New Golden Age of Sound 

Modified: February 23, 2011

Introducing the Golden Age of Sound
Here are a couple of articles and and advertisements that introduce the Golden Age of Sound.

golden-age-of-sound billboard 1959-0720 3-9

Victor All-Out on ‘Best Buy’ Pitch1
“New Golden Age of Sound” 1959 “Best Buy” program has been introduced by the label’s execs… The “Best Buy” program includes 24 albums, 12 each of pop and Red Seal, to be promoted under the theme of “RCA Victor Presents the New Golden Age of Sound Albums.” All packages are available both stero and monaural, with the exception of the historic 1943 Carnegie Hall performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 by Horowitz, Toscanini and the NBC Symphony.

The RCA Victor program will be supported by the very powerful advertising and promotion drive. It was estimated that the cost of the promotional drive will be in excess of three-quarter million dollars, a figure which includes the outlay on the part of John H. Breck, Inc., outstanding hair preparations firm….

Promotion centers on a “New Golden Age of Sound’ preview album with selections from six pop and six Red Seal “Best Buys” albums. This is available in stereo for $1.25 plus a Breck box top, label or facsimile; for $1 in monaural, with box top, [label or facsimile].

“Golden Age of Sound” theme reflects two lines of thought..: the consumer response to Living Stereo, and … the introduction of RCA Victor’s static-less “Miracle Surface” sticker.

Among artists represented in the “Best Buys” program are Elvis Presley, Harry Belafonte, Perez Prado, Pat Suzuki, Melachrino, George Beverly Shea, Jim Reeves, Arthur Fiedler, Morton Gould, Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner, Mario Lanza, Horowitz and Toscaninin. Packages have a special gold foil band around the album covers, outlining the Breck offer and explain in the theme. Foil was furnished by ALCOA.

Victor-Breck Tie-In Offers Premium Album2
… RCA Victor kicks off the “Best Buy” campaign with a full page in Life ..

golden-age-of-sound-1golden-age-of-sound-2

The Album Release of the Year!3
24 brand-new albums on regular L.P. and Living stereo with New “Miracle Surface” by the World’s Greatest Artists in finish High Fidelity. Your best-sellers for fall! … “Beautiful Hair Breck” tie-in: A preview L.P. containing 12 selections form “New Golden Age of Sound” Albums will be distributed via a million-dollar promotion which includes 60-second TV commercials …; magazine ads …; 100,000 powerful full-color displays in beauty parlors, supermarkets, drug stores, department stores and wherever Breck preparations are sold.

golden-age-of-sound-3

RCA VICTOR presents THE NEW GOLDEN AGE OF SOUND ALBUMS4
Featuring New “Miracle Surface” on Living Stereo Records

24 New Albums on Regular L.P. and Living Stereo by the World’s Greatest Artists!
“Miracle Surface” records contain the new, revolutionary anti-static ingredient 317X, which repels dust, helps prevent surface noise, helps insure faithful sound reproduction on Living Stereo records.

Popular albums from $3.98, Red Seal from $4.98, Stereo only $1.00 extra (mfr.’s nationally advertised prices). Today at your RCA Victor dealer!

PREVIEW “NEW GOLDEN AGE OF SOUND” ALBUMS
Special offer! Get details of this PREVIEW L.P., containing six complete popular and six complete classical selections, all in one album. Offered now by BEAUTIFUL HAIR BRECK in beauty parlors, drug stores, supermarkets, department stores … wherever Breck preparations are sold! This PREVIEW L.P. is available in Living Stereo or regular L.P.

 

New Golden Age of Sound Albums

The complete list of the 24 25 albums available in both the Living Stereo and regular L.P. formats.
 Artist / ComposerTitleLong PlayLiving Stereo
1Mario LanzaFor the First TimeLM-2338LSC-2338
2RodgersSlaughter on the 10th AvenueLM-2294LSC-2294
3Harry BelefonteBelafonte at Carnegie hallLOC-6006LSO-6006
4The Melchrino Strings and OrchestraRendezvous in RomeLPM-1955LSP-1955
5Morton GouldDoubling in BrassLM-2308LSC-2308
6Pat SuzukiMiss Pony TailLPM-2030LSP-2030
7Chicago Symphony/ReinerRossini OverturesLM-2318LSC-2318
8Xavier Cugat and his OrchestraChile Con CugieLPM-1987LSP-1987
9Fiedler and Boston Pops OrchestraSong of IndiaLM-2320LSC-2330
10Perez PradoPops and PradoLPM-2028LSP-2028
11Kiril KondrashinTchaikovsky Capric. ItalienneLM-2323LSC-2323
12Buddy MorrowBig Band GuitarLPM-2018LSP-2018
13aElvis PresleyA Date With ElvisLPM-2011
13bChet AtkinsHummm and Strum AlongLPM-2025LSP-2025
14NBC Symphony Orchestra / Arturo ToscaniniTchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1LM-2319
15Heifetz Munch Boston SymphonyMendelssohn Prokofieff ConcertosLM-2314LSC-2314
16Hugo WinterhalterTwo Sides of WinterhalterLPM-1905LSP-1905
17Gogi Grant, Howard Keel, Anne JeffreysKiss Me KateLPM-1884LSP-1984
18Monteux Vienna PhilharmonicPastral: The 6th Symphony of beethovenLM-2316LSC-2316
19Martinon, Paris Conservative OrchestraProkofieff Symphony No. 5LM-2272LSC-2272
20George Beverly SheaBlessed AssuranceLPM-1967LSP-1967
21Shorty Rogers and his OrchestraThe Wizard of Oz and other Harold Arlen SongsLPM-1997LSP-1997
22Esquivel and his OrchestraStrings AflameLPM-1988LSP-1988
23Jim ReevesSongs to Warm the heartLPM-2001LSP-2001
24London Proms Symphony, Charles MacKerrasFinlandiaLM-2336LSC-2336

The Preview Albums
These are examples of the Long Play and Living Stereo preview albums, released by RCA Victor as part of the Breck and the “New Golden Age of Sound Albums” promotion. What is interesting is that the original promotion as detailed in July 1959 indicates that of the 24 featured albums, only the Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 by Horowitz, Toscanini and the NBC Symphony would be released in regular L.P. (LM-2319) or long play monaural format, then continues to list Elvis Presley as being part of the promotion. Additional promotional material featured in Billboard and Life, as referenced above, depict Elvis Presley’s A Date with Elvis (LPM-2011) as part of the promotion. This Elvis release would make it a second regular release L.P. Having discovered two different cover backs for the long play monaural format, one with Elvis Presley’s A Date with Elvis (LPM-2011) in the upper left corner and another Chet Atkins’ Hummm and Strum Along with Chet Atkins (LPM-2025) and in living stereo Chet Atkins’ Hummm and Strum Along with Chet Atkins (LSP-2025), I believe that Elvis Presley was replaced with Chet Atkins from the New Golden Age of Sound Albums promotion.

SP-33-50 Beautiful Hair Breck Introduces the RCA Victor New Golden Age of Sound Albums
A “New Orthophonic” High Fidelity Recording

Track Listings: (click here to expand / collapse)

Side 1

Italian Fantasy (The Melchrino Strings and Orchestra)
Ciribiribin (Perez Prado)
Shenandoah (Harry Belafonte)
My Heart Belongs to Daddy (Pat Suzuki)
Isle of Capri (Buddy Morrow)
Alla En El Racho Grande (Xavier Cugat)

Side 2

Finale from William Tell (Fritz Reiner)
Song of India (Arthur Fiedler)
Come Prima (Mario Lanza)
Dixie (Morton Gould)
4th and 5th Movements from Capriccio Espagnol (Kiril Kondrashin)
Polka from The Age of Gold (Arthur Fiedler)

sp-33-50-cover-side133-50-sp-cover-side2-v1sp-33-50-cover-side2-v2

Cover Front: Printed on Gold Alcoa Wrap. Featuring the 12 album covers of the artists featured on this LP.
Cover Back: Printed on Gold Alcoa Wrap. Featuring the other 12 album covers that are available as part of the New Golden Age of Sound promotion. There are two versions of the back. The first back features Elvis Presley’s A Date With Elvis LPM-2011. It was replaced with Chet Atkins’ Hummm and Strum Along with Chet Atkins LPM-2025.

33-50-sp-side133-50-sp-side2

Disc: Black label. Dog on top. Long Play on bottom. / Red label. Dog on Top. Long Play on bottom.

Matrix numbers
Side 1: K2NP-3794-3S A1 / Side 2: K2NP-3795-3S B3 (Rockaway pressing)
Side 1: K2NP-3794-4S B1 / Side 2: K2NP-3795-4S B1 (Rockaway pressing)

SPS-33-50 Beautiful Hair Breck Introduces the RCA Victor New Golden Age of Sound Albums featuring new “Miracle Surface” on Living Stereo Records
LIVING STEREO

Track Listings: (click here to expand / collapse)

Side 1

Italian Fantasy (The Melchrino Strings and Orchestra)
Ciribiribin (Perez Prado)
Shenandoah (Harry Belafonte)
My Heart Belongs to Daddy (Pat Suzuki)
Isle of Capri (Buddy Morrow)
Alla En El Racho Grande (Xavier Cugat)

Side 2

Finale from William Tell (Fritz Reiner)
Song of India (Arthur Fiedler)
Come Prima (Mario Lanza)
Dixie (Morton Gould)
4th and 5th Movements from Capriccio Espagnol (Kiril Kondrashin)
Polka from The Age of Gold (Arthur Fiedler)

33-50-sps-cover-side133-50-sps-cover-side2-v1-mock33-50-sps-cover-side2-v2

Cover Front: Printed on Gold Alcoa Wrap. Featuring the 12 album covers of the artists featured on this LP.
Cover Back: Printed on Gold Alcoa Wrap. Featuring the other 12 album covers that are available as part of the New Golden Age of Sound promotion. There are two versions of the back. The first back features Elvis Presley’s A Date With Elvis LPM-20115. It was replaced with Chet Atkins’ Hummm and Strum Along with Chet Atkins LSP-2025.

33-50-sps-side133-50-sps-side2

Disc: Black label. Dog on top. LIVING STEREO on bottom. / Red label. Dog on Top. LIVING STEREO on bottom.

Matrix numbers
Side 1: K2NY-3794-4S / Side 2: K2NY-3795-3S B3 (Rockaway pressing? RM)

Check out the monaural release of LPM-2011 A Date With Elvis from July 24, 1959. There are images of the “New Golden Age of Sound” banners.

  1. Victor All-Out on ‘Best Buy’ Pitch, Billboard Magazine, July 20, 1959: 3,9
  2. Victor-Breck Tie-In Offers Premium Album, Billboard Magazine, July 20, 1959: 3
  3. “The New Golden Age of Sound” Albums by RCA Victor, Billboard, August 3, 1959: 25,26
  4. RCA Victor presents the New Golden Age of Sound Albums, Life, September 28, 1959: 10
  5. Mockup speculation having not actually seen this one.