Comments on: Whither the 16-RPM Jazz LP?

By: Todd Mason

Todd Mason — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 08:38:23 +0000

16 RPM records, aside from talking books and spoken word records (my high-school library had the Argo Records set of all the Shakespeare plays on 16 rpm vinyl), and such experiments as the Prestige packages, also were put into play for an even more doomed experiment–vinyl record players for automobiles. The vinyl albums issued for playing in cars had a similarly brief vogue, unsurprisingly, and mostly ran to pop music and “easy listening”, with a little classical tossed in.

My family’s not particularly extraordinary 1970s Pioneer radio/turntable console had the 16, 33, 45, and 78 settings…though it was a good thing I was shown how to adjust the stylus before any 78s were brought around.

By: Junius

Junius — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:09:34 +0000

Late to this, but the spoken word use was for blind talking books. They then took it down to 8 rpm before retiring records in the early 90s and stuck with 4-sided cassettes until 2010 or so when it went to digital cartridge. I have read that 16 was good for long classical pieces.

By: ALBERT

ALBERT — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 18:19:36 +0000

I picked up the Miles Davis 16rpm LP last year, it played just fine on my old Sanyo 4-speed turntable, I only played it once before putting it away, just to be able to watch a record spin at 16rpm and play music (I’d previously only used the 16rpm feature for transcribing solos), and for that matter, the greatest music in history. The great thing about these Prestige 16rpm issues is their alternate album art work not offered on the standard 33rpm copies for the same session (or sessions). The “Trombones by Three” art work is by none other than Andy Warhol.

By: Ross Jones

Ross Jones — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 17:05:47 +0000

I still have my record player from when I was young; plays 16, 33, 45, and 78. Just had it totally reconditioned. I own:
Sidney Bechet ?– En 16 Tours; Label: Disques Vogue
The Billy Taylor Trio ?– Let’s Get Away From It All; Label: Prestige 2
Modern Jazz Quartet, Milt Jackson Quartet – Concorde; Label: Prestige 1

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 17:49:52 +0000

Woody, that is an interesting assumption: promoting regular sales through radio stations, using 16 rpm as a marketing tool.
There is one thing which pleads against : on the sleeves there is some sort of a story, how the concept was elaborated with top engineer RvG to offer more music on one record for the record buying public. This pep talk was adressed directly to the end consumer. Anyway, we will never know and it is nice to keep on guessing.

By: Woody

Woody — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 14:52:58 +0000

Rudolf, this is why I thought the 16 2/3 lps were produced for the AM radio market as promotional items to help expose new customers to the Prestige catalog. My assumption(yeah, I know, never assume) was that at that time almost all the radio stations had turntables with the 16 2/3 to play all the spoken word content being produced at that time.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 05:56:09 +0000

Geoffrey confirms, to what I referred to in previous comments, in the US turntables with the 16 rpm option were not common. So the project was dead born. In Europe, most common brands in the late fifties had the option (Thorens, Lenco, Dual, B & O), but no 16 rpm music records to be had.

By: geoffrey wheeler

geoffrey wheeler — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 04:59:32 +0000

Mark, hearing a favorite record on a selection of high-end speakers to see which pair sound best to my ear is a wonderful experience, but the price tags are scary. I have done this once a year for the past three years and have felt intimidated each time. I think I have two LPs by Don Rendell boxed up in a storage unit. I remember enjoying his playing.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 04:07:40 +0000

Geoffrey that reminds me – a few years back my local high end stereo shop had a pair of one of the world’s most expensive speakers in for a limited time and offered a promotion where you could bring in an album and hear it on these speakers! I forgot the brand but they were gigantic and the price moreso. I chose to hear my mint copy of “phase III” by the Rendall/Carr quintet because it’s a lovely Lansdowne production IMO. A fun experience!

By: geoffrey wheeler

geoffrey wheeler — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 23:22:09 +0000

Woody, I was a good friend of the late audio engineer, Jack Towers. He had lots of equipment but no turntable that could handle 16-2/3. I saw one of the records briefly at a Jersey bash. Bob Porter was looking at it but I don’t think it was his. Also, I have never seen a turntable that could accommodate 16-2/3. At one point, I had five turntables but used only two–a Dual CS 5000 for 78s, and a Denon DP-60L with two interchangeable tone arms for LPs–one for pre-1955 LPs, and the other for post-1955 LPs. The rest of the equipment was mainly Carver, plus gold audio cables that were given to me by my older daughter (she briefly worked for one of the companies). My younger daughter’s husband works for a high-end audio retailer so I get to hear what some of my records sound like on $80,000 turntables and $300,000 speakers.