[Harp-L] Re: Effects

[BassHarp <bassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom Ball knows of which he speaks, as does Scott Dirks.

For history buffs, there is a great story about Bill Putnam of Universal 
Recording in Chicago, by Robert Campbell, Professor of Psychology at 
Clemson Univerisity, Clemson, SC. Robert's interest is in the history of 
recording, and in this case covers Vitacoustic and Universal Sound, 
which did eventually get heavily into the blues artists of the day. But 
- note that Vitacoustic was originated solely to promote the latest 
sound - The Harmonicats - when Bill Putnam recognized a market.

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Says Robert: Vitacoustic made its first releases in April 1947. 
Vitacoustic 1, "Peg o' My Heart" by the Harmonicats, and Vitacoustic 2, 
"Malaguena" by the same trio, were reviewed in Billboard on April 12, 
1947. They were featured at the top of the list of records deemed "most 
likely to achieve popularity." The reviewer commented that "Mouth 
organing was highlighted by a unique echo chamber effect giving depth 
and glucose which helps to cover up other technical flaws." On "Peg," a 
"string guitar finish[ed] off measures with echoed notes." "Record biz 
has seen everything but a harmonica platter hit--this might be the baby 
to do it." As was expected from a record that had already moved 100,000 
copies locally ("Disk has created a mild panic in Chicago and St. Louis 
at this writing, and looks to spread fast"), "Peg o' My Heart" entered 
the national charts on April 26, 1947.
======

Relative to that, following is a letter to me, dated December 28, 2004, 
from famed Chicago DJ, Eddie Hubbard, who unknowingly "discovered" The 
Harmonicats in February 1947:

"I still feel very fortunate to have been a part of The Harmonicats success.

The story is that they had just finished recording two songs at 
Universal Recording Studios which was two blocks away from my radio 
studio. Within a short time they brought in an acetate of each song. I 
needed a short song to end the first hour of my show and saw that Peg 
was just short enough so I played it first.

I never had a chance to play the second song because the switchboard lit 
up like a sky rocket. I have never to this day seen such instant 
reaction to a song or artists. It was overwhelming.

I remember those guys fondly. They were top notch people." - Eddie Hubbard
<>
Ref:
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/vitacoustic.html
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/index.html
http://www.harmonicats.com/history2.htm

Lots of reading, but tons of history - have fun.
Danny

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BassHarp
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http://www.bassharp.com/ace.htm
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