SO MANY ENVIES ....
Patrick Lynch shared this video on THE COLLINSPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY Facebook page this morning: A working wax cylinder containing Robert Cobert's chart-topping QUENTIN'S THEME from DARK SHADOWS. I'd be interested in hearing more about the process of actually creating this cylinder, but for now I'm going to have to settle for feeling jealous. Here's what Patrick had to say about the creation:
"Thanks to an astonishing gift from a friend yesterday, I am now in possession of an actual Edison style 2 minute wax cylinder that actually plays the correct Quentin's Theme. I just now need to get the right Edison Home Phonograph to play it on. My later Edison Amberola 30 only plays 4 minute cylinders and there are other technical issues. Here is a video of the cylinder maker test playing the cylinder. Having it is a lifetime dream come true. Interesting the phonograph in the video is already quite similar to the early appearance of Quentin's player."
6 comments:
The cylinder was commissioned by my friend Tim Stamps who as long as he's known me knew that I considered a Quentin's Theme wax cylinder to be the ultimate Dark Shadows item. He found someone online named Benjamin whose e-mail address is thevictrolaguy@gmail.com. He apparently has put together equipment that allows him to take MP3 files and convert the signal into something that cuts grooves into wax. He has a YouTube channel The Victrola Guy where he has taken other more modern tracks and retro formatted them onto wax cylinders. Benjamin is aware of the copyright issues involved in making a lot of copies of this but I wonder if it was possible to license these through the Dan Curtis estate or Robert Cobert that he could do a limited run of cylinders.
Having read the blog post about the guy who recreated Quentin's Edison phonograph, we can't be the only people into antique phonographs who also love Dark Shadows. I'm using his web article about the Edison as a guide to putting together my own recreation hopefully sometime mid winter 2014. Because of Quentin Collins, I even got into antique phonographs and gramophones.
I'm an artist who has long been heavily influenced by the Victorian and Edwardian eras and Dark Shadows. While I've never painted a portrait of Quentin Collins, I do have two portraits of Barnabas I've painted. Under one of them, I'm placing my "Quentin" Edison phonograph when I get it all put together. My paintings can be seen here: www.beautifulpast.net. Thanks!
You're not! While I haven't made the jump to wax yet, I do have a replica phonograph and also collect 78s from the 1920s and earlier. (A REAL one is next on my list to acquire, but where I'm currently living, space is an issue.)
There's nothing wrong with replica phonographs. I got one from eBay in 2002 that has given me many years of listening pleasure. I collect the same era music you do. I had space issues for a long time but that finally got resolved and I now have room for an antique or two. I'm saving up for the same kind of Edison Home Phonograph that was used on Dark Shadows and it will be quite an emotional moment for me to finally play the Quentin's Theme cylinder. I still can't believe I actually have it!
It's likely creating an "authorized" wax cylinder would be an easy negotiation. And thanks for the link to your work, Patrick. That's terrific stuff.
Space is an issue for me, too. Whenever I get a new item these days, it usually goes into the closet until I can find some way to display it. Unfortunately, I'm a lazy, lazy man :)
Thanks, Cousin Barnabas. On the Facebook page, I saw where you had put up my 2nd Barnabas painting. I posted a link to the first one I did where he's holding Josette's music box.
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