MB#95: 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

[MemoirBlogthon #95] For my father, collecting music was a cherished hobby, dominated by His Master's Voice (HMV) 78 RPM records of Hindi and Telugu film hits. This memoir revisits the fascinating era of transition in the 1950s and 60s, moving from bulky shellac discs to the microgroove vinyl LPs and 45 RPM singles. It details the tactile experience of the old spring-wound HMV player that needed a new pin for every few records. The climax was a shared family contribution in 1960 to buy the modern Philips Fiesta record player, essential for playing the new 45 RPM albums, particularly those featuring M.S. Subbulakshmi. The story concludes with the ultimate act of preservation: my father's decision to donate his unique, irreplaceable collection to All India Radio (AIR), ensuring the music would live on long after the technology faded.

MB#95: Legacy of Gramophones and Records.

The Reign of the Shellac Disc 🔊

In my childhood, the sound of music in our home came with a distinct, comforting crackle and charm. My father's hobby was the meticulous collection of gramophone records, primarily the 78 RPM (rounds per minute) shellac discs manufactured by giants like His Master's Voice (HMV) and Columbia. He had a big collection of over 50 records, entirely focused on popular Hindi and Telugu film hits, providing the central source of household entertainment.

He used to operate the HMV gramophone, often an iconic wooden model with a large brass horn. This was typically a spring-wound, manual operation player designed exclusively for 78 RPM records. The experience was tactile: the sound was mono, and the needle required maintenance. I remember having to change the pin on the handle for every five records played, as the metallic pin would become unusable and produce an unclear sound.

The Technological Transition in the 1960s 💿

My curiosity about the differing sizes and speeds of the records led me to ask my father for the technical details. He explained that the 1950s and 1960s were a period of massive transition in home audio:

78 RPM: The older standard, made of shellac, typically 10-inch, holding only about three minutes of music per side—perfect for short songs.

45 RPM (The Single): Smaller (7-inch), made of the new vinyl (PVC) material, ideal for hit songs with 5-8 minutes per side.

33 1/3 RPM (The LP): The Long Play album format (10- or 12-inch vinyl), holding 20-25 minutes per side.

The major shift was from shellac (a natural resin) to vinyl, which offered better sound fidelity and superior durability thanks to microgroove technology. The smaller, cheaper 45 RPM single and the rich-sounding 33 1/3 RPM vinyl LP were rapidly becoming the new standard, though 78s lingered.

The Arrival of the Philips Fiesta 🎉

My father had a ritual: he would only buy one new record per month, and only after he had seen the movie and repeatedly listened to the songs on the radio.

One month, he took my sister and me to a local HMV authorized showroom to buy the record. There, we noticed a new range of Philips record players on display, complete with festival discounts. The new player was essential because the old HMV was exclusively for 78 RPM; the new 45 RPM and LP records required modern equipment.

Since my father’s birthday was in November, my sister and I pooled together ₹550 from our combined pocket money and presented the proposal to our mother. She ardently supported the idea, primarily because her favorite albums by the legendary singer M.S. Subbulakshmi were now available in the new vinyl formats.

We bought the new player, the Philips Fiesta, and started using it on my father's birthday. This marked the official transition in our home audio experience. My parents, energized by the new possibilities and the surge of new films and music in the 1970s, increased the monthly quota to two records, and we children also joined in the buying spree until the technology shifted again to the cassette culture.

A Legacy of Preservation and Purpose 🎙️

By the 1980s, the rhythm of acquiring and listening to records slowed down as we moved for education and employment. My father eventually stopped the hobby, shifting to the cheaper, more convenient cassette tapes, which offered better storage and could be played on exclusive tape recorders or two-in-one radio-cum-cassette players.

The once valuable gramophone—now a relic—found its way to the storeroom.

The true testament to my father’s commitment to music came in the late 1990s. As he prepared to migrate to Hyderabad after retirement, he decided to donate his entire record collection to the local Vijayawada All India Radio (AIR) station. He personally delivered the collection, and I later found the acknowledgment from the AIR Station Director. The letter mentioned that some of his collection was so precious that even the AIR repository did not possess those specific records.

This act ensured the music would continue to be played and enjoyed.

Years later, when my parents left their house in Kanakadurga Officer's Colony in 2011, they donated the still-functional Philips-Fiesta manual record player to the local temple. This also served a dual purpose: the simple-to-operate player and its loud sound met the requirement for playing devotional songs every morning, ensuring a meditative atmosphere in the colony. My father's hobby culminated not in mere storage, but in ensuring his precious music and equipment served a wider, meaningful purpose.

MB#95: Quiz

MB95—Question: Which brand of record player did the author's family purchase, funded by pooled pocket money, to replace the older HMV model?

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• A. Columbia.
• B. Teppaz.
• C. Philips-Fiesta.
• D. Sony.

MB#95: Quote

"Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul." – Johann Sebastian Bach