VICTOR PUZZLE RECORD - Amazing!! 1931

[@phaasch]

For anyone interested, these three "tracks" were all cut the same day by Ray Noble's orchestra at the HMV studios in Hayes, just west of London. There were several others of these "puzzle" records made around this time. The vocalist heard is the band's pianist, Harry Jacobson. As others have said, the lathe operator must have been a true artist!

[@mochawitch]

There's something mesmerizing and truly beautiful about watching a record turn at that speed, as that lovely music comes streaming thru from a time so far away…

[@JaneFrieman]

This is something I never heard of. I grew up around 78 rpm records. It's amazing how the record reflects light in an interesting way like CDs do.

[@dpbux]

That’s the Matt lustre of the shellac material :D nothing quite like it. That and perhaps a little sawdust composite to pull it altogether haha

[@ronmartin4212]

There's a Fontaine Sisters Rca blue label 45 called the Fortune Teller song with at least 3 or 4 endings.

[@tarstarkusz]

This is how the pull string talking toys work. One record with multiple grooves.

[@MikinessAnalog]

one sided though if I remember. no batteries, only a diaphragm speaker physically connected to the stylus.

[@tarstarkusz]

@@MikinessAnalog Yes. It was basically a little gramophone in there.

[@mattvanderwalt2437]

This is amazing 🤩

[@kenheitmueller69]

I love that you directly connected the output of your system to your camera audio. most folks just use the damn camera mic and it really detracts from the enjoyment of the music, hearing their speakers and crappy sounding room through the lousy camera mic. nice work. 'love the old Gerrard, too!

[@robfriedrich2822]

When people known worn records only, filtered from people who thinks, frequencies above 5 kHz were invented in 1947... it's amazing, how got old shellacs can sound.

[@reinergebhard9335]

There also were releases in Germany on Odeon (Lindström). They were called "Zauberplatte" (Magic record).

[@gramofon7612]

I'm quite amazed by the quality of the sound. I never knew the records could sound so good.

[@georgedabrowski6900]

Wonderful Al Bowlly!!!

[@kelhard]

The recording quality is very good too. You can actually hear bass!!

[@LouiePlaysDrums]

This is amazing! I didn't think they started making 'multi-grooved' records until the 1970s (Monty Python's "Matching Tie and Handkercheif" being the most famous example). But here it is all the way back from 1931!!! Not just two grooves on a record but THREE!!! Awesome. I love it.

[@bbailey7818]

There's also a spoken word Pick the Winner Multitrack Horse Race Rare Puzzle 78 RPM also recorded in Britain by HMV.

[@MikinessAnalog]

I think Techmoan did a video about it on youtube.

[@TheMillermike]

I loved this record as a kid. Some how like most 78's it got broken. Great to hear it again. Thanks to people like you and you tube, you can find all your old memories

[@pcallas66]

This is the first time I've seen something like this. This is definitely a rarity. Thanks for posting.

[@transformingArt]

I have a HMV Pressing of this record. Thanks for posting this!

[@Magicleafmercer]

Beautiful!

[@CHAMBHR]

I saw one of these puzzle records when I was a kid. It was a horse race with 3 different finishes. Hrc

[@RCALivingStereo]

CHAMBHR I have that one and this one to. The horse race one is fun, guy starts out saying place your bets and their off You pick a number and if you guess the correct number, your the winner

[@2574mcu]

I had no idea they made these that early. Great sound. I really enjoyed this video.

[@maximilianfischer8899]

this is not the earliest puzzle plate on KZbin, there is one from 1911 I think and two from around 1901

[@dguy0386]

so it has more than one set of grooves on each side and it's a different song depending on which one the needle lands in? that's so cool!!

[@renedescartes6221]

I have owned this record for years under two different labels: 1 copy GRAMOPHONE K 6198 1 copy his master ' s voice B 3775

[@janettewalker3991]

Fantastic record - just amazing indeed! Love it, thank you.

[@ornange]

This is beautiful

[@markostermayer3614]

These were also made in the very early years of victor. I know of another 1931 puzzle, a Jimmie Rodgers record.

[@marilynndonini7247]

My husband had a copy of an acoustic era recording with three tracks titled "A Conundrum (What Shall I Play Next ?)"!

[@dguy0386]

@@marilynndonini7247 i just listened to that same record here on KZbin, 1912, very cool!

[@novatodave]

Wonderful! Thanks for posting.

[@fromthesidelines]

Recorded on February 19, 1931.

[@gabrielepasqualoni7362]

Incredibile!

[@fromthesidelines]

The first song, "The King's Horses", was also played as a piano solo by Marvin Hatley under the opening titles of Laurel & Hardy's "The Music Box" (1932).

[@britainluver431]

I knew it sounded familiar

[@guyindiman8701]

By the way, the first selection you played was "The King's Horses", made popular by Jack Hylton & His Orchestra on HMV (and Victor).

[@calkid58]

The dead giveaway is how fast the needle moves across the record. Each track is about 1 minute.😃

[@hyzercreek]

Chatty Kathy dolls had tiny records with like 10 grooves so the doll said random things

[@kelhard5632]

Really REALLY good recording quality for 1931!!!

[@rEdf196]

In the 1970'a there was a Monty Python comedy LP , Matching Tie & Handkerchief which side 2 had 2 grooves with 10 or 12 minutes of play on each groove.

[@djhrecordhound4391]

On my copy, the label states something like "free record with purchase of this album"

[@EmmetEarwax]

I have a RHINO 33rp 12" record that plays a different Henny Youngman routine, each playing. . Probably segments of the same stage performance. The flip side has a complete 33rp 12" recording.Henny youngman app. only played the violin during his simulated barbecue commercials .The one on a desert island was absurd !

[@hebneh]

I had no idea this recording technique even existed and I’ve never heard of such records. If I’d encountered this particular record back when I was collecting 78s, 40 or 50 years ago, I would’ve mystified.

[@roybo1930]

OMG! I HAVE THIS RECORD!!! It`s hard to try to record for someone because You usually find the same track, So I used a gold paint pin and marked each songs groove starting point. By the way the gold paint pin can be rubbed off if wanted with out doing damage to the record.

[@BlackPatti78s]

Can you upload each individual song on each side of this record if you still have it? I know it's been 11 years since you posted this comment but I needed to ask

[@tedzodd]

Wow! I've heard of these too, but have never seen one!

[@OldiesAl]

I have 2 of these puzzle records uploaded, one is also by Ray Noble and Al Bowlly the other is amazingly an acoustically recorded commemorative for the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary from 1911. I find them fascinating.

[@phredl]

There were two HMV Puzzle records made at this time. Only one made it to the states.

[@dewey70]

These are incredible. Its funny watching how fast the tone arm moves across the disc.

[@Westtoledoguy]

that is great thx for sharing I have a horse race one with like a bunch of endings of who won the race made by Victor

[@djhrecordhound4391]

That record was actually used as a gambling game. Bet on the horses, then play the record.

[@Karlfalcon]

@beatlesfan464 Because it doesn't increase recording time. There's still only about 3 and a half minutes of time on each side - this just breaks it up into thirds AND it's incredibly difficult to land on the song you want.

[@BertieW0oster]

Wow, that is so COOL! :)

[@alexmckenna1171]

That's Al Bowlly singing "You're driving me crazy", so probably the band is a few of Ray Noble's recording band.

[@robfriedrich2822]

How did they this? Three studios, where three bands performed simultanously? Or were it three records, copied on the one disc?

[@Mark5W8Comer]

I wonder if the lathe operator used three separate heads at the same time or rotated the master 120° for each groove. This must have been a very difficult master to cut!

[@robfriedrich2822]

I think, the quality of a record was very good, so they could do the record from a recording. I guess, they used a 12" with 90 seconds only for each song and played the three one after another to the disc.

[@jerrypriessen8137]

I have the HMV one. There were many made also in Germany.

[@the-engneer]

What a clever idea! They could have implemented this to put more songs on each side

[@jeffboettcher2531]

Did a search of my own, and found that Discogs has documented the UK release, on His Master's Voice. and apparently even that version is not east to find either!! Still very interesting, though!

[@timefortea1931]

I actually have this on His Masters Voice!

[@spacemissing]

This technique was for many years the key to talking dolls and toy telephones that could play different messages at random. Making the master must indeed have been a bit of a job, But They Did It, didn't they?

[@digidoridvideos3672]

1:44 Mindblowing

[@robfriedrich2822]

This was the only type of multi groove records for consumers, on one hand a surprise record or possibly a horse race with different endings.... Other multi groove records were mend for radio use, playing short recordings and each one has a loop as stop point, to avoid, that the next section will be played. I remember, that a person claimed, a record with 2 songs on each side would need to put the stylus again on the record to listen the 2nd song, but that's not true, was similar to later EPs with 4 songs on a disc.

[@chesterfranklin2642]

I want that record.

[@78Point26]

Things would get pretty interesting if the grooves wore out and the record starting skipping forward.

[@rupertpowell8056]

mIne has ( on ok BABY

[@beatlesfan464]

Why weren't albums like this normally?

[@racheln8563]

It almost sounds like the sound track to a Terrytoons cartoon of the era.

[@mikegross6107]

Well I never! Why didn't they continue with this "puzzle record"?

[@hebneh]

This is a clever novelty but after fooling around with it a few times, it would’ve just been aggravating. The whole point of playing records is being able to hear the exact same familiar song every time you want.

[@rweerakkody4565]

These records were hi-fi when they first came out. Over time their materials wore out giving a frying and worn out sound.

[@neilfranklin5644]

So is that an early extended play, record

[@neilforbes416]

RCA should've used its "button" logo where the EMI-owned His Master's Voice trademark appears because "The Gramophone Co., as it still was in England before merging with Columbia Graphophone Ltd., should've cancelled Victor's licence to use the trademark once Victor was bought by RCA in 1929.

[@djhrecordhound4391]

Never, because Victor is a permanent part of the logo. The original painting had Nipper with a cylinder player, and it was bought from artist Francis Barraud on the condition he change the player to a Victrola disc machine. Also, HMV continued releasing RCA Victor USA & Canadian recordings internationally. Regardless of language or country of release, anyone in the world would recognize Nipper looking into the Victrola.

[@gaetanocaccianini5600]

Com'era tecnicamente possibile realizzare questo 😉❓

[@stevereventlow5217]

About 1912 HMV made a 12 inch multitrack record like this - called "The Conunumdrum - What Will I Play Next?". It was acoustically recorded and also issued in the U.S. by Victor. You can down load it from the internet, But the video was made by Bruce The Victrola Man who has NO musical taste and insists on playing finely recorded records on his old acoustical phonographs. The sound quality on all of his videos is absolute SHIT, and he.s been doing this for years. Thanks for nuthin', Bruce!!

[@RockinEd]

hahahahahahahahahahahaha AMEN BROTHER

[@johntyjp]

it was just luck that the needle found the right groove I suppose! never seen that before must be quite rare!?

[@maxwellgodwin6571]

How does it work? Like how can it play I different song.

[@MikinessAnalog]

Multiple start grooves that never overlap all the way to the end. Hear of the question, how many grooves are on a record? 2 one groove per side. That is not true with this record.

[@maxwellgodwin6571]

@@MikinessAnalog Thanks

[@sdiburro1]

I think it only lasted a minute and half every time you played it three times a side that is weird how they did that

[@hotsickle]

must have been very confusing for those old people back then...

[@dambuster6387]

Monty Python did use this idea one of there LP,s in the 70,s.

[@RockinEd]

There is also a Jimmie Rodgers puzzle record

[@fortpul6894]

Das lied ist sehr alt

[@frankolen4137]

I have pn I jave s harmony record puzzle

[@fridgemagnet]

that would have confused the stoners of the day, ha ha