Windows
CD-ROMs from
Mainspring
Press Digital
Latest
Release
Available exclusively
from Mainspring Press:

VICTOR
RECORDS
MONTHLY
SUPPLEMENTS
Vol. I (1904–'05–'06)
Windows
CD-ROM
A must-have
for collectors of early Victor 78's. The monthly supplements are a treasure-trove
of ads, artist photos and news, and discographic details from the rarest
of Victor's monthly catalog supplements. Contains over 400 carefully restored
pages in high-resolution JPG format. A basic JPG viewer or photo editor
(Windows Picture Viewer, Quick-Time Viewer, Photoshop, Portfolio, etc.)
is all that's required.

JAZZ
AND RAGTIME RECORDS
(1897–1942)
The Sixth Edition of Brian Rust's Classic Jazz Discography
Windows/Acrobat
CD-ROM Version
A
CD reissue of the complete 6th Edition of this classic work, which is
now out of print in book form. Quickly locate names, titles, dates,
or any other terms using the convenient bookmarks and search engine.
2009 ARSC Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research
MONTGOMERY
WARD RECORDS:
A Discography
Allan Sutton
Windows/Acrobat
CD-ROM Version
Compiled
from company recording files and the Ward catalogs, Montgomery Ward
Records contains a wealth of discographic detail for collectors of
country, blues, gospel, jazz, big band, and ethnic music 78-rpm records.
About
Mainspring Press CDs:
Mainspring's CD line
includes original, CD-only titles, and reissues of our most popular out-of-print
books.
Features include search engines, bookmark links, and instant on-screen
type scaling for exceptional ease of use.
CDs are licensed for single-user, non-commercial use. Files may be copied
to a single hard drive, and pages may be printed or e-mailed (subject
to license restrictions). Not licensed for library use or for distribution
via a network or by other means.
System
Requirements:
- Windows 98 or
later (XP
or later recommended)
- Adobe Acrobat
Reader 5.0 or later, where indicated (free download available at www.adobe.com)
- Minimum 256 megabytes
of RAM (512 mb or more recommended)
- Minimum 20 megabytes
of free hard-disc space, if copying to hard drive
- CD-ROM drive
- Auto-start capability*
- Two-button mouse,
preferably with scroll button
* Files
can be opened manually from the CD or hard-drive directory on systems
without auto-start capability.
Coming
Attraction:

Victor
scroll-label design used with the permission of Sony-BMG.
The Victor Black Label Discography:
20000 / 21000 Series
John
R. Bolig
John
Bolig continues his tradition of excellence with this examination of "Orthophonic
Era" Victor black-label releases — a series that has been subjected
to myth-making, questionable "research" methods, and the passing
off of guesswork as fact by many past discographers.
This
important new work strips away the speculation, anecdotal evidence, and
suspect data to reveal exactly what is — and is not — contained
in the original Victor Talking Machine and Gramophone Company files.
Release
date: Spring 2010
Other
Forthcoming Titles
The
Reviewers Say:
“Mainspring
Press is the benchmark publisher for well-researched, literate recording
scholarship”
— ARSC Journal
“Mainspring
Press has a reputation for commitment
to serious discographical research and superb quality book production”
— Vintage Jazz Mart
Want
to learn
more about
Mainspring Press?
Our online monthly Newsletter features new
and forthcoming titles, current research projects, company news, and calls
for manuscripts and proposals.
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Company Page lists contacts, information for
authors, discount rates and terms for dealers and distributors, review-copy
policy, and customer demographics.
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| All-new
edition

View
Sample Pages
in Adobe Acrobat |
EDISON
BLUE AMBEROL CYLINDERS
U.S., Foreign and Special Issues,
1912–29
Allan Sutton
The only comprehensive
cylinderography of Edison Blue Amberols — now thoroughly revised,
and expanded to include listings of foreign-catalog and additional
private and special-use issues.
You will also
find a substantial amount of newly added information from the original
Edison company files and Edison National Historic Site databases
— much of
it never previously published.
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Our
best-selling
title

Browse
the Subject Index in Adobe Acrobat
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RECORDING THE 'TWENTIES
The Evolution of the American
Recording Industry, 1920–1929
Allan Sutton
“Most
brilliantly original in its examination of
commercial issues... a book worth reading
and using.” — ARSC Journal
“Without
question the definitive account of the recording industry
in the 1920s, and raises the bar
for all future studies.” — Vintage
Jazz Mart
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Recording
the 'Twenties chronicles the development of the American
recording industry in response to changing musical styles, increasingly
diverse markets, competition from new labels, the introduction
of electrical recording technology, and the challenges posed by
corporate takeovers, foreign ownership, and the advent of radio
and the "talkies." Based on an extensive study of primary-source
materials, Recording the 'Twenties dispels commonly accepted
myths and misinformation to provide the first balanced, thoroughly
documented survey of this pivotal period in the American entertainment
and sound-recording industries.
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NOTE THE NOTES
An Illustrated History of the Columbia Record Label (1901–1958)
Mike Sherman & Kurt Nauck
A lavishly
illustrated full-color guide to Columbia record labels, from the
turn-of-the-century Toy Graphophone through the end of the 78-rpm
era. Detailed text and more than 200 color photos cover all Columbia
label variants, including subsidiary and client labels, private
issues, advertising records, transcriptions, and other rarities.
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"Red
Seal" and Victor logo used with permission of
Sony-BMG Music.
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THE
VICTOR DISCOGRAPHY SERIES
John R. Bolig
“A
‘must-have’ reference for the collector, discographer,
and institutional librarian...
John Bolig continues to raise the bar, setting
new standards in discographical work.”
—
The Record Collector (UK)
“Carefully
prepared work... The true enthusiast cannot manage without
all the resources mentioned here.”
— ARSC Journal
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One
of the most ambitious discographic projects undertaken in recent
years, The Victor Discography
Series will document all recordings issued by the Victor Talking
Machine Company. Data are based on several decades' research using
the original Victor archives, carefully correlated with Gramophone
Company file data and the original catalogs, supplements, and
records. The following volumes are now available:
Coming
in Spring 2010: Victor Black Labels, Volume III (20000 / 21000 Series) |
ARSC
2009 Certificate of Merit
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THE
EDISON DISCOGRAPHY (1926–29)
Diamond
Discs, Needle Types, 20- and 40-Minute Records, Samples, Experimentals,
Radio Transcriptions, and Special-Use Products
Raymond R. Wile
"A
fine reference work not just for record collectors
but also those interested in Edison, popular culture, and
musical taste in the 1920s." —
Book News
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| Compiled
by ARSC Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ray Wile, this fascinating
work covers Edison's last and most interesting phase of record production
— a period that saw the introduction of electrical recording,
long-playing records, lateral-cut discs and finally, the closure of
the Phonograph Division in 1929. Includes full discographic details
for all Diamond Discs, Needle Types, 20- and 40-Minute discs, sample
records, radio transcriptions, and experimental and special-use recordings
for 1926 through 1929. |
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THE
AMERICAN STAGE PERFORMERS DISCOGRAPHY: Actors,
Vaudevillians, and Musical Comedy Stars (Volume I: 1891–1932)
Allan Sutton
“A
major improvement over the Complete Entertainment
Discography... Informative”
— ARSC Journal
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| The
first detailed discography devoted entirely to American stage performers,
ranging from legitimate theater to vaudeville and burlesque. This
landmark volume covers more than 460 performers, with full discographic
details of over 10,000 recordings on 78-rpm discs and cylinders
(including private issues, tests, and unissued masters), radio transcriptions,
and synchronized motion-picture soundtrack discs. The accompanying
capsule biographies — compiled from the original playbills,
entertainment papers, and other primary sources — offer a
convenient overview of each performer's career. |
| Featured
on
"The History
Detectives"
(PBS)

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“A
solid contextual narrative on which all future
work should refer” —
ARSC Journal
“Superbly
written and beautifully produced”
— Vintage Jazz Mart
PARAMOUNT'S
RISE AND FALL
Alex van der Tuuk
Paramount's
Rise and Fall examines not only the Paramount label and its
legendary jazz and blues artists, but the parent company's colorful
history. Based on an extensive study of rare primary sources, this
remarkable book also features 120 illustrations, including previously
unpublished photos and rare advertising artwork.
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2007
ARSC Award
for Excellence

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THE PLAZA–ARC DISCOGRAPHY, Volume
I
U.S. Issues, Mxs. 5001–11083 (1922–31)
Billie W. Thomas & Allan Sutton
Foreword
by Randall Stehle
Covering Banner,
Conqueror, Domino, Jewel, Oriole, Regal, and their many associated
labels. This remarkable volume is the result of more than five decades'
research by the late Billie W. Thomas, posthumously compiled and
annotated by Allan Sutton.
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| Limited
Quantities
Order Soon!
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“The
definitive source of information on the recordings
of Enrico Caruso... highly recommended.”
— Notes
“An
indispensable research tool” — ARSC Journal
CARUSO
RECORDS
A History and Discography
John R. Bolig
The ultimate
guide to Caruso's recordings, including the most detailed discography
ever published, plus eight introductory chapters exploring every
aspect of Caruso's records and recording career. With 32 color illustrations.
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