‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’
The history of ‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’ taken from:
‘The 78 rpm Record Labels of India’ – Michael Kinnear
‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’ DISCOGRAPHY
Previously unpublished – from the ‘Michael Kinnear Archives’
In 1932, The Gramophone Co., Ltd., in India introduced a scheme known as ‘Private Recorders’ whereby local talking machine and record traders could have discs produced by the company, on their own labels.
This meant that private companies were encouraged to access the recordings made by The Gramophone Co., Ltd., under contract, and have these recordings issued under their own labels, as if in competition to HIS MASTER’S VOICE, COLUMBIA, and ODEON.
Along with Valabhdas Runchordas, other entrepreneurs, including Chandi Charan Saha [Hindusthan Musical Products & Varieties, Syndicate, LTD., Calcutta], J. N. Ghosh [The Megaphone Company, Calcutta], and Bibhati Bhushan Sen [Senola Musical Products, Calcutta] were also keen to set up their own disc record pressing factories, but were persuaded by The Gramophone Co., Ltd., to have their disc records made by the Dum Dum factory, with releases being marketed by these companies from 1932-33 onwards.
The most important of these ‘Private Recorders’ was The Megaphone Company with the ‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’.
‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’ – HISTORY
‘Megaphone Record’, June 1941, Catalogue Cover
Courtesy: https://archive.org/details/@chandoba1952
Sn. Kanan Debi
Megaphone Record, June 1941 Catalogue – Sample Page
‘MEGAPHONE RECORD’ DISCOGRAPHY
by Michael Kinnear
The recording artists included in the ‘Megaphone Record’ Discography (Series listing numbers) have been taken from The Gramophone Company of India Ltd.’s “Private Recorder” ledgers dating from 1932 up until to 1937 only. The ‘Megaphone Record’ transfers continued long after that date. The 1940’s Series numbers were taken from the transfers in The Gramophone Company of India Ltd.’s Ledgers.
