Large centre hole single puzzle

[Edward Huggins]

This must have seemed very advanced in its day and would have later become a strong rival/option to LPs when the Extended Play 45 (7 minutes per side) came out in 1951/52.
Mind you, the much lower modulation of these would cause an output variation when playing a mixed stack of 45s and EPs.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Two comments about large centre hole 45s, (1) that US issue of 'Urban Spaceman' is actually on the Imperial (I-R) Label which, as stated, was a division of Liberty at that time (B) Libertin the US did use a similar blue label - I have a pre-Chipmunks David Seville 45 with the blue label, though whether American Librty 45s were still blue by 1968 I know not.
As to the record player, I never owned, and in fact, have never seen, one of those HMV players 'in the flesh', but have heard of them.

[Amraduk]

Originally Posted by Richard_FM

I did wonder why 45RPM was chosen, though interestingly 33 + 45 = 78(!)

Ah! But it's 33 + 1/3 which would give 78 + 1/3.

Regards,

Dave.

[Techman]

I've never thought about this before, so I've just checked my own record collection of singles, of which I must have into the thousands. Fortunately, I have them all indexed in a book in artist order, but with them cross referenced and stored in label order. I can therefore confirm that ALL my blue Liberty label singles have the large hole with fitted adapter, including my version of the single in question.

[Records]

Pus would mean push out centre.

[Station X]

Wouldn't that be Poc?

[Records]

i was going by lar for large hole and pus being push out centre im probably wrong though

[julie_m]

The Seeburg LPC series of jukeboxes used an inverter based on two AD149s to run the motor at 68Hz when the clamp entered the record all the way (indicating that a 45 rpm record with the large centre hole was in play) but ran it from an autotransformer at all other times, including with the clamp engaged partway as when playing a 33 rpm record with the small centre hole. Thus the inverter only ever had to supply enough current to produce enough torque to accelerate the turntable from 33 rpm to 45 rpm, not from a standing start.

Needless to say, my Ead's one (he has an ELPC1; I have a 45-only ESL100, which is poorly at the moment) has been modified to play at 45 rpm with the clamp in the "small hole" position .....

[AC/HL]

Could it be as simple as they were made overseas and imported here, as it was an unexpected hit, and the local factories were fully committed. Do any say where they were made?

[dave walsh]

Re post 8*, i can still buy centre hole adaptors here in Bexhill.

Dave W

['LIVEWIRE?']

Bill, you may be right, I'd have to look out my Eddie Cochran 45 to see if it states on the label where it was pressed. I don't have any other UK issue blue label Liberty 45s.

[Richard_FM]

Originally Posted by AC/HL

Could it be as simple as they were made overseas and imported here, as it was an unexpected hit, and the local factories were fully committed. Do any say where they were made?

It was quite common for records to be pressed in other countries due to an unexpected demand or when plants were being overhauled.

[Focus Diode]

Many UK Philips group singles between 1968-1973 did indeed have large centre holes. They were usually sold with a three prong middle. In the case of "Spaceman" this exists as the usual 3-prong push out centre and with large centre holes.
http://www.45cat.com/record/lbf15144

[Clydeuk]

As a matter of interest, is the 3 prong push out centre made differently to the normal spider type that was provided by record shops for ex jukebox singles?

The reason I ask is that I have found the ordinary spider to have a slightly larger centre hole than the normal spindle, and depending on the music I can detect a definite wow noticeable as the disc runs slightly off centre when using these. I normally use a proper adaptor to avoid this.

[Focus Diode]

Sorry for any confusion. The Philips group usually used three prong push out centres in place of the usual 4 prong type used by other UK labels. See the first picture as an example.

When the group introduced large centre hole singles they were usually sold with a detachable 3-prong centre. See the second picture as an example.

The "Spider" type of removable centre I think you're referring to often had too large holes making them play off centre! An example in the third picture.

EDIT- Philips group included singles from Polydor, Mercury, Fontana etc. Later to become known as Phonogram in the '70s.

Cheers,
Brian

[Richard_FM]

I've got a 3 prong removable like the one in the middle picture.

I can't remember which single it came with but I was buying a lot 2nd hand around 20 years ago & swapping spiders about when playing singles.

[Techman]

Originally Posted by Clydeuk

I have found the ordinary spider to have a slightly larger centre hole than the normal spindle, and depending on the music I can detect a definite wow noticeable as the disc runs slightly off centre when using these.

I found exactly the same and it was extremely annoying! Some were worse than others while some were near perfect. I found all the three pronged type to be accurate, although they could be rather fragile.