Vogue Picture Records: Vinyl Romance

(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 771. If I Could Be With You (Henry Creamer and Jimmy Johnson) b/w Jeannine (L. Wolfe Gilbert, Nathaniel Shilkret). Performed by Art Kassel and his orchestra.



(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 758. You’re Gonna Hate Yourself in the Mornin’ (Sammy Gallop, Larry Stock, Ira Schuster) b/w Long, Strong and Consecutive (Mac David, Duke Ellington). Performed by Marion Mann accompanied by Bob Haggart and his orchestra.


(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 721. When I Gets to Where I’m Goin’ (Jack Edwards, Duke Leonard, and Sam Braverman) b/w You’re Only in My Arms (to cry on my shoulder) (Ed G. Nelson, Milton Leeds and Steve Nelson. Performed by Patsy Montana.



(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2): Vogue R 731: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen) b/w You Took Advantage of Me (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers). Performed by Marion Mann accompanied by Bob Haggart and his orchestra.


(Top 2 Images Above, Sides 1 and 2) Vogue R 734. Sweetheart (Benny Davis, Arnold Johnson) b/w A Little Consideration (Sunny Skylar). Performed by Art Kassel and his Orchestra.

VOGUE PICTURE RECORDS ARE PHONOGRAPH RECORDS on the “Vogue” label which have a picture (an artist’s illustration) embedded in the transparent vinyl of the record. The illustrations on each side of the record are usually related to the title of the song on that side. Many of the illustrations are mushy romantic themes. The most common Vogue picture records are 10-inch, 78 RPM records, although a few 12-inch, 78 RPM Vogue picture records were also produced.

Vogue picture records were produced by Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, Michigan. The first 10-inch Vogue picture record (catalog number R707) was released to the public in May 1946. Production ceased less than a year later in April 1947, with Sav-Way entering into receivership in August 1947. During this time, approximately seventy-four different 10-inch Vogue picture records were released.

Vogue picture records were of a very high quality, with little surface noise. The records were produced using a complicated process whereby a central core aluminum disc was sandwiched between the paper illustrations and vinyl. Perfecting this process took quite a while; Tom Saffady and his engineers spent several months working out the bugs that often resulted in torn or dislodged paper illustrations.

When Sav-Way entered into receivership all remaining stock was liquidated through distributors. This is the source of all those “Factory Reject” and “Vogue Second” records that are seen. It is reported that many of the left-over records were melted down to recycle the aluminum used in the core of the record.

Copy source above © AVPRC (The Association of Vogue Picture Record Collectors)

Images © Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library; University of California, Santa Barbara; Visit here.

An AM repost from 6-1-09