![]() ![]() Rather than wait for that, it was felt best to publish the large amount of information gathered so far. To achieve 100% completeness it would be necessary to inspect every disc issued or licensed by Columbia during this period-in fact, every copy of every disc. Many of the missing titles are probably unissued masters that will never be identified. Some ethnic titles (pressed in very small quantities in the ethnic and export series) are still to be discovered. Many unlisted takes and alternate-label issues lurk in collections around the world. Approximately 3,400 titles and 15,700 releases on 34 labels are documented here. I believe the pre-1910 listings are now virtually complete for issued, domestic, English-language titles. More than a hundred people, named in the acknowledgments, have contributed in one way or another to the discography you see. New York collector and researcher Richard Markow pitched in to complete the difficult data entry work, the Association for Recorded Sound Collections generously provided a grant to help defray costs, and numerous experts willingly answered my blizzard of letters and email messages, adding an enormous amount of new data. The executor of his estate, Stephen Harding, graciously agreed to return his portion of the files so that the project could continue. Unfortunately, Bill-a confirmed computerphobe-had barely begun his portion of this work when he died suddenly, in September 1995. ![]() In the early 1990s I began to organize the huge amount of data accumulated for this volume and to prepare it for entry into a computer database. Many delays and diversions ensued however work never stopped entirely. Greenwood Press expressed interest, and a tentative publication date was set for 1984. In the early 1980s English discographer Brian Rust joined the project he extended the listings from 1910 to the early 1930s, using microfilms he had obtained of the Columbia files, which are more complete after 1910. Years rolled by as collection after collection was checked and correspondence carried on with researchers around the world. Then Bill took over with the goal of scouring other collections. ![]() Information was first gathered from our own collections and from my extensive library of catalogs and supplements. Even starting with the limited framework of the Chmura Lists, it was a daunting task. By the 1970s no files remained to document any of this, so all remaining information had to be reconstructed from original copies and catalogs. ![]() Columbia leased its masters to a plethora of labels. Our goal was to include not only matrix, title and artist, but all known takes and issues on any label. Concurrently, William Bryant and I determined to complete the earliest and most difficult series listing, masters 1-4999. For a time, there was a “Columbia Quartette” of researchers working on the label, then a "Columbia Trio." Between 19 I published several articles about Columbia (see bibliography) one, a guide to matrix series, will be found elsewhere in this volume. Because of the vast amount of missing information, however, no one attempted to complete the project, much less get it published.Īround 1970 this writer and several colleagues became interested in Columbia, which seemed to be receiving little attention compared to Edison, Victor and other companies. Portions were even published in Record Research magazine in the 1970s. Miraculously, copies of these fascinating lists were made available to a small group of collectors and researchers who started to "fill in the blanks." Copies were made of the copies, and the "Chmura Lists" eventually circulated to many hands. There was limited data on releases, no information on takes or remakes, and many gaps, but, at least, it was a start. These typed lists contained basic information about the recordings: matrix number, title, artist, a production (not recording) date when available. Research began at Columbia in the 1950s when company librarian Helene Chmura initiated the compilation of lists of recordings made between 19, drawn from company files which no longer exist. It is the product of a very long journey, and one that is far from over. This is the first in a series of volumes documenting the disc recordings of the Columbia Phonograph Company. matrix series, 1 through 4999, 1901-1910 Tim Brooks Introduction to Columbia Master Book, Volume I: U.S. Volume I | Volume II | Volume III | Volume IV ![]()
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