ScuzzBlog: Diaries February 2026
Entry 28th February 2026: Post 1: Vinyl ROM 45 RPM - Analogue single track record.
Vinyl ROM 45 RPM - Analogue single track record.
I was watching Kari's YouTube channel about retro computers and was
reminded of the Thompson Twins Adventure Game which was a Spectrum
game recorded on a 45 record. Kari transferred the recording to
tape but I would have thought the recording being analogue could
have been played direct to the Spectrum. I guess the issue may have
been setting volume and tone. I was never minded to buy the disc
in the day given that the game wasn't that impressive.
Got me thinking about early vinyl records in my collection and the
fact they represent probably the first single track analogue ROM
image that I experienced. Amazing when you think the memory of the
sixties as recorded in the day are still audible. And what is so
magical about a continuous analogue recording is that it doesn't
matter about scratches in the groove cus it'll play them also.
OK short history time, all taken from the noggin' so I may not have
it all accurate.. My recollection of the 45 single recording.
In the 1940s RCA set about investigating the optimum record format.
They wanted a record that was unbreakable, avoided distortion and
was small. It also needed to be usable in an interchanger. In 1949
they released the 45 RPM seven inch what we call a vinyl record. The
process involved cutting an audio track onto lacquer and then
pressing this into the pvc disc. The record had one track per side,
lasted 3 minutes and had a large centre punch hole for playing on
rapid stacking players or jukebox. In the UK the disc retained the
small centre hole.
It was found with the older Shellac 78 records that distortion
occurred as the angle changed to the playing arm as it reached the
centre of the disc. This was avoided with the 45 RPM seven inch
disc as it was much smaller.
Originally the discs were released in different coloured plastic
to represent different musical types.
The disc was adopted by a much younger customer and became very
popular in the fifties and sixties hence the name pop music or
pop culture. The disc itself has become iconic and created a whole
new vocabulary and following what with the singles charts and the
growth in radio pop music featuring chart tracks of the day. So is
born the disc jockey.
One of the predominant groups of the 60s was the Beatles who pretty
much flooded the market with singles on a regular basis. The early
sixties saw a prolific number of bands in dark suits playing a
similar style pop music with a guitar drum line up. The songs would
be almost formula type given the strict limitations of the 7 inch
format. A limitation that would eventually be broken by the single
The House of the Rising Sun.
The music single for me starts with the first record I ever remember
listening to and that being Chubby Checker Lets Twist Again followed
by a record by Bob Luman called Lets Think About Living.
Interestingly the evolution of popular music has to be set against
the playing equipment and also the development of the electric
guitar particularly by Fender and Gibson. Historically the record
player post cylinder was an acoustic wind-up gadget that actually
used a needle and played the sound through a soundbox on the end
of the arm. There was no volume as such and varying needles were
used for different effects. A needle literally could wear out after
a single play through and would need to be replaced.
HMV were very famous for their acoustic players and although the
last was manufactured in 1926 they were still being sold in the
fifties. It was in the early fifties that we see the growth of the
solid body electric guitar with multiple pickups by the likes of
Fender and the 'caster' range.
The needle gave way to the stylus and shellac to pvc and was born
the thirty three and a third LP long play album. The single was used
as extract from LPs and bands soon fell into the format of albums
and singles going hand in hand. The album sleeve and cover was used
to promote the band and would often fold out in book style. I recall
my sister collecting film musical titles such as West Side Story,
Paint Your Wagon, Hello Dolly and Mary Poppins etc.
I don't have an acoustic record player to demonstrate but I did pick
up this Louis Marx toy record player from the sixties for eight quid.
My sister had one of these which ran on batteries. It came with very
dangerous needles which for kids just wouldn't be sold today. The
music came through the soundbox on the head of the arm. Whilst the
box states 78 RPM I do recall us playing singles on the player at
45 RPM. One of our favourites of the day was Bob Luman which I was
able to buy off the Bay along with the player
Amazing really. Just a heads up if you do plan on collecting vinyl
records be aware that they do break if not packaged well in the post.
Anyhoo ...
That was a wild ride which I hadn't intended pursuing. The analogue
trail though sounding a rich vein to investigate can be a little
disappointing if you expect digital quality results. Remember there
is no 'undo' with analogue. Personally I think analogue is good to
look at but maybe not so wonderful to listen to. Depends on your
recording and kit.
Vinyl ROM 45 RPM - Analogue single track record.
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