'Leslie' Baxter & Theremin - 78rpm record find

While up in Eastern Ontario for the weekend I came across an old 3 record (78's) box set (3 sleeves in a book-type jacket) of Theremin-infused music arranged by "Leslie Baxter" published in 1947... Called 'Music in the Moonlight' or 'Moon Music' or 'Moods and Moonight' or something like that, I forget the title... (I'll post it later after I check at home). Unfortunately I cant listen to it as my record player doesn't play 78's.

I am assuming "Leslie" is Les?

Anyone else know anything about this recording?

Also, I just have to gloat, I paid only 3 bucks for it...

here's an interesting interview that includes some info about theremins:
http://search1.npr.org/opt/collections/torched/fa/data_fa/seg_139163.htm

Hey Jane,
Is it possible you're talking about "Music Out of the Moon?" It was released originally in 1947 (rereleased in 1950, I think) and it supposedly the best-selling theremin record of all time. Les Baxter did record an album (I think only one) under the name Leslie.
You got a great deal!!!

Yes! That's it! I just saw one on Ebay. Hmm. Either people list it under Les Baxter, or under Theremin, but never 'Les Baxter AND Theremin'. If I list it on Ebay like that, I think I will net me some sweet coin. After I burn it to CD of course!

OK, so it's not super rare, but it still is a very exciting find. Wooowowoowoo
(insert theremin sound here)

How? Did you find a way to play it? I was thinking you might play it at a slower speed and be able to speed it up through software. I have some crazy ideas how, but will keep them to myself for now.

My boyfriend had that same idea. I will hunt for a 78 player first, but if I can't find one I will give that a try!

Restoration Hardware has a nifty player. It is self contained and plays 45's,33's& 78's. Sells for $129.00. It looks lika a small suitcase.

33 1/3 converts to 78 as 2.342, so if there is a recording rate that is 2.342 times slower than another.. Or 45 to 78 is 1.73.

I have accidentally recorded at one rate and played back at a different and gotten music too fast. So maybe you can manually set a sample rate 1.73 or 2.342 times slower than normal and it will play back normally. And it may actually make the quality better and the pops and crackles less, or more...

78 rpm turntables and cartridges are still available. In fact, I got one last year on ebay and got a pretty good deal on it. I got it as part of a project to transfer old recordings to CD. My mom used to work in the recording industry in the late 40s and 50s and has an extensive record collection from that era - including "Music Out Of The Moon" in it's original 78 album. Needless to say, it and some of the other exotica is high on the list for recording.

No need to worry about burning it to CD, because it is available in a really nice boxed set put out by Basta Records (www.basta.nl) here in the Netherlands. The set includes Baxter's "Music Out of the Moon" and "Perfume Set to Music" and Billy May's "Music for Peace of Mind" with Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman playing the theremin on all recordings. The CDs are each in miniature versions of the original sleeves and a very interesting and informative booklet is included. A couple of the cuts were also on the Ultra Lounge "Spacecapades" compilation. Still, always nicer to have the original records.

~Kelly

We've been using Roxio Platinum for the most part. A couple of others, too. Roxio has filter software built in that will remove a lot of the hiss, hum and scratchiness, but not all of the more pronounced pops. It works pretty good but you do lose a certain amount of frequency response. Enough that it's noticable. The trick is to record with the best equipment you can get: a good turntable, a better cartridge and a quality preamp. Then you have a better recording to work with when you filter it. The end result sounds good, but it's never going to sound like it was recorded digitally. It is amazing, though, how much you can improve on old tinny pre hifi recordings.

Great find, tikifish! I have that 78 album also and I especially enjoy the cover. For my 78's I bought a 70s-vintage Dual turntable at a thrift store and had a new cartridge put on that has a 78 stylus. The stylus can be switched for playing non-78 records. The grooves on a 78 are wider so the stylus must be wider otherwise the needle rests on the bottom of the groove giving bad sound quality. My 78s sound great and I have been taping them as I don't have a CD burner. The cartridge with the 2 styli came to about $100 but the turntable cost me only $12. 60s and 70s Duals are excellent turntables - very heavy platter and low noise. They come up on Ebay frequently but it takes patience as they often sell for well over $100.