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| The very first 33rpm LP release in 1948. |
The long play record (LP) was developed by CBS Laboratories, and introduced to the world by CBS’ Goddard Lieberson on June 20th, 1948.
Since the beginning of the phonograph, most records (10-inch, 78-rpm discs used since the 1890′s) played for about two or three minutes. Occasionally, record companies issued 12-inch records, which had a bit more capacity.
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| The first LP from CBS (Columbia) |
By the 1940's, CBS (Columbia) and competitor RCA, were both working to improve the record. RCA’s concept stuck to the long-standing notion that a record should not have to hold more than one song per side.
“When I became general manager of the Victor Division of RCA on July 1, 1933, my first act was to take them off the market,” American Records Corporation president Edward Wallerstein explained. “Most of the records were made from Victorlac, a vinyl compound [and] the pickups available at that time were so heavy they just cut through the material after several plays. The complaints from customers all over the U.S. were so terrific that we were forced to withdraw the LPs.”
RCA reduced speed to 45-rpm from 78-rpm, and used a finer groove in the effort to develop a smaller disc than the 78-rpm standard. RCA also used a new plastic material, called vinylite, which resulted in the needle picking up less surface noise and hiss.
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| The first 45prm 7" single release from RCA in 1948 |
CBS released 33-1/3 10-inchers, but quickly phased them out in 1932, thanks to similarly maddening technical difficulties. The commercial public would not be able to consume and listen to sturdier, lengthier LPs for another 15 years. First, it had to deal with political and economic misery.
In 1939 CBS research director Peter Goldmark & his team of engineers were developing the 12-inch, 33-rpm, long playing record (LP). It was also made of vinyl plastic, and had very fine grooves.
World War II interrupted research and development but once the war ended the record business boomed, pulling in more than $10 million in sales by 1945. The new 45-rpm disc and its player were introduced at the end of 1947.
The concept behind CBS’s LP was different from RCA’s offering, with its slower speed and larger diameter, the “Long Playing” record was originally designed to showcase classical music, which often ran for 20 minutes or more without a break.
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| A close up of the label to the first 45rpm single. |
Naturally, within a few years, most record companies had adopted both the LP and the 45-rpm formats.
Engineers easily adapted record players to accommodate both types of discs, as well as the older 78-rpm singles.
As a kid, I had a Dansette style record player that I bought at a Christmas Fayre in school. That also played 16-rpm records. These
slow-turning vinyl records were for instructional purposes. Fidelity was
poor, but that was fine as these were for speech only.
The growth of LP sales in the 1960′s and 1970′s transformed the record business, generating large profits, and the LP restored the industry to the prominence it had held in the early 1920′s, before radio was introduced.
However the vinyl LP was hurt by the introduction of the compact disc in the early 1980′s & by the end of the 1980's CD sales overtook vinyl 45's & LP's.
Most major label record companies stopped releasing vinyl in large amounts by the early 1990′s.
Happily, that’s not the end as LP’s & 45's are still being produced.
Vinyl thrives in underground music scenes and niche collector markets, and is still commonly used by DJs for mixing purposes.
Within the last ten years, vinyl has experienced a resurgence in the mainstream, with some of today’s top 40 artists issuing their records on vinyl formats, with limited pressing runs.
Happy 65th to the LP.
And here's to many more!!
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