Many of us who love music would have grown up with this friend and infact many of us could probably reel off our 100 favourite favourite friends (not without difficulty though as there's probably way more than a hundred we could put on the list!). These friends may have been passed onto us from our parents and they will certainly be friends we have gathered about ourselves that we have saved our pocket money for or spent our wages on. All of these friends in one way or another have accomplished one important thing in our lives: they have helped form for each and every one of us the Soundtrack4Life.
Today we celebrate the humble seven inches of Vinyl that were once called 45 rpm Phonographs but are now affectionately known as Singles or 45's.
On this day in 1949 RCA Victor issued the first Record to play at 45RPM. It was on 7" of Vinyl. The first single was a demonstration disc extolling the virtues of the new format. I couldn't believe that someone had found a copy of it somewhere and uploaded it to You Tube! The first video below is exactly what this was!
(this is the first Country Single released as a 7" 45RPM Record)
Once RCA Victor introduced the first 45 rpm phonographs, they knew the importance of having not just one 45 rpm record available, but a selection of different artists and styles from which buyers could choose.
Thus, in February 1949, they mixed a little of everything in with the very first batch of 45s shipped to record stores. They arrived in a custom envelope labeled:
This Is Your Preview of the New
RCA Victor 45 R.P.M. RECORD LINE!
Inside are seven singles, each of which is made using a different color plastic — each color representing seven different musical styles.
The colours and the records are: Cerise, for Blues & Rhythm (That's All Right - Big Boy Crudup, 50-0000); Green for Country & Western (Texarkana Baby - Eddy Arnold, 48-0001); Sky-Blue for International (A Klein Melamedl - Saul Meisels, 51-0000); Midnight Blue for Popular Classics (The French Marching Song - Al Goodman & His Orchestra, 52-0006); and Black for Popular (Because - Dick Leibert, 47-2857).*
(* Not all the ones lisited above were the first releases
The remaining two in the series are: Red for Red Seal Classical and Yellow for Children's Entertainment. (Unfortunately, the information as to the artists and titles of this pair of discs still remains unknown).
As the music industry's very first 45s, the preview envelope suggests: Use these seven records as samples between now and March 31st (1949), and for use with the forthcoming window and counter displays.
The copy writers then wisely and amazingly foretell: You may wish to hold them as collector's items — the first production run of a record that will set the pace for the entire industry!
Made specifically for in-store use, and not broadcasters, this Whirl-Away Demonstration Record played over and over, calling attention to the colorful display.
Now everyone can hear music history being made.
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Can you believe that! Coloured Vinyl in 1949!!
RCA's 1st Ever 45RPM Record
Here's a couple of musical tributes to the 45!
45RPM - The Alarm
45 - The Gaslight Anthem
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