and A takes (sometimes both were issued, one way or another). It does seem that they used the same mic'ing and mix, if perhaps different recording settings, at least when the same process is employed (see near the end below). In the large majority of cases the A take was not used (and probably not even processed to metal), and when it was used the blank take mostly wasn't of course, so this sample must be quite small.
The situation of these two February 1932 sessions is clearly different.
The following recordings are stated to have been made:*
Wednesday, February 3, 1932
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (Long playing records)
Studio #1 NY, 1:30 to 4:30
LBRC 71811-1 (a) MOOD INDIGO (b) HOT AND BOTHERED (c) CREOLE LOVE CALL
LBRC 71811-2 ditto
LBSHQ 71812-1 ditto
LBSHQ 71812-2 ditto
LBSHQ 71812-3 ditto
(Note that three takes are given only for SHQ).
and
Tuesday, February 9, 1932
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (Long playing records)
Studio #1 NY, 9:00 to 11:00
LBRC 71836-1 1-EAST ST. LOUIS TOODLE 2-LOT O' FINGERS 3-BLACK AND TAN FANTASY
LBRC 71836-2 ditto
LBSHQ 71837-1 ditto
LBSHQ 71837-2 ditto
(Note, the first two titles are as written in the ledger.)
DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (Mr. Erdman present) Made on approval
Studio #1 NY, 11:00 to 12:00
BRC 71838-1 DINAH
BRC 71838-2 ditto
BRC 71839-1 BUGLE CALL RAG
BRC 71839-2 ditto
This last set of B 78 sides is listed for completeness. It shows only the RC process as being used for those two works, no indication of possible stereo. Additionally, takes -2 of both are marked NP which probably means they weren't processed from wax.
The two "stereo" parts are given different numbers, as well as different process prefixes. Neither, as I said was the case the other day, is VE indicating WE. Both appear to be different and possibly competing RCA processes.
It's speculation but I would assume RC means Radio Corporation. And, um, "Standard High Quality" (perhaps...) for the SHQ process! Both processes were used separately on various sessions. Later on, Victor stopped RC, and SHQ, introducing S around August 1932, and eventually phasing out VE.
Of possible interest, earlier on Feb. 3, a similar RC/SHQ situation exists with a Nat Shilkret session, but on B 78s not LPs.
For the Mildred Bailey and Paul Whiteman sessions of Mar. 1, there are RC and SHQ versions given, but with the same numbers, differing in being -1 and -1A, & -2 and -2A. Even so, it would certainly be worth auditioning BRC 71906-1 and BSHQ 71906-1A together to see if DEAR OLD MOTHER DIXIE became stereo!
And elsewhere one sees VE and RC being used to make what appear to be simultaneous recordings over their NBC wire (a mono source)...
Phew!
Best,
A
*E&OE