Centenary of Electrical Recording

[Bee-liever]

February 2025 marks one hundred years since the first commercial electrical recordings.
Columbia Phonograph on 25-27 February, 1925 and Victor Recordings on 26 February, 1925.

Although electrical recording sessions had been held by both companies before this, these are the first ones that eventually led to commercially released records.

Amazing that this happened on those old 78's not even 100 years ago!

Just in case you wanted to know...  

-edit-
oops. Only ninety years this year. Another ten to go for centenary 

[phred]

And to honor it further, there's your Bee 78 skin.
http://getmusicbee.com/forum/index.php?topic=7659.0

[Zak]

Hmm. Two different labels releasing their first commercial record on the same date?
If that's not a conspiracy I'll eat my tinfoil hat.

[Bee-liever]

Zak, put the ketchup down and back away from the hat.

They both had just paid Western Electric an exorbitant amount to licence the use of their patented recording process (Victor paid $50,000 dollars in initial fees - they only made $25,000 profit the previous year) so they both had studios recording to work out the kinks in the system.

Columbia actually released the first discs in early March, with very little promotion of the new recording process while Victor, fearful that their back-catalogue of acoustic recordings would be made obsolete, held back the release of electrically recorded discs until "Victor Day" (November 2, 1925).  A huge promotion of the new discs and, of course, new model 'Victrola' phonographs to play them on.