Records

Eclipse 8"

This later, and very much more common 8" Eclipse record was launched in April 1931 and was available at only 6d from Woolworth's. The recording and manufacturing was done by Crystalate. The recording quality was good, as was the material. To keep the costs down, one side was usually a non-copyright song bought outright from the composer or publisher. All masters were English, and the catalogue started sensibly at 1 and ran to 1011 by July 1935 when they were discontinued. There was also a blue-labelled SC-1 series for more serious music, (which was referred to as the 'Standard' series' in record catalogue supplements of the time), which ran up to SC-160.

Eclipse label styles:

The first style is mainly gold-on red, with the label name and the moon (eclipsing the sun) printed in black. This design was used up to about No. 69 (Let me know if you have one higher than this). Thanks to Pat Davis letting me know of this issue with the "old" label.

Subsequently, the second design was used until the series finished at 1011

The SC- series only had the one design, gold on blue, as shown here, except for the first few which have the nursery label (see scan) and a special sleeve too, and also the Jubilee label (see scan) (thanks to Richard Harison for the image of this style).

second style

"standard" style


1935 Jubilee label
(courtesy Richard Harrison)

Nursery style

Special Astrological
(courtesy Susan Farren)