haha, i'm never going to turn into one of THOSE guys.i promise.
― ian, Friday, 28 November 2008 17:59 (fifteen years ago) link
In coming weeks I'll be digitizing a (small) private collection of Arabic 78s (abt. 90 pieces). Watch this space for mp3 action. If anyone has any suggestions for cleaning up the sound of the wavs once ripped, i'd love to hear 'em.
― ian, Thursday, 8 January 2009 04:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Awesome!
― ^likes brown, yellow, puerto rican, and haitian girls (The Reverend), Thursday, 8 January 2009 04:58 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah, i'm pretty psyched. i've never tried to do a decent restoration job on damaged source material before. so it'll be an experiment. but fun.
― ian, Thursday, 8 January 2009 05:00 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm pushing megatons of love your way, Ian.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 8 January 2009 05:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Super-curios about Arabic musics! Godspeed, ian.
But those old 78 labels are just heartbreakingly beautiful, and prove that the world has since fallen to ruin.
― Calling All Creeps! (contenderizer), Thursday, 8 January 2009 06:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Good luck, Ian. That's really cool.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Thursday, 8 January 2009 10:03 (fifteen years ago) link
Why are you so weird?
Just kidding -- Awesome! Keep us posted!
― tylerw, Thursday, 8 January 2009 15:52 (fifteen years ago) link
What they all said. :-)
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:14 (fifteen years ago) link
I will probably miss these 1st time around, but I will bug you about them when I return to the US in mid-March. Many thanks.
Also, you probably know this, but go easy on the digital cleanup software. I'd rather hear crackle than weird digital waveform manipulation any day.
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 January 2009 16:58 (fifteen years ago) link
thread = bookmarked
good luck!
― "80s Baby" (Z S), Thursday, 8 January 2009 17:04 (fifteen years ago) link
i know a dude who collects 78s. he also wears a wool full body bathing suit. he also has lives in bed-stuy, plays white blues with a slide, and even has a girlfriend. that being said, i'm looking forward to some sweet mp3 rips.
― okamax, Thursday, 8 January 2009 17:21 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/56o2xf
First try.The track is "I Love (Coffee Song) Part 1"It is from an unknown label, as I don't read Arabic. Once I get in touch with the guy who commissioned this, I can have him translate the Arabic on the labels. The English tells me that it's sung by Asmahan, and is from the film Romance & Revenge. The next couple I upload will probably also be from the film.
I did not use any noise removal, except to fiddle with the tone knob on the turntable while ripping, to slightly cut the hiss. Audacity's noise removal routine seemed to make the file sound both muffled & digitally distorted.
Let me know, any thoughts etc.
― ian, Thursday, 8 January 2009 22:49 (fifteen years ago) link
Wow! Didn't know you'd be upping them this quickly! Thanx!
Looks like this one's from the 1944 film Gharam wa intiqam and the song is "Ana ahwa" or "Ahwa, Ahwa." Here's a clip form the movie (though it's not the song in question):
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 8 January 2009 23:21 (fifteen years ago) link
this is a really great tune ian
― all-seeing eye of horus (psychgawsple), Thursday, 8 January 2009 23:49 (fifteen years ago) link
sounds good, ian.
she has a website with audio but th audio doesn't seem to work anymore:
http://www.asmahan.com/
― scott seward, Thursday, 8 January 2009 23:55 (fifteen years ago) link
last fm has a good asmahan station too.
― scott seward, Thursday, 8 January 2009 23:59 (fifteen years ago) link
Audacity's noise removal routine seemed to make the file sound both muffled & digitally distorted.
otm. I think you need somethin more like ProTools level software to remove hiss and even then it probably strips out too much stuff you want to keep. the only thing I do in Audacity is go in manually and take out the worst spikes and pops.
can't wait to check these songs out, thx for posting
― dmr, Friday, 9 January 2009 00:03 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/m8p95k
From the same film. "My Dreams" violin solo.The English on the label doesn't tell me the instrumentalist's name. Eventually scans of the labels will be coming btw.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 00:17 (fifteen years ago) link
^ist that david schwimmer to the left?
thanks for sharing these, I really dig the instrumental one. I cosign not messing with the sound too much, if anyone is bothered by it they can do it themselves...
― sonderangerbot, Friday, 9 January 2009 00:38 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/wid1fv
Here is a third track from the same film. Also credited to Asmahan on the label, is there also an uncredited singer? It seems like there MIGHT be two voices here. It's called "Don't Blame Us." This one was a bit noisier than the flip side (the violin solo) and may be recorded a little quiet. When I tried to rip at a higher volume it began to slightly distort the vocal parts. There's an annoying bit of a buzz, so this one I might try to work with a little. We'll see.
Are these too quiet, in general?
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 00:54 (fifteen years ago) link
keep in mind i'm listening to the files with crummy built-in macbook speakers. so maybe they sound better than i think, or maybe worse.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 00:56 (fifteen years ago) link
Thanks for these! They're decent enough for a quick listen on the laptop or whatever. And surely you don't want to remove the inch-coat of fluff that one associates with the sound of 78s? But then I'm not fussy, and know nothing about ripping 78s. Or even vinyl for that matter.
― hologram of balls (gnarly sceptre), Friday, 9 January 2009 01:06 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/zeyx80
This one is a vocal duet by Fareed & Sabah on Al-Chark Records. There is no English song title. The label is pretty nice, it's a blue background with silver lettering & a detail of three pyramids also in silver. Egyptian?
Again there is a buzz during some of the quiet bits, but i think this might be my favorite so far. Side 2 coming up later; next want to try one of the 12" 78s. There are a few nice clean ones, and they have a really nice label that looks a bit like this, but on red. http://www.tedstaunton.com/labels/1910-1919.pages/Amour.Gramophone.Record/image/amour.gif The cherub is the same, and the text is laid out similarly
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 01:35 (fifteen years ago) link
^^^ that is for the label on the 12" 78, NOT the Fareed & Sabbah track. Let me see if I can find that label, it's nice.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 01:36 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't think I can hotlink to blogspot, so here:http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eNQqGZfs3PI/SRiaMkJ7RRI/AAAAAAAAJa8/PIbLE0XXe2Q/s1600-h/tn-300_LABEL-AL-CHARKRECORDS_460B.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_eNQqGZfs3PI/SRiaMkJ7RRI/AAAAAAAAJa8/PIbLE0XXe2Q/s1600-h/tn-300_LABEL-AL-CHARKRECORDS_460B.jpg
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 01:37 (fifteen years ago) link
That's a similar label, but a group of pyramids instead of the sun.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 01:38 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jdnzbj
This is the first half of 12". The text above the angel says: Concert Record "Grammophon." And below: Arabian / male song / Bikoul marsoum amarnil hosn / Cheikh Yousself el Menialawi, Caire / Order number 60122
I'd guess this one is from the late teens or early twenties, but I'm no expert.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 02:08 (fifteen years ago) link
This is a nice gallery of Arabic 78 labels, but I wish there was more info.
http://78records.cdbpdx.com/Arabic/
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 02:10 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dvfb8q
Here is the second part of the Fareed & Sabah 78. The first time I ripped it, I was using the line-in but got that annoying electrical buzz (you know the kind i mean.) So I re-recorded it by mic'ing the speaker on the 78 player. Primitive, but it sounds okay. It's got some worn grooves, which you will hear.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 02:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Cool thing ian. Good to see your conversion to the weird side of the 78.
― ShamPowWow (libcrypt), Friday, 9 January 2009 02:30 (fifteen years ago) link
ugh, i don't really like the way that last one came out. i'll try to re-do it tomorrow. doing the b-side of the 12" next, then i'm gonna go home. maybe if i feel up to it, once i get home i'll rip a few American 78s.
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 02:33 (fifteen years ago) link
Second part of the 12"
Took a few tries, but i think this one sounds okay. It is by the same artist, and the title is "Aghibtou li sahyeddahr."
http://www.sendspace.com/file/z7dle9
― ian, Friday, 9 January 2009 03:19 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/opv0rx
Two sides by Ray Jones: "Southern Yodel Blues" and "Farm John's Yodel." Taken from a remarkably clean 78 on Columbia (black label electrical.) More Arabic 78s coming soon. I ripped six more sides this evening, after vigorously cleaning the discs. Also used the 78 needle. The results are at least a bit better than before. I'll upload those tomorrow once get the pops worked out.
― ian, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:23 (fifteen years ago) link
FarmER John's Yodel, of course.
This is a fantastic public service you are doing ian.
― Dr More BS (libcrypt), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:25 (fifteen years ago) link
I love yodeling.
― Dr More BS (libcrypt), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:26 (fifteen years ago) link
Did the Bulgarian singers ever technically "yodel"? I'm not sure they did.
― I am a vampire, therefore I take garlic pills (Bimble), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:28 (fifteen years ago) link
No, they didn't yodel. Nope. But their music is always better than yodeling, I think.
― your cussin' cousin (PappaWheelie V), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:30 (fifteen years ago) link
Pappa you are not on AIM right now. I think I've already seen that clip, actually. Please chat on AIM thanks.
― Someone is more goth than someone else (Bimble), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 04:41 (fifteen years ago) link
― ian, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 06:29 (fifteen years ago) link
my god…
― naus, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 06:59 (fifteen years ago) link
no matter what the weather's like, it's always nice & warm
― ian, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 07:00 (fifteen years ago) link
did we ever figure out why 78 collectors are so weird?
― Edward III, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 07:08 (fifteen years ago) link
not yet.
― ian, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 07:12 (fifteen years ago) link
alright let's keep working on it then
― Edward III, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 07:36 (fifteen years ago) link
i think the popular image of the 78 collector is, unfortunately, heavily colored by hollywood films like Crumb & Ghost World, which may be why we (regular people) perceive them as weird. A great many of the high level 78 collectors are also very wealthy, which could have something to do with their eccentricity. Not to even mention the theories psychologists have come up with the explain even the more general collecting impulse...
― ian, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 20:22 (fifteen years ago) link
desperate man blues is on pitchfork.tv this week. bussard seems pretty weird, but enjoyably so. he's got a great story-telling voice.
― circles, Monday, 2 February 2009 06:42 (fifteen years ago) link
Nauck's Vintage Record Auction ends May 2nd; any other ILXors bidding? I like to bid low on a bunch of stuff, not expecting to win more than a few things. It's a nice surprise when the results come out.
― ian, Tuesday, 21 April 2009 16:30 (fifteen years ago) link