The way we were
It looks like even local musicians are starting to record their music on vinyl. I was recently gifted with the long-playing album “Tarsius Primate,” an Indy production by Diego Mapa and Jay Gapasin. I haven’t had the time to listen to it, but it certainly looks promising. The music is mastered by Shinji Tanaka of Sound Creation Studio. The album cover is handsome and would no doubt appeal to young audiences.
Since this column saw print seven years ago, it has consistently taken cognizance of the supremacy of vinyl over all music formats. It simply boggles the mind that despite modern technological advances, this “jurassic” format still reigns when it comes to music reproduction. It is not surprising that the local music industry has decided to devolve to the way we were before the advent of digital music formats.
I think it is opportune to re-introduce audiophiles to the geniuses behind music reproduction and the vinyl resurgence, and how they achieved superb recordings during our grandparents’ time. There were many recording engineers of yesteryear: Lewis Layton of RCA, Robert Fine of Mercury, and Bert Whyte of Everest, to name a few. They all thrived during the sunrise of the stereo age, and their work still astounds us today. I would like to acknowledge one of those who stood tall among the greatest, and whose recording work has remained unparalleled to this day — Ewing D. Nunn, founder of the fabled Audiophile Records label.
During his teen years in Texas, Nunn liked to tinker on anything electrical at home. At 10, he fashioned a radio gadget of his own, and at 13, got a transmitting license to operate the radio station that he built.
It is in the pursuit of excellent music reproduction, however, where Nunn found his niche. He started collecting records in 1920 at the age of 20, and later pursued his life-long dream of producing records better than what he had been buying. Nunn decided to produce his own record, and Audiophile Records was born. Nunn’s company released its first recording in 1947, Harry Blons’ Pop Goes the Weasel (AP01). The 78rpm record was pressed by Wakefield in Phoenix, Arizona, on transparent red vinyl, similar to the red vinyl used by RCA in many of its early microgroove releases. But unlike RCA’s 33s and 45s, Audiophile released all its early recordings on 78, which was thought to offer greater fidelity. As recording technologies improved, Nunn started producing 33-1/3 rpm recordings and, eventually, stereophonic music.
Producing a few records just for his friends was his original intention. But his recording was so superior that it could not be kept hidden for long from the audiophile community. His records filtered to the consciousness of music lovers during the New York Audio Fair and other exhibitions.
Such recognition created a huge demand for Nunn’s recordings, and what had started as a hobby became a booming music business.
Larry Forbes of Absolute Sound Magazine wrote: “The sound on those records is unforgettable. Vivid. The wide dynamic range afforded by 78-rpm brought instruments to life with keen realism, and this despite the limitations of the playback equipment of the day. The dynamic range permitted by the high groove velocity certainly rivals that theoretically claimed for today’s CDs — without CDs flaws, of course. On the great speakers of the ‘40s and early ‘50s – the 800-pound, loaded behemoth Altec Voice of the Theater horn or the massive Electro-Voice Patricians — the sensation was visceral. Those 78s are still unrivaled in sonic purity and dynamic range.”
I know of one album that may still be in print. You may wish to hunt for this very special recording made by Nunn before he died in 1977. Released after his death, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” recorded in 1975, with music by the New Black Eagles Jazz Band from the Boston area, was made in the auditorium of Fontbonne College, St. Louis, Missouri, using multiple microphones.
The resurgence of vinyl music would not be complete without paying tribute to Nunn and his visionary recording peers. To these geniuses, music lovers like you and me owe the memories and pleasures of listening to faithfully recorded sound that now light the corners of our music rooms, and lift our souls and minds.
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For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com for quick answers to your audio concerns.
