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Woody Herman - 1944 - Flyin Home (V-Disc)

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formiggini
December 13, 2008

Flyin´ Home Goodman-Hampton Woody Herman and his Orchestra V-Disc No320B/VP854 2.August 1944 V-Disc was a record label produced during the World War II era by special arrangement between the Uni...

Flyin´ Home
Goodman-Hampton

Woody Herman and his Orchestra

V-Disc No320B/VP854
2.August 1944

V-Disc was a record label produced during the World War II era by special arrangement between the United States government and various private U.S. record companies. The records were produced for use of United States military personnel overseas. Many popular singers, big bands and orchestras of the era recorded special V-Disc records. These 12-inch, 78 rpm recordings were made between 1943 and 1949. The "V" stands for "Victory".
The American Federation of Musicians, under the leadership of James Caesar Petrillo, were involved in a major recording strike against the four major record companies. No new recordings between 1942 and 1944! Lieutenant George Vincent (a ex Edison empoyee) convinced Petrillo to allow his union musicians to record sides for the military, as long as the records were not offered for purchase in the United States.
The V-Discs were an instant hit overseas. Soldiers who were tired of hearing the same old recordings were treated to new and special releases from the top bands of the day. The Discs were made out of vinyllite (only sides made by Columbia were shellac!) because most shellac discs broke while shipping. This was the real start of VINYL records!
Every month there was a new set for the troops: 30 records, STEEL (!) needles to play them and, by request, a speciale portable record player. Every record played up to 6 Min., often with two songs on a side. In a whole 900 recordings with over 2700 songs 4 Million records had been pressed in the Victor plant in Camden.
Many V-Discs contained spoken-word introductions by bandleaders and artists, wishing good luck and prayers for the soldiers overseas, and their hopes for a swift and safe return..Same of the artist: Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong. Benny Goodman, the Andrew Sisters, Billie Holiday..
After the V-Disc program ended in 1949, the Armed Services set out to honor the original AFM request that the records not be used for commercial purposes. Original masters and stampers were destroyed. Leftover V-Discs at bases and on ships were discarded.
V-Discs are often in very bad shape today. Remember, Vinyl discs on a phonograph machine played with steel needles, surviving military use in the war.

Category: Music

Tags:

woody herman disc jazz swing wwII ww2 phonograph record hot v-disc dance band Flying Home

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MARKMANIATT (11 months ago) Show Hide

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Great Chubby Jackson - Bass and Dave Tough - Drums.If only their were film to study as well!

MoleDFigg (1 year ago) Show Hide

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Oh my God, this takes me back!!
During WW2 I was evacuated, as a child, from London to a small village in East Anglia, to be away from the expected bombing. Nobody had noticed that East Anglia was VERY flat. This meant that our village became surrounded by new airfields as the war progressed and, therefore, became as much of a target as London!
We children went to the American airbases and heard "V discs" played on the base Tannoy systems, the sounds have never left me.
Many thanks!!

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