HENRI GENDRON and His Blossom Time Orchestra. American Fall Flower Festival. COLUMBIA No. 340080, inside start, 331/3rpm, single sided program.
What these discs were never meant to do was survive
beyond their initial airings. After one or two airplays, they
were supposed to be returned to the ad agency of origin
and DESTROYED! This is why we have seldom - or in
my case, never - heard of these and similar shows before
now. The fact that any survive today is ascribable to a
sheer miracle of combined negligence and luck.
These Western Electric Columbia studio recordings
sound fabulous - as good as the already fine Columbia 78s
of the time, or even better. This is in high contrast to the
usual dismal fidelity of airchecks from the period. Their
quiet surfaces, strong modulation and enhanced high
frequencies were meant to optimize their sound on AM
radio, and cut through the static.
Filmed while being played on my electric CALIFONE phonograph equiped with a speed strobe.