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Acetates

Promo Discs

ACETATES
An acetate disc, also known as a test acetate, lacquer, transcription disc or instantaneous disc (because it can be played immediately after recording without any further processing), is a type of phonograph record, a mechanical sound storage medium, widely used from the 1930s to the late 1950s for recording and broadcast purposes and still in limited use today.
Unlike ordinary vinyl records, which are quickly formed from lumps of plastic by a mass-production molding process, a so-called acetate disc is created by using a recording lathe to cut an audio-signal-modulated groove into the surface of a special lacquer-coated blank disc, a real-time operation requiring expensive, delicate equipment and expert skill for good results. They are made for special purposes, almost never for sale to the general public. They can be played on any normal record player but will suffer from wear more quickly than vinyl. Some acetates are highly prized for their rarity, especially when they contain unpublished material.
Acetates are usually made by dubbing from a master recording in another medium, such as magnetic tape. In the vinyl record manufacturing process, an acetate master disc is cut and electroforming is used to make negative metal molds from it; each mold, known as a stamper, can be used to press thousands of vinyl copies of the master. Within the vinyl record industry, acetates are also used for evaluating the quality of the tape-to-disc transfer. They were once a favored medium for comparing different takes or mixes of a recording, and if pressed vinyl copies of an impending new release were not yet available, acetates were used for getting preview copies into the hands of important radio disc jockeys. (Wikipedia).
Two sided 45rpm acetates.
All acetates read "Produced by Nashville Record Productions (NRP), Tennessee.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT/BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY
Two sided disc with no labels on either side.
The recording is pressed on the outside edge of the disc. All others are pressed in the centre like a 45.
Stereo
45rpm




SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME
No artist credit on label. Handwritten title.
Stereo
45rpm



STRANGER IN MY PLACE & IT AIN'T NO MYSTERY
Handwritten title, artist name (Orion) on one side only and catalogue number (Sun 1152).
Both sides shown.
Stereo
45rpm



TEXAS TEA/TEXAS TEA
Handwritten title on A side, playing time and artists name (Orion). B side also features the same song but has no label.
Stereo
45rpm



AM I THAT EASY TO FORGET
Handwritten title, artist name (Orion) and catalogue number (Sun 1156).
Second acetate also shown. Orion on one side and recording by Dave Dudley & Charlie Douglas on other side which has no disc label. The Dave Dudley track has been half pressed/incomplete on outer edge and fully pressed/complete in middle of the acetate.
Stereo
45rpm

ROCKABILLY REBEL
Handwritten title, artist name (Orion) and catalogue number (Sun 1159).
Stereo
45rpm


CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE/CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
Handwritten title, artist name (Orion) and catalogue number (Sun 1162). Same song on both sides. B side plain black label.
Stereo
45rpm



BORN/WASN'T IT GOOD
Handwritten numbers and artists' names.
Orion on one side, Patti Page on other.
Stereo
45rpm




MORNING NOON & NIGHT
Handwritten title. One sided disc as B side has not been pressed with a recording and has no label.
Stereo
45rpm



HONKY TONK HEAVEN/HONKY TONK HEAVEN
Handwritten title, artist name (Orion).
Same song on both sides as shown.
B side of single release with Morning, Noon And Night.
Stereo
45rpm

ALBUMS
AN AUDIENCE WITH THE KING
ORIGINAL ROCKIN' SOUND
One sided album acetate .
Stereo
33rpm
Such A Night (Vince Everett); If You Love Me Let Me Know (Elvis Presley); Changing (Orion); The Grass Won't Pay No Mind (Elvis Presley); I Use Her To Remind Me Of You (Orion); Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley).
NOTES: One sided acetate probably made for personal use.
The two tracks listed as Orion recordings should actually be credited to Jimmy Ellis.
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