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Phonycord

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Originally a German record, later Phonycord records were made in Britain. They were available during 1930 and 1931, and were pressed in a coloured celluloid-like material (available in many colours) very similar to Filmophone. The masters were a mixture of German Artiphon, English originals, and the American matrices were from Grey Gull. The English issues used a P- catalogue series running from P-74 to P-135, while the German ones used a series starting a 1, running to 691, but using only odd numbers! There were also German 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 series.

Matrix numbers: The P- matrix number refers to a transfer and usually means the master is from America (Grey Gull) or Germany (Artiphon); those without a prefix (usually in a "Worldecho" typeface) are original UK recordings. Of course, there are exceptions and one side of P-104 has a P-matrix number, but is actually an original UK recording by the band as labelled.

Manufacture: There is some doubt as to who actually manufactured these records, but I can confirm that all mine (P-75, P-84, P-85, P-100, P-104, P-105 & P-106) were manufactured by UK Decca, based on the fact they have Decca stamper reference codes.
[Decca used the word BUCKINGHAM for their stamper code. So, the first stamper was coded B. the second coded U, the third coded C and so on. Then once all the letters had been used, they doubled up, so you get BB, BU, BC etc, up to BM, then UB, UU, UC and so on. The letter(s) can be found in small type, in relief, just after the run-off locked groove.]

 

This listing was compiled by Arthur Badrock & Frank Andrews and originally published in "Talking Machine News", now long out of print.
The authors acknowledged the following for their help:
Ron Shaw, Derek Hamilton-Smith, Jolyon Hudson, Philip Hutchinson, Mike Langridge, John Norman, Roger Thorne, Steve Walker.

 Please e-mail me if you can add to the information.

Page last updated on: June 15, 2023

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists Notes
P-74 P-112
P-119
Soldier On The Shelf
The Rose Beetle Goes A-Wooing
Tiergarten Light Orchestra  
P-75 P-115
P-116
"King Of Jazz", selection, parts 1 & 2 Tiergarten Light Orchestra [my copy has no "label"] [different from the Jack Leon Band  Piccadilly]
P-76 P-100 / 4050
P-101 / 4051
Stars And Stripes, march (Sousa)
National Emblem, march (Bagley)
The Phonycord Military Band from Grey Gull
P-77 P-121-2
P-122
O Donna Clara
Violet Eyes And Cherry Lips
Max Linden (baritone, with orch accmp)  
P-78 P-124-A
P-125-A
My Heart Belongs To The Girl
Say A Little Prayer [For Me - not on label]
Chas. Grantham (tenor, with orch accmp) (= Jack Plant)  
P-79 P-113-A
P-114-A
The Kiss Waltz
Am I In Your Thoughts ?
Bernard Dudley (baritone, with orch accmp)  
P-80 P-104 / 3648
P-105 / 3649
Lache, Bajazzo, ("I Pagliacci" - Leoncavallo)
Siciliana ("Cavalleria Rusticana" - Mascagni)
Arthur Cavara (tenor, with orch accmp)  
P-81 P-126 / 4104
P-131 / 4103
So I Joined The Navy
Naw! I Don't Want-a Be Rich
Frank Robeson (= Carson Robison) from Grey Gull
P-82 P-109 / 4064
P-130
If I Had A Girl Like You
Around The Corner
Harry & Frank Maddison (with piano)
The Harlem Four (vocal quaetet)
from Grey Gull
P-83 P-117-2
P-118
I'd Like To Find The Guy That Wrote The Stein Song
Hunting Tigers Out In Indiah
Joe Pearson (comedian, with orch accmp)  
P-84 P-141-A / 11826
P-142-A / 11827
My Baby Just Cares For Me
A Girl Friend Of A Boy Friend Of Mine
Jack Martin's Majestic Dance Band German Artiphon.
P-85 P-137-A / 11835
P-138-A / 11836
Little White Lies
You Ask The Marabu
Jack Martin's Majestic Dance Band German Artiphon.
P-86 P-108 / 4070
P-129 /
Dancing With Tears In My Eyyes
Nobody Cares If I'm Blue
Oceanic Dance Band (= Sam Lanin's Orch)
Oceanic Dance Band (= Grey Gull Studio Band)
Grey Gull
Grey Gull
P-87 P-107 / 4044
P-127 / 4043
Just Like In a Story Book
I'm In The Market For You
Oceanic Dance Band (= Frank Novak's Orch) Grey Gull
P-88 P-128 / 4076
P-132 / 4072
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
When It's Springtime In The Rockies (waltz)
Oceanic Dance Band (= Grey Gull Studio Band)
Upoluan Islanders ( = Hawaiian group)
Grey Gull
P-89 P-110 / 11113
P-111 / 11114
Madrid (paso-doble)
Plegria (tango)
El Aguila de Mexico Marimda [sic] Orchestra Artiphon
P-90 P-102 / 3977
P-103 / 4065
Valse Marguerita
I Need You More Each Day
Andy Sanella (alto saxophone, with piano accmp) Grey Gull
P-91 P-157-A
P-158-A
"Maid Of The Mountains", selection parts 1 & 2 Tiergarden Symphony Orchestra  
P-92 P-177
P-178
Hydropaten, waltz (Gungl)
Espana, waltz (Waldteufel)
The Vienna Cameo Orchestra German Phonycord
P-93 P-179
P-180
Bandmaster, march (Jurek)
Bosnia, march (Ed. Wagner)
Phonycord Military Band  
P-94 P-163-A / 11750
P-164-A / 11749
Heav'n, Heav'n (I Got A Robe)
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Marian Anderson (contralto, with orch accmp) Artiphon
P-95 P-181
p-182
Largo (Ombrai Mai Fu) (Handel)
Caro Mio Ben (Giordani)
Louis van de Sande (tenor, with orch accmp)  
P-96 P-155-A
P-156-A
Star Of My Soul (from "The Geisha")
Queen Of My Heart (from "Dorothy")
Alan Stuart (baritone, with orch accmp) Artiphon ?
P-97 P-143-A
P-144
After The Party
If I Could Be With You
Con Conway (= Cavan O'Connor) (with dance band)  
P-98 P-145-A
P-146-A
Falling In Love Again
Deep In My Heart
Con Conway (= Cavan O'Connor) (with dance band)  
P-99 P-133 / 3892
P-134 / 3982
A Chew Of Tobacco And a Little Drink
Sing Hallelujah !
Frank Robeson (= Carson Robison)
Frank Robeson (= Al Bernard)
Grey Gull 4303
Grey Gull
P-100 P-139-A
P-140-A
"Wonder Bar", selection parts 1 & 2 Jack Martin's Majestic Dance Band German
P-101 P-151-A
P-152-A
"The Hit Parade", selection parts 1 & 2 Jack Martin's Majestic Dance Band German
P-102 P-149-A
P-150-A
Two Of Everything
I Love You So Much
Jack Martin's Majestic Dance Band German
P-103 P-165
P-166
Under The Roofs Of Paris
Love Is Like That
Eddy Walis' Symphonic Dance Band German
P-104 167
P-168-2
I Bring a Love Song
You Will Remember Vienna (waltz)
Tommy Kinsman's London Frivolities original recordings
P-105 169-2
P-183-A
Sitting On A Five-Barred Gate
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (waltz)
Tommy Kinsman's London Frivolities
Tommy Kinsman's London Frivolities (= ?
original
German 
P-106 171-2
172
Love Is Like A Song
Say "Oui", Cherie
Tommy Kinsman's London Frivolities original
P-107 P-173
P-174
In My Heart  (waltz)
Honolulu Bay
Upoluan Islanders Grey Gull ?
P-108 P-159
P-160
"Madame Butterfly", selection parts 1 & 2 The Tiergarten Light Orchestra  
P-109   Waltzes Of The World, parts 1 & 2 The Tiergarten Light Orchestra  
P-110   Marche Militaire
With Flying Colours
Phonycord Military Band  
P-111 P-186
P-187
Wedding Of The Winds
The Dwarfs' Parade
Vienna Cameo Orchestra  
P-112   "Samson et Dalila" - O Love From Thy Powers
"L'Enfant Prodigue" - Air De Lia
Marian Anderson (contralto, with orch accmp)  
P-113 P-188 (11306)
P-189 (11307)
"Otello" - Credo (Verdi)
"Ballo In Maschera" - Eri Tu (Verdi)
Felipe Romito (baritone, with orch accmp) German Phonycord 419
P-114   Danny Boy
Maire My Girl
Alan Stuart (baritone)  
P-115   My Little Russian Rose
Songs That I Heard At Mother's Knee
Con Conway (= Cavan O'Connor) (Tenor, with orch.)  
P-116 P-120
P-123
A Tear, A Kiss, A Smile
Mr & Mrs Sippi
Roy Daniels (= Maurice Elwin ?) (baritone, with orch)  
P-117 P-190
P-191
"The Gypsy Princess", foxtrot potpourri, parts 1 & 2 Eddie Walis' Symphonic Dance Orchestra German Phonycord 643 ?
P-118 196
197
Beyond The Blue Horizon
What Good Am I Without You ?
The Midnight Revellers (dir. Jock McDermott) originals
P-119 200
201
We All Go "Oo Ha Ha" Together
If You Can't Sing, Whistle
The Midnight Revellers (dir. Jock McDermott) originals
P-120 198-2
199
You're Driving Me Crazy
Falling Star (waltz)
The Midnight Revellers (dir. Jock McDermott) originals
P-121 P-192 / 3712
P-193 / 4053
Mary
Somebody Else Will Take My Place
Oceanic Dance Band (= Grey Gull Studio Band) Grey Gull 1793
Grey Gull
P-122 P-194
P-195
Adios Juventud
Mama Yo Quiero
El Aguila De Mexico Orchestra  
P-123   Procession Of Fakirs
The Teahouse Of A Hundred Steps
Tiergarden Light Orchestra  
P-124   Fredericus Rex (march)
In A Woodland Forge
The Radio Military Band  
P-125   Two Little Finches
Sizilietta
Vienna Cameo Orchestra  
P-126   Vienna Bon-Bons (waltz)
Roses Of The South (waltz)
Vienna Cameo Orchestra  
P-127 P-  / 3924
P-  / 3925
By The Waters Of The Minnetonka
Drowsy Waters
C.A. Parmentier (pip-organ) Grey Gull
P-128   "I Pagliacci" - O Columbina (Leoncavallo)
"La Tosca" - W Lucevan Le Stelle (Puccini)
Salvatore Salvati (tenor)  
P-129   I'll Keep You In My Heart Always
My Dreamland Girl
Max Linden German Phonycord
P-130   Drink, Brothers, Drink
Rainbow
Bernard Dudley (baritone)  
P-131   River, Stay 'Way From My Door
In Your Dear Eyes
Bernard Dudley (baritone)  
P-132   Bathing In The Sunshine
When You Were My Sweetheart
Chasid & his Serenaders  
P-133   It's A Great Life
Tell Me I'm Forgiven
Chasid & his Serenaders  
P-134   When Your Hair Has Turned To Silver (waltz)
You Too
Chasid & his Serenaders  
P-135   Bells Of Normandy (waltz)
Lady Of Spain
Chasid & his Serenaders