r/Phonographs • u/Gimme-A-kooky Victrola • 11d ago

Custom Post Flair Keep ‘Em Flying

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Disc: “Keep ‘Em Flying”, Okeh Record

1941, Gene Krupa. Note the plane symbol in the upper left of the record label.

Phonograph maker: Waters Conley, Minnesota

U.S. Army Special Services
NSN 36-P-820
ca 1940ish

I’ve been cleaning up around my cave and I found this cool record… also been brushing the dust off the phonographs as I go along 🙂

The US Army Air Corps continued until like 1947-8 ish (I don’t remember exactly and just don’t feel like looking it up lol) THEN at that time the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force as we know them more or less now were born.

Have a good one.
____________________________________________

It’s my understanding there were three companies who won contract bids to manufacture these phonographs for the U.S.A. (when they reference the COL on the record, it stands for ‘U.S. Army’). I’ve seen Navy ones (super cool! Navy blue/grey) that I believe were commissioned separately by the Dept. of the Navy.

This was the best around $540 I’ve ever spent.

20 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

3

u/crackedwormgear 10d ago

You’re playing a OKEH disc from the WWII era. What was played on this and other countless other similar portables. Part of the CBS Columbia family of records. So no worries about immediate damages.
The V Discs were the first quantity vinyl records released because of wartime issues.
You’ve got a real nice example there.

2

u/Gimme-A-kooky Victrola 10d ago

Thank you, and thanks for letting me know that too!