I was excited to see my talk on the history of 78 rpm records at the Sturgeon Bay Library get a shout out from The Peninsula Pulse! The talk was well attended and everyone was so engaged and asked so many great questions that we went almost hour over the scheduled time! If you’d like to see one of my talks or listening parties, check out the full list of upcoming events here or below.
I was delighted to give a talk and demonstration on the history of 78 rpm records at the Sister Bay/ Liberty Grove Library in Door County, Wisconsin on July 6th. We listened to some rare records from my collection (including Blind Lemon Jefferson on Paramount!) as we learned about the history of recorded music from the first half of the twentieth century. Thanks so much to Christina for inviting me and all the great folks at the library!
What a thrilling and emotional experience it was taking a tour of the soon-to-be closed, historic Rainbo Records. Started in 1939 by Jack Brown, Rainbo Records grew from a small business making cardboard recording blanks for home use to a world-known manufacturer of CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records.
Rainbo Records made the Wheaties “Record-On-A-Box”, the Disneyland Talking Map, and the discs used in Chatty Cathy Talking Dolls.
Among the artists Rainbo has made product for include Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Monkees, Milton Berle, Redd Foxx, The Ventures, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, and on and on. I am so happy I got the chance to visit this L.A./ San Fernando Valley music industry landmark. Thanks so much to Steve Sheldon, Rainbo Records president, who gave such a wonderful tour. You can read about the history at their website.
Photos: Rainbo Records exterior on a rainy morning; Steve Sheldon, Rainbo Records president, displaying a Rainbo-made Elvis gold flexi 78 rpm; inside the facility; displays of the many unusual records that they made; the amazing floor in the lobby.
It was a fun and beautiful evening for slinging sides of shellac at a client appreciation mixer at the amazing and historic 94th Aero Squadron at the Van Nuys Airport.
If you haven't been, you really must check it out. It's a WW I themed restaurant designed to look like a French chalet, complete with a biplane in the parking lot and a bombed out bunker patio. With a killer view of the runway at the Van Nuys Airport, you can watch private jets and antique aircraft take off and land while enjoying a happy-hour cocktail or meal.
It was a pleasure to bring my rare 1930s-1950s 78s to this great space. The set included sides from Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Wingy Manone, Billie Holiday, Django Reinhardt, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Jordan.
