The Virtual Gramophone: Archive of 78 RPM Canadian Music

October 31, 2006 9:38 PM

The Virtual Gramophone. A massive database of early Canadian 78 RPM recordings, now available in mp3 and rm format. Over 13,000 titles available, freely downloadable. Includes biographical notes on the artists, notes on the history of Canadian recording, interesting technical notes on media conversion, a few videos from the olde dayes, and podcasts. This collection is particularly strong on Quebecois and Acadien folk/fiddle music. Courtesy of the Library and Archives Services of the Government of Canada. Mentioned once before in passing, five years ago on Metafilter, but much improved since them realaudio only days.
posted by Rumple (18 comments total)

via
posted by Rumple at 9:40 PM on October 31, 2006

Great post. Thanks!
posted by arse_hat at 10:06 PM on October 31, 2006

Very cool.

_{Though it makes me feel like a jerk for wishing there was less French there and more about the wonderful history of Western Canada. But over on this side we are always pissy about that.}
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:11 PM on October 31, 2006

Yeeeehaw. Sauter, foulards!
posted by mwhybark at 10:19 PM on October 31, 2006

uhh..

I think I mean soulards.

But I can't be bovverd to go n check right now.
posted by mwhybark at 10:22 PM on October 31, 2006

kickstart, yeah, I kindasorta agree, but consider the archives are back east and any archives tends to skew towards local stuff, even a national one.
posted by Rumple at 10:23 PM on October 31, 2006

yes I can, GODDAMMIT.

I meant "saut crapaud."

I'll just be over here in the foulards/soulards/crapauds corner, en boivent. Or quelquechose. Merde.
posted by mwhybark at 10:25 PM on October 31, 2006

foulard: feve aux lard scarfed back by a dancing fou.
posted by Rumple at 10:27 PM on October 31, 2006

Bitchin'!
posted by interrobang at 10:36 PM on October 31, 2006

Oh. My. GOD. There goes my resolution to spend less time downloading music. The only problem with this is that it makes my blog look quite pitiful in comparison.

Your tax dollars at work, fellow Canadians! In a good way.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:06 AM on November 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

Very nice!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:15 AM on November 1, 2006

sWeeeeet
posted by localhuman at 6:00 AM on November 1, 2006

The Card Cheat: I had a feeling you'd be in this thread.

You might not have 13,000 songs posted (yet), but your blog is still excellent.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:40 AM on November 1, 2006

Card Cheat: great blog!
posted by Rumple at 8:01 AM on November 1, 2006

Is there an American counterpart to this? It is probably too much to ask, but it would be great if the old Smithsonian recordings were online.
posted by christopher.taylor at 11:09 AM on November 1, 2006

christopher.taylor, in the US, our music, like our politicians, are for sale.
posted by QIbHom at 11:45 AM on November 1, 2006

Not sure if it's kosher to have a comment which is a double of my FPP, but this thread seems like a great place to mention that The Cylinder Project at UCSB has more cylinders digitized and also more history/explanation than it did when I posted it.

If you feel I shouldn't have posted this, please just flag it and don't derail this fine thread.
posted by JMOZ at 3:14 PM on November 1, 2006

JMOZ -- thats gotta be ok, its not a self link and its relevant and this kind of cross-referencing helps Metafilter. And thats a cool site, thanks.
posted by Rumple at 12:45 AM on November 2, 2006