This is of course a generality, because there are some songs before 1958 that I like.

What about you? What do you think about music before 1958?  :)

I'd say (with a few exceptions) before 1963/early 1964 and the British Invasion. The exceptions are either the uptempo, harder rocking rockabilly songs (Jailhouse Rock, Maybelline, Tutti Fruitti) or ballads like Stand By Me, and Stay.

I'd say (with a few exceptions) before 1963/early 1964 and the British Invasion. The exceptions are either the uptempo, harder rocking rockabilly songs (Jailhouse Rock, Maybelline, Tutti Fruitti) or ballads like Stand By Me, and Stay.


I like Elvis's 1956 and 1957 songs! Didn't mention that.

I actually like music from before 1958. It's also the historical aspect which makes it interesting. I have a small 78 rpm record collection with records from 1902-1957 (most stuff is from the 20s-40s).  I really like jazz and swing music from the 20s-50s and some German popular music from the 20s-40s. My favorites are vocal groups here. However, there are a lot of boring records aswell, of course.
When it comes to singers who have been popular well into the second half of the 20th century (e. g. Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra), then I prefer the stereo titles, mostly from the 60s and 70s. The mono records from the 50s sound really dull IMO.

I actually like music from before 1958. It's also the historical aspect which makes it interesting. I have a small 78 rpm record collection with records from 1902-1957 (most stuff is from the 20s-40s).  I really like jazz and swing music from the 20s-50s and some German popular music from the 20s-40s. My favorites are vocal groups here. However, there are a lot of boring records aswell, of course.
When it comes to singers who have been popular well into the second half of the 20th century (e. g. Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra), then I prefer the stereo titles, mostly from the 60s and 70s. The mono records from the 50s sound really dull IMO.


Maybe it's just the 50s music that bores me, haha.

I like Elvis's 1956 and 1957 songs! Didn't mention that.


He had good hits before 1958.

Maybe it's just the 50s music that bores me, haha.


So if it bores you, So what music do you like?

So if it bores you, So what music do you like?


I'll make a guess.

Music after 1958?  :D

I enjoy lots of music before 1958, it's just that post WW2 when swing died down it was replaced by extremely bland vocal pop, there was still good country and western/blues/be bop in the early '50s but the bland easy listening music seemed to dominate until rock n roll hit in 1955.

I like the old, scratchy sound of '30s and '40s recordings, I also like classical music, '20s jazz, swing, calypso, and ragtime.

1958, 1959 is really when the first wave of rock n roll started becoming more tame and sanitized but doo wop experienced somewhat of a "revival" in the early '60s.

So if it bores you, So what music do you like?


The Beatles??  :P

I'll make a guess.

Music after 1958?  :D


That's just crrraazyy!  :D :D :D

I enjoy lots of music before 1958, it's just that post WW2 when swing died down it was replaced by extremely bland vocal pop, there was still good country and western/blues/be bop in the early '50s but the bland easy listening music seemed to dominate until rock n roll hit in 1955.

I like the old, scratchy sound of '30s and '40s recordings, I also like classical music, '20s jazz, swing, calypso, and ragtime.

1958, 1959 is really when the first wave of rock n roll started becoming more tame and sanitized but doo wop experienced somewhat of a "revival" in the early '60s.


So 1945 to 1954/55, music was kind of bland? Maybe it's a matter of opinion.  :)

I like the old, scratchy sound of '30s and '40s recordings


Some people think that the scratchy sound belongs to such recordings. I don't think so and that's the reason I use digital filters to clean those old records. That makes them way more enjoyable. 

Some people think that the scratchy sound belongs to such recordings. I don't think so and that's the reason I use digital filters to clean those old records. That makes them way more enjoyable.


It's a matter of personal preference - if you go too overboard with 'denoisers' they tend to leave the material with an 'underwater' effect. I don't mind a bit of surface noise (you must remember that before about 1948, record companies didn't use tape), but listening to something that sounds like it's been reamed by a six inch nail is a bit off-putting!

Also, because there was no tape, all performances were pretty much 'live' - if a mistake was made, it was back to the top, new lacquer disc and a pretty disgruntled record company - so the vocalists, bands and orchestras of the time were really on top of their game. Listen to an old Spike Jones recording - how his lot achieved what they did was mindblowing!

So 1945 to 1954/55, music was kind of bland? Maybe it's a matter of opinion.  :)


In the mainstream, yes. I'd take the Swing era (1935-1945) that immediately precedes it any day. 1945-55 is what I like to call the "old housewife" era of pop music; lots of thirty-fortysomething singers dominating the charts. In addition to straight pop (what we would call today as lounge/easy listening music), the same style also produced some musical and movie themes, along with instrumental music that was sometimes referred to as "semi-classical". The generation gap was small; if you were a teenager at the time, you generally listened to much of the same music your parents did. People were more obsessed with the fidelity of music based on their stereo system than the styles were. It was just music to get housewives motivated by having a peaceful, G-rated background soundtrack. The men would prefer some of this but also liked country, some classical, and if they were hip, jazz. Its still easy to find this type of music at second hand stores for cheap, and outside of the charted 45 hits, I don't collect any of these records unless if it contains a sleeve of an attractive female singer.

That said, thanks to Elvis' rise, I don't find 1956 and 1957 to be that boring, as those two years are IMO (along with 1958) the "50s" that most people think of. According to a chart that showed the various genres of music that were popular at the time, in 1956 traditional pop (easy listening) accounted for barely 50% of all hits, with the rest divided between rock & roll, rhythm and blues, doo wop, country (back when it was still "hip" and not rednecky), and a little bit of folk. By 1957 the "old geezer pop" was down to just 30%. Sure, some of this old pop lingered into the early 1960s, but it was a minority. Plus, cool Jazz was taking off.

It's a matter of personal preference - if you go too overboard with 'denoisers' they tend to leave the material with an 'underwater' effect.


Yes, that's true. Depending on the needle you use, you will definetly have some noise in the background, but it may not be too distracting! I have found out great techniques to filter records. However, crackle can nearly completely be removed with no loss of quality. The best thing is if the record is still in a very good (near mint) condition.


Listen to an old Spike Jones recording - how his lot achieved what they did was mindblowing!


Nice that you mention Spike Jones! I actually have some records of him in my collection ;)

Yes, that's true. Depending on the needle you use, you will definetly have some noise in the background, but it may not be too distracting! I have found out great techniques to filter records. However, crackle can nearly completely be removed with no loss of quality. The best thing is if the record is still in a very good (near mint) condition.

There lies another problem - some stuff is getting on in years and its getting pretty difficult to find mint-ish condition 78s. The material that made up a lot of the record's compound (shellac) tends to break down steadily over time - moreso when the record has not been stored correctly. (There was also a period in wartime when shellac was in short supply and a lesser substitute was used, so some recordings from about 1942/43 tend to sound that little bit worse).

Nice that you mention Spike Jones! I actually have some records of him in my collection ;)


Same here - the sound quality is mostly good, but sometimes atrocious! But the performances throughout were incredible - all done in more or less 'one take'!

Audacity is okay-ish with click, pop and general crud removal, but it IS free to use. However, spending about fifty bucks on a thing called ClickRepair is well worth it, if you have a lot of stuff that needs to be cleaned up - if you're skeptical, you can also try it for 21 days free!

I'll make a guess.

Music after 1958?  :D


That's pretty obvious. ::)

The Beatles??  :P


I like The Beatles too.

There lies another problem - some stuff is getting on in years and its getting pretty difficult to find mint-ish condition 78s. The material that made up a lot of the record's compound (shellac) tends to break down steadily over time - moreso when the record has not been stored correctly. (There was also a period in wartime when shellac was in short supply and a lesser substitute was used, so some recordings from about 1942/43 tend to sound that little bit worse).


Yeah, if the material is not that great anymore, at least the grooves should be alright. "Grey grooves" is the worst you can get and you can't really repair it digitally. As for the WWII-records, that's definitely true for German records. Early-Mid 40s records are generally worse than 30s records due to the lack of high quality material.


Same here - the sound quality is mostly good, but sometimes atrocious! But the performances throughout were incredible - all done in more or less 'one take'!


Most of my Spike Jones records are on British HMV. Those are not the best, sometimes a bit noisy, but due to the good condition, I could perfectly filter them.


Audacity is okay-ish with click, pop and general crud removal, but it IS free to use. However, spending about fifty bucks on a thing called ClickRepair is well worth it, if you have a lot of stuff that needs to be cleaned up - if you're skeptical, you can also try it for 21 days free!


I (have) generally use(d) several programs, including a German decrackler/declicker. A combination of different tools is the best way to get good results ;)

Yeah, if the material is not that great anymore, at least the grooves should be alright. "Grey grooves" is the worst you can get and you can't really repair it digitally. As for the WWII-records, that's definitely true for German records. Early-Mid 40s records are generally worse than 30s records due to the lack of high quality material.

Most of my Spike Jones records are on British HMV. Those are not the best, sometimes a bit noisy, but due to the good condition, I could perfectly filter them.

And yet, it's said in some quarters, that the British HMV records of the time were of the best quality! Go figure! Well, considering we were going through our own rationing at the time, what could it be honestly compared to? But in all cases, condition is key...

I (have) generally use(d) several programs, including a German decrackler/declicker. A combination of different tools is the best way to get good results ;)


Takes time and a lot of patience, but after auto-declicking, I normally pick out the most stubborn digs manually by subtly editing them from the waveform. There's always something that gets left behind, but it beats trying to do them all by hand! Eech!

And yet, it's said in some quarters, that the British HMV records of the time were of the best quality! Go figure! Well, considering we were going through our own rationing at the time, what could it be honestly compared to? But in all cases, condition is key...


The HMV.B series is generally considered more noisy than other pressings. Same for the HMV E.G. series (English pressings from the German Electrola label). The Australian and some Scandinavian HMVs are probably the best HMVs you can get.

The British HMV can honestly compared with all HMV labels from other countries including Victor (USA/Canada) and Electrola (Germany).

I think the 1954-1958 period was pretty great, personally. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and of course Elvis all made it fun. Early Rock and Roll is pretty interesting and fascinating to look back on how it unfolded. I actually find the 1959-1963 period to be a lot more dull.

I think the 1954-1958 period was pretty great, personally. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and of course Elvis all made it fun. Early Rock and Roll is pretty interesting and fascinating to look back on how it unfolded. I actually find the 1959-1963 period to be a lot more dull.


My Father enjoys early Doo-Wop, He listens to it almost every day.

I like some big band and swing music but it's not something I'd listen to on my MP3 player.

I think every era has the good & the bad. There are a lot of forgotten gems of every era. I grew up with music of the '50s because my sister loved it and played it all the time. It was funny because my sister used to listen to the "oldies" station in the early '70s. Now "oldies" stations play the stuff from the early '70s. lol.



There lies another problem - some stuff is getting on in years and its getting pretty difficult to find mint-ish condition 78s. The material that made up a lot of the record's compound (shellac) tends to break down steadily over time - moreso when the record has not been stored correctly. (There was also a period in wartime when shellac was in short supply and a lesser substitute was used, so some recordings from about 1942/43 tend to sound that little bit worse).




We bought a box of VERY EARLY 78s at an auction and most of them are in mint condition.  :o :o  Unfortunately, they are not the ones that most people are looking for. Most are classical/opera or other songs that no one remembers.


BTW, I LOVE Spike Jones.


Cat

Now "oldies" stations play the stuff from the early '70s. lol.


and some stations play 80's too as well.

How can you find this boring?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBWkM0jzK0


Cat

How can you find this boring?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBWkM0jzK0


Cat


I like that song.

How can you find this boring?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBWkM0jzK0


Cat


It's an exception!  :D :D

It's an exception!  :D :D



What about this? (Going back a little further.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJfuKdzbOo


There is also songs by:
-Fats Domino
-Jerry Lee Lewis
-Bill Haley & the Comets
-The Everly Brothers
-Elvis
-The Big Bopper
-Richie Valens
-Bobby Darin
-The Coasters
-Ricky Nelson
-Chuck Berry
-Little Richard
-Sam Cooke
- and of course Buddy Holly


There are many more to this list. Are you saying that all of these artists' music is boring? Or are all of these the exception to your rule? If that is the case, I think there is probably more exceptions to make your statement not absolute.


Cat

How can you find this boring?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBWkM0jzK0


Cat
This song is classic!

What about this? (Going back a little further.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJfuKdzbOo


There is also songs by:
-Fats Domino
-Jerry Lee Lewis
-Bill Haley & the Comets
-The Everly Brothers
-Elvis
-The Big Bopper
-Richie Valens
-Bobby Darin
-The Coasters
-Ricky Nelson
-Chuck Berry
-Little Richard
-Sam Cooke
- and of course Buddy Holly


There are many more to this list. Are you saying that all of these artists' music is boring? Or are all of these the exception to your rule? If that is the case, I think there is probably more exceptions to make your statement not absolute.


Cat


I'll change it to 1952 and before!! :.ducks:.

I'll change it to 1952 and before!! :.ducks:.


Nooooooo...plenty good stuff before then!

As well as Mr Miller, there was Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Harry James (oh, the list goes on and on and on...) - admittedly, some of the material could be pretty twee on occasion, but that's public demand for you. The period where RnB was beginning to make its presence felt (from about 1952, funnily enough) must have been SO exciting to have witnessed first hand...

Nooooooo...plenty good stuff before then!

As well as Mr Miller, there was Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Harry James (oh, the list goes on and on and on...) - admittedly, some of the material could be pretty twee on occasion, but that's public demand for you. The period where RnB was beginning to make its presence felt (from about 1952, funnily enough) must have been SO exciting to have witnessed first hand...
...not to mention the Warsaw Concerto!

...not to mention the Warsaw Concerto!


Which should never have been mentioned in front of Spike!

Although our bands (with few exceptions, like Ted Heath's) were pretty pale imitations of their US counterparts at the time, we did pretty well with light orchestral pieces like this...

Nooooooo...plenty good stuff before then!

As well as Mr Miller, there was Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Harry James (oh, the list goes on and on and on...) - admittedly, some of the material could be pretty twee on occasion, but that's public demand for you. The period where RnB was beginning to make its presence felt (from about 1952, funnily enough) must have been SO exciting to have witnessed first hand...


I'll stick with 1953 and after.  ;D ;D ;D

I'll stick with 1953 and after.  ;D ;D ;D


We'll agree to disagree on this, but as long as I'm still breathing (almost!), I'll always be a huge admirer of these vintage years (for that is what they now are...)

Peter Sellers hated Glenn Miller and "In The Mood" - he had the song played at his funeral to be cheeky.

Peter Sellers hated Glenn Miller and "In The Mood" - he had the song played at his funeral to be cheeky.


So why play it in the first place? ???

So why play it in the first place? ???
It was Peter Sellers having his last laugh on the congregation for the funeral.

It was Peter Sellers having his last laugh on the congregation for the funeral.


So it was his idea?

So it was his idea?
I believe so, but Peter Sellers did die suddenly after a heart attack, whether in his will or had previously told someone.

Let me try and research more in this.

So it was his idea?
From: http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/s/Sellers/Peter.htm

"His funeral was held at London's famous Golders Green crematorium on the 26th July. It was attended by family and entertainment friends, including Milligan and Secombe. He saved his last joke for the end of the service. Just as his coffin was to pass to its final destination, Glenn Miller's tune "In The Mood" began to ring through the chapel. Peter Sellers had wanted a classic full band playing but all he got was a tape over the old speaker system and his Goon Show buddies started off the ensuing laughter. His ashes are buried beneath a rose bush in the cloister garden, plot E37893, with his parents."

From: http://www.petersellers.com/about/biography.html

After appearing in over 60 films as well as on numerous radio and television shows throughout his career, Sellers died of a heart attack on July 24, 1980. Displaying his unending sense of humor, the comic said good-bye with one last joke. At Sellers' request, the song "In The Mood" was played at his funeral, a tune that he hated. According to biographer Roger Lewis, Sellers had told his son Michael that the song was "wonderfully inappropriate - hence, wonderfully appropriate - for solemn occasions."

You're all very convincing, so I changed my mind to before 1953. So you guys/girls tilted the scale a little, good job!  8)  8)

I'll immediately 'deconvince' you by saying it wasn't...all classic, you know! A little thing from 1953 that somehow became a huge American hit... ???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUMM9Bv0040

I WANT TO BE BAD (from FOLLOW THRU - 1930): http://youtu.be/XxYXjEBf4HI

I'll immediately 'deconvince' you by saying it wasn't...all classic, you know! A little thing from 1953 that somehow became a huge American hit... ???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUMM9Bv0040


Too late, I already made up my mind.

Peter Sellers hated Glenn Miller and "In The Mood" - he had the song played at his funeral to be cheeky.
Many of that generation hated "In The Mood" too!

I like pop music from the 50s, it has a nice sound to it. 
Everyone finds some type of music boring. I find almost all 1990 to 2021 music very boring, annoying and bothersome. I can't even define it as music, just some dreadful irritating noises.

I like pop music from the 50s, it has a nice sound to it. 
Everyone finds some type of music boring. I find almost all 1990 to 2021 music very boring, annoying and bothersome. I can't even define it as music, just some dreadful irritating noises.

My Father loves The 50's music and I like it a little bit too.