I found the link to this page in the booklet accompanying the latest Volume II 6-LP release of Mercury Living Presence recordings. Whilst I understand these latest LPs are derived from the 1630 masters, I actually prefer the sound of the LPs to my CD equivalents (in the case where the repertoire overlaps). I don’t know what this says about my ears…Notwithstanding, this latest set (and the one before) are almost worth the money purely on account of the excellent essays in the accompanying booklets – especially the second set which contains an excellent selection of photos I had never seen before.

I see we are of the same class of ’66 vintage. Being the age that I am, by the time I was earning an income the original LPs from the so-called Golden Age had all but disappeared from the shelves of record stores. I had been aware of Mercury, Everest and RCA for some time of course through my listening to ABC FM in Australia back in the 70s (when they produced and presented regular programs specifically orientated to audiophile calibre recordings). But it was not until I was in a record store in around 1990 that I saw my first Mercury Living Presence classical reissue on CD (the Respighi Pines / Fountains of Rome and The Birds).

Over the next decade I amassed a considerable collection of these CD reissues. More recently I have purchased nearly all the Speakers Corner LP reissues as well as the two aforementioned LP sets from Universal. It thus goes without saying then that I am a huge fan of Mercury recordings, though of course I also love my vintage Deccas, RCAs, Everests and DGG, etc.

On the subject of the Detroit Symphony, I had an interesting email exchange last year with a recently retired long-term violinist from the orchestra. We were discussing the Paray era and he mentioned that one of the cellists who had retired at the same time, had actually been in the orchestra since the Paray days – a very long career indeed in the same orchestra – we would have been talking about 50 years. I also mentioned what I consider to be one of Paray’s greatest recordings – and what I consider to be a landmark early Mercury Stereo using the U47 / 201 layout at Old Orchestra Hall – the seemingly neglected Chausson Symphony which I have on the CD reissue catalogue number 434 389-2. The recently retired violinist told me that during his long career with the orchestra, he never recalls them ever having played the piece. Infact I have never heard or seen it ever programmed in Australia and can’t ever recall hearing any performance over the radio!

Anyway, I would just like to thank you for the excellent information and the excellent contributions you have made to the booklets in the latest Mercury reissues. Not a week has gone by in my house in the last 23 years without at least a couple of Mercury Living Presence recordings being played (just last night was the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony and the Mendelssohn / Chopin Cello Sonatas). Your parents may no longer be with us but it is true to say that they have had a profoundly positive effect on my life through their expert, tireless and concerted efforts in bringing true high fidelity sound into “home audiences” such as myself everywhere.

A Billboard article from September of 1963 noted that Columbia was phasing out pressing operations in Bridgeport. Given when the plant finally closed, this wind-down took six months.

At about the same time Bridgeport ended pressing operations, they also shut down a West Coast plant in Hollywood, CA (on Alden Drive) after a newer plant in Santa Maria, CA (which opened some time in late 1963 and would close in 1981) reached 100% online status in terms of pressing. Thus, for a time in the late 1963/early ’64 period, Columbia operated five – count ‘em, five – plants across the country.

Best guess on the model is the B-302 Moorish

All church electronic organ vendors highly discouraged running a combined PA/organ system for a lot of reasons, both technical and business wise. A combined system needs about three times the total amplifier power and far more drivers and horns. Furthermore, few people understand both PA and organs very well so service becomes a challenge.

If you have a Leslie, if you aren’t using it for guitar as well you aren’t getting your money’s worth!