REVIEWS

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The recordings, selected by Tohru Seya are from his own collection. Six from the 22 recordings were never released before on CD, but as I mentioned before there are not so many Hit of the week CDs that have this high standard like this Japanese production. To say it in another way; there are only three titles that are also on the Dutch “Toppers van Toen” CD (AHG 006), a production with the same high sound standard.

Isn't it strange that these American card board records are reissued in Japan after seventy years? No, mind that these recordings were introduced in Japan in the 1930s and were extremely popular for some time. They were brought into the country by the Mitsui Bussan Kaisha Ltd. (now: Mitsui & Co.). Hit of the week records are still to be found in Japanese collections and thanks to the publication of my “Hit of the week Discography” collectors became interested again in these card board records. It was a pleasure to cooperate at a distance by making the information accessible. The CD looks great and the liner notes will be very informative, undoubtedly, for people who are able to understand the Japanese characters. If you are anxious to learn more about the label you will have to log in on www.people.zeelandnet.nl/koerthchkz for background information, but, thank goodness, the track list is also in the Latin alphabet. There are five images of record labels and the well known Rudy Vallee promo picture that was on the reverse of some records for a short time, although Rudy Vallee isn't part of this CD.

The second Japanese CD in the series "Paper Hits" is as neat as the first issue. Audio Park (APCD-6007) "PAPER HITS Volume 2" contains 20 (in fact 22) Hit of the week recordings from the 1931 - 1932 period. The release of a third Hit of the week CD has been scheduled for the fall of 2003.

The recordings of this CD date, in spite of the title suggests all but two from 1931. During that year Durium was suffered by sales figures that didn't come up to expectations because of the depression and the competition of other cheap record labels. In the summer of 1931 the "Durium Products Corporation" failed. The first nine titles on this CD belong to this period and are to be found in many Hit of the week collections; two of them were never reissued on LP or CD before. Thanks to an advertisement company Durium could start again in August 1931 and not only commercial recordings were made, but also advertisement and custom records. New markets were developed, such as Europe and Latin-America. The introduction of the "new five-minute Hit-of-the-week with almost twice the playing time of the average record" should raise sales-figures. Some of these first "LP-records" has a sales talk to promote this novelty and are on this album

The extra two-minutes playing time on the record was used for a well known tune copyright-free. Two of these extra's are to be found behind the a few tunes (in italics), so the CD actually has 22 titles. Two other titles on this CD, who actually have such an extra too, are lacking these extra's on the CD, probably because the absent of a good copy. All recordings but one on this CD date from this second period and were reissued before on CD. I prefer the transfers on this CD. It is professionally re-mastered by Hajime Terada, using clean copies without filtering to much of the natural sound, so it gives a clear and open sound. The two recordings, made by Freddie Rich's Radio Orchestra "Little Girl" and "It's The Girl" are sought by collectors although reissued on many LPs before now they are perfectly re-mastered for the first time on this CD.
Both CDs contain all information that is necessary to date the recordings, but background information is in Japanese only, so you will have to find your "inside" information in the "Hit of the week Discography'" published by undersigned. These Audio Park "PAPER HITS' CD are the best way to enjoy the rich sound of the rare 1930s card board records

The third Audio Park CD “Paper Hits volume 3” “Hit of the week 1930-1932” , produced by Tohru Seya and published by the Japanese Audio Park label has been released. The first two tracks of the album are the well known Harlem Hot Chocolates recordings, made by Duke Ellington in 1930. These Hit of the week recordings of a black orchestra are remarkable, because the Durium Corporation intended their weekly records specially for the white modal man. The two Ellington sides are to be found on several contemporary issues, even on pirate labels like Biltmore, released during the 78rp era. Although these two tracks are not for the first time on CD, they should be part of every qualified collection. Some collectors think, wrongly, that but little is to enjoy on these brown discs, but if you have find out these Ellington sides or the two so-called “girl” recordings of Freddie Rich, the Cornell Smelser or Charlie Magnante accordion accompaniment or the howling guitar of Andy Sannella, just to mention some, you know better.  

Helen Rowland is also to be found on this selection. Her appearance is remarkable, because most crooners on Hit of the week are male vocalists. She made several recordings for Durium and on this album she is to be found on  When It’s Sleepy Time Down South. Her singing is not without merit and it is outstanding that she never became a famous artist.  

This selection contains seven titles (#) that have never been re-issued on CD. One of them is by Rudy Vallee and his Connecticut Yankees and two recordings from the latter days of the label are with Andy Sannella on hawaiian guitar and Charlie Magnante on accordion. 

The information in the booklet is very accurate in both English and Japanese. Some artist pictures, as they appeared early 1932 for a short time on the “blank” reverse of the record to raise sales figures, are very enjoyable. You’ll find the Rudy Vallee, Erno Rapee and Nick Lucas, the Crooning Troubadour” promotion pictures. How many collectors have (had) such a record pinned on the wall? It is a pity that this time the short copyright-free musical extras, used to fill up the two minute extra playing time after the introduction of the 5-minute record summer 1931, have been omitted. Thank goodness the sales talk announcements makes up again: This is a new Durium record playing five minutes of continuous quality music, almost twice the playing time of the average record. Such an announcement must have been irresistible. Hummin’ To Myself, the last US Hit of the week record ever, released at your news-dealer June 23^rd, 1932, closes this selection with a xylophone break. For those collectors who have heard the other two CDs in this set, and know the quality of the sound,  the choice isn’t as difficult; for all those others I’d suggest: Next Thursday, a new Hit-of-the-week CD in your collection.