The Columbia Master Book Discography, Volume IV: U.S. Twelve-Inch Matrix Series, 1906-1931

by Tim Brooks

This detailed compilation of Columbia recordings gathers information about every Columbia record made between 1910 and 1934 and designed for American use. The listings also include recordings that were never issued. Recording dates including remakes, titles, composers, artists, and American catalogue numbers (when allocated for issue) are shown. Where available in the original company files, the details of accompanists to soloists, the vocalists on dance records, and the pseudonyms often employed by certain artists are all shown in detail. The work is divided among four volumes. The first volume covers the Matrix Series 1 through 4999 spanning the years 1901 to 1910. The second volume covers the Principal U.S. Matrix Series spanning the years 1910-1924. The third volume covers the Principal U.S. Matrix Series spanning the years 1924-1934. The fourth volume covers 12-inch U.S. Matrix Series spanning the years 1906-1931. Some 28,000 titles are included that trace the change in popular taste during the first third of the 20th century. Record collectors, music historians, and researchers will appreciate the vast amount of titles and detailed information about the Columbia recordings catalogued in these four volumes. Separately or as a complete set, this work contains valuable historical accuracy and exhaustive research.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 1999

About the author

Tim Brooks is a former network television executive and the author of several award-winning books on media, including the best-selling Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Syracuse University, he directed consumer research at NBC, USA Network, the Sci-Fi Channel (which he helped launch) and Lifetime Television. Concurrently he has been writing for many years about odd and interesting corners of our media world, including TV shows forgotten by writers but remembered by viewers, African-Americans in the earliest years of the recording industry, and most recently the fascinating history of college radio in the U.S.