VIDEO: Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo on 78

[JSngry]

Quite apart from the music, check out the room sound. Good God!

Even on my hafass computer speakers, I can hear it...

Edited September 2, 2009 by JSngry

[Larry Kart]

Probably Webster Hall, another great and long-gone NYC recording venue.

[Larry Kart]

"Webster Hall was built in 1886 at the 125 East 11th Street, New York City, and was designed by the architect Charles Rentz. Webster Hall initially served as America's first modern Night Club; however it later evolved to be a concert venue, recording venue and a corporate events center as well. It was during 1950s when Webster Hall also started hosting live concerts from Latin performers like Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente to the folk musicians such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Later RCA Records turned the Webster Hall in to their East Coast Recording Venue, making it Webster Hall Studios."

Apparently the building still exists and has been restored/transformed into a night club and recording studio, but I won't beleive it sounds like the old Webster Hall unless someone I trust says otherwise.

[Larry Kart]

Great shot of the interior of Webster Hall here:

http://www.websterhall.com/about/history.php

Talk about a "room"!

[Larry Kart]

Yep -- recorded at Webster Hall:

http://www.kokomo.ca/singles/1950_54.htm

[Larry Kart]

As were (most of?) the remarkable Sauter-Finegan Orchestra recordings.

[Chalupa]

Wasn't Webster Hall a.k.a "The Ritz" back in the 80's ??? I have a vague recollection of seeing some indie rock shows there.

[Chuck Nessa]

Wasn't Webster Hall a.k.a "The Ritz" back in the 80's ??? I have a vague recollection of seeing some indie rock shows there.

We all understand the "vague" part of your recollection.

[Teasing the Korean]

A lot of the RCA New York stuff was recorded there. Mundell Lowe's volumes of TV Action Jazz were done there.

[JSngry]

I'm not ashamed to say that I've heard that song pretty much my entire life, since the folks were big Como fans & regularly played the "Como's Gold Records" LP (or what ever it was called), but hearing this 78 (slightly worn) on a YouTube video through my less that killer computer speakers and still being able to hear the difference between the compressed LP sound and the spaciousness of the 78 is, to me, pretty "awe"-inspiring. I've got maybe 30-50 78s in various conditions of various musics, but nothing of this late vintage (other than some acetate or something of two GE light bulb jingles...gotta love the flea markets...), so I've never experienced the combination of tape & 78, at least not like this. Pretty damn impressive sound, I think.

[Teasing the Korean]

I'm not ashamed to say that I've heard that song pretty much my entire life, since the folks were big Como fans & regularly played the "Como's Gold Records" LP (or what ever it was called), but hearing this 78 (slightly worn) on a YouTube video through my less that killer computer speakers and still being able to hear the difference between the compressed LP sound and the spaciousness of the 78 is, to me, pretty "awe"-inspiring. I've got maybe 30-50 78s in various conditions of various musics, but nothing of this late vintage (other than some acetate or something of two GE light bulb jingles...gotta love the flea markets...), so I've never experienced the combination of tape & 78, at least not like this. Pretty damn impressive sound, I think.

In a recent Sinatra thread, I told a similar story:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...15&start=15

My Dad had a Capitol 78 of "I've Got the World on a String." As many of you know, late-era 78s that were recorded on tape and pressed on modern vinyl, with those wide grooves, had the potential of sounding incredible.

My Dad had this big tube mono hi-fi, and I swear to God this record used to JUMP out of those speakers, it was like Nelson Riddle's band was right there in the room.

I have yet to hear a version of this tune on LP or CD that sounds anything close to this experience. The version on the 3-disc Capitol Years box set sounded like they were trying to suffocate it with a pillow.

[JSngry]

Yeah, it was that story that inspired me to click on this YouTube link when I saw it. I see what you mean!

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

i only had the tops-records 78 growin up