Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 20, 2015

DEAR JERRY: One bit of recorded music history I've never found is which LP each of the labels chose for their first stereo album.

Having a checklist would definitely get me interested in collecting them.
—Casey Sowell, Lake Charles, La.

DEAR CASEY: I can take a hint. You want me to create such a list.

One annoying pitfall with this project is that many labels concocted fake stereo (a.k.a., "stereophony"), exclusively to fool their customers.

I have tried to skip over any ersatz stereo LPs, unless they might also contain some true stereo content.

It is interesting to see how often a label's landmark stereo album is by someone other than one of their established stars.

The research is limited to labels active in the late-1950s, even if their first stereo LP came out later:

ABC-Paramount ABCS-143 "The Waltzes of Strauss" Valentino with Don Costa Orchestra (1958)
Abner SR-2000 "Dee Clark" (1959)
Ace LP-1024 "Gil Peterson Sings Our Last Goodbye" (1962)
Argo LPS-614 "Chubby's Back" Chubby Jackson (1958)
Arvee SA-423 "Doin' the Hully Gully" Olympics (1960)
Atco SD 33-104 "That's All" Bobby Darin (1959)
Atlantic ALS-1208 (Binaural) "Rampart Street Ramblers" Wilbur DeParis (1953)
Atlantic SD-1253 (Stereo)"Wilbur DeParis at Symphony Hall" (1958)
Audio Fidelity AFLP-1872 "Marching Along with the Dukes of Dixieland"/"Railroad Sounds, Steam and Diesel" (1957)
Bel Canto SR-1001 "Plain Vanilla" Larry Fotine and the Beale Street Buskers (1958)
Bell BLP-11 "Mardi Gras" Enoch Light & Orchestra (1959)
Bethlehem BCP-78 "The Amazing Mr. Sam Most" (1958)
Big Top 12-1302 "The Big Sound of Johnny & the Hurricanes" (1960)
Blue Note BST 84095 "Rollin' With Leo" Leo Parker (1962)
Bluebird (RCA Victor) LBYS-1013 "Adventures in Sound and Space" Col. Frank Erhardt (1958)
Brunswick BL-754032 "Come Dance With Me" Myron Floren (1958)
Cadence CLP-25005 "Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein" (1958)
Cameo LP-1001 "An Adventure in Hi-Fi Music" Dave Garroway (1958)
Canadian-American SCALP 1001 "Santo & Johnny" (1959)
Capitol ST-818 "Spirituals" Tennessee Ernie Ford (1958)
Chancellor CHLS-5002 "The Young Frankie Avalon" (1959)
Carlton STLP-12/100 "Yesterday's Hits, Today's Classics, Tomorrow's Hi-Fi" George Liberace (1959)
Challenge CHS-2500 "Everybody's Rockin'" Champs (1959)
Checker LPS-2991 "Two Great Guitars" Bo Diddley & Chuck Berry (1964)
Chess LPS-1440 "Benny Rides Again" Benny Goodman (1959)
Colpix SCP-403 "Two Pianos in Stereo " Jon Keyes & Paul Kleff (1959)
Columbia OS-2001 "West Side Story - Original Cast" (1958)
Command RS-800SD "Persuasive Percussion" Terry Snyder & His All Stars (1959)
Concert Disc CS-21 "Re-Percussion" The Percussive Art Ensemble (1958)
Cook 2064 SD "Masterpieces of the Theater" Willis Page and His Orchestra (1958)
Coral CRL 757113 "The World's Finest Music As Interpreted By Lawrence Welk" (1958)
Counterpoint CPST-542 "Harp Music" Zablaeta (1958)
Crown CST-101 "Around the World in 80 Days" Hans Hagan & His Orchestra (1958)
Decca DL7-8619 "Michael Piastro Conducts Great Piano Melodies" (1958)
Del-Fi DFST-1202 "The Bob Keene Quintet" (1959)
Design DCF-1000 "The Magic Sound of Design Compatible Fidelity" Various Artists (1959)
Disneyland STER-3011 "Tutti's Trumpets" Tutti Camarata (1958)
Dolton BST-8001 "Mr. Blue" Fleetwoods (1959)
Donna DST-2111 "Love You So" Ron Holden (1960)
Dot DLP-25119 "Billy Vaughn Plays the Million Sellers" (1958)
Elektra XMP-4X "Around the World in Stereo (Sampler)" (1958)
End LPS-304 "Flamingo Serenade" Flamingos (1959)
Epic BN 501 "Lester Lanin Goes to College" Lester Lanin & His Orchestra (1958)
Era ES-700 "Tall Oak Tree" Dorsey Burnette (1960)
Everest SDBR-1001 "I'll Remember April" Raoul Poliakin (1958)
Excello LPS-8003 "Rainin' in My Heart" Slim Harpo (1961)
Fantasy 8001 "Dancin' With Anson at the Sheraton Palace" Anson Weeks Orchestra (1958)
Federal/King 561 "Jazz Goes Ivy League" Johnnie Pate Trio Plus Three (1958)
Felsted SAJ-7001 "Rendezvous With Rex" Rex Stewart (1959)
Fraternity FS-1014 "The Wham of That Memphis Man!" Lonnie Mack (1963)
Gee SGLP-704 "Big Daddy's Blues" Frankie Brunson (1959)
Gene Norman Presents GNP 22ST "From Broadway to Havana" Rene Touzet Orchestra (1958)
Gone 5002 "Groovin' at the Embers" Yugene (on cover) or Eugene (on label) Smith (1959)
Grand Award GA-201 "The Roaring 20's" Charleston City All Stars (1958)
Guaranteed GUS-1000 "Paul Evans Sings the Fabulous Teens" (1960)
Guyden GLPS-501 "Paris Goes Latin" Marcel Hayes Orchestra (1959)
Hamilton HLP-12101 "Hal Martin Conducts" (1959)
Hanover HS-8001 "Discovery of Buck Hammer" (1959)
Harmony HS-11001 "Kiss Me, Kate" Earl Wrightson & Mary Mayo (1958)
Hickory LPS-107 "Two of a Kind" Sue Thompson (1962)
HIFI SR-713 "The Genius of George Wright" (1958)
Imperial LP-12004 "Music of Ralph Edwards" Von Dexter & His Orchestra (1958)
Jamie JLP-3000 "Have 'Twangy' Guitar, Will Travel" Duane Eddy (1958)
Jubilee SDJLP-1071 "A Date with Della Reese (At Mr. Kelly's in Chicago)" (1958)
Judson S-2201 "Pops for Pipes" Gordon Kibbee (1958)
Kapp K-1100-S "Great Waltzes of the Fabulous Century" David Rose & His Orchestra (1958)
Keen S-2004 "Tribute to the Lady" Sam Cooke (1959)
King: see Federal/King
Laurie SLP-2033 "The Barbarians" (1965)
Liberty LST-7001 "Forbidden Island" The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny (1958)
London PS-100 "A Journey Into Stereo Sound" (1958)
Mayfair 9711-S "Percussion Italiano" Vico Anthony & His Percussion Paesanos (1960)
Mercury SR-60000 "Havana in Hi-Fi" Richard Hayman & His Orchestra (1958)
MGM 3641ST "Gigi" Soundtrack (1958)
Monument SM-14000 "Travelin' On" Billy Grammer (1959)
Okeh OKS-14100 "God Glorifies" Sons Of Glory (1962)
Parkway SP-7005 "Music of the Strip" Cousins (1961)
RCA Victor LSC-2100 "Hi-Fi Fiedler and the Boston Pops (1958)
Riverside S-1100 "Stereo Test Record" Various Sounds & Effects (1958)
Rondo ST-501 "Haydn's Military Symphony" Boston Festival Orchestra (1959)
Roulette SR-25016 "Pearl Bailey Sings for Adults Only" (1958)
Savoy SST-13001 "Blues Suite" A.K. Salim (1959)
Scepter S-501 "Tonight's the Night" Shirelles (1961)
Seeco CELP-4110 "Tonight" José Melis, His Piano and Strings (1958)
Starday S-SLP-144 "Songs That Made Him Famous" Cowboy Copas (1961)
Stereo Fidelity SF-1600 "Complete Minstrel Show" Hollywood sound Stage Chorus (1958)
Stereo Records S-7001 "Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By" (1958)
Sumco R-003 "Chicago Symphonic Band" Conductors: Herman Clebanoff & James Neilson (1958)
20th Fox SFX-3010 "Piano Patterns" Cecil Lloyd (1959)
Unique SLP-1280 "Jamaica" Herb Jeffries (1958)
United Artists 30001-S "Great Songs from United Artists Pictures" - Hal Schaefer (1958)
Vanguard VSD-2008 "If This Ain't the Blues" Jimmy Rushing and Band (1958) (VSD-2001 through 2007 are classical selections.)
Vee-Jay SR-1003 "We Bring You Love" Sarah McLawler & Richard Otto (1958)
Verve MGVS-6004 "Ernie Heckscher at the Fabulous Fairmount" (1958)
Vocalion VL7-3600 "North and South of the Border" Percy Faith (1958)
Waldorf Music Hall MHK-33-1402 "Honky Tonk and Ragtime Piano" Puddin' Head Smith (1958)
Warner Bros. BS-1201 "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Ray Heindorf Orchestra (1958)
Westminster WST-201 "Berlioz Requiem" Conducted By Hermann Scherchen (1958)
World Pacific WP-1001 "The Mulligan Songbook" Gerry Mulligan (1958)
World Wide MGS-2001 "The Saxophone Section" Coleman Hawkins (1958)
Word WST-8004 "Over the Sunset Mountain" Bill Pearce & Dick Anthony (1958)

IZ ZAT SO? In what the Miller International Company called "The most revolutionary packaging ever used in the record industry," their new label, Stereo Fidelity, issued 20 true stereo albums simultaneously.

Included in this orchestral library are six LPs by 101 Strings.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. introduced their foray into record albums, along with a promise to make a true stereo alternative for every LP they produce.

And that's a promise they kept.

Also of interest is RCA's introduction of the 7-inch stereo EP. On July 1, 1958, they simultaneously released 27 EPs by most of the big names on their roster (Perry Como; Ames Brothers; Perez Prado; Lena Horne; Julie Andrews; Frankie Carle; Tito Puente; Boston Pops, etc., etc.





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