The 45rpm Record

Time to talk about one of my favorite things; the little record with the big hole - 45's! Music by Don Estler and the Accordion Band (shellac disc, 1964).

[skippingguy]

What you don't know is that Fran is one hundred and seventeen years old! She talks about all this stuff (music history, electronics, rockets, and more) like she experienced it all first hand. She is clearly brilliant! She talks about minute details from 50 years ago like she just experienced it yesterday. Amazing.

[MrMuppetbaby]

I love Fran, she is so smart and natural on camera. Funny and charming. I was a professional recording engineer in a past life and Fran you took me down memory lane. You enrich our lives by keeping the amazing accomplishments of the past alive. You are my hero like Mr. Wizard was.

[steadfastcoward]

Fran, my friends and I have noticed that you are very natural in your delivery, never rushed, and even with some fairly technical things you never get above our comprehension, which really makes science enjoyable. Keep doing what you do, you are a positive force here!

[davidtyndall]

Who remembers the 45 inserts that would let you play a 45 RPM record on a regular record player? Better still who remembers the "spindle" adapter that would slip over the 33 1/3 spindle and allow you to stack up 45's?

[marclove]

I was born in 1951 and by the time I was in grade school, I was listening to my older sister playing 45’s on her little record player - very similar to the one you have here. I also remember feeding quarters into juke boxes that played 45’s. Half the fun was watching that machine select the record and move it to the turntable. I’m so glad that because of recording technology, music has been a huge part of my life, from a very early age right up through the present. Thanks for posting this and bringing back some wonderful memories.

[martinhall]

Ive just been watching LIFE AFTER FRAN LAB. When you said you are not young or pretty, well i think you are a very nice lady and i love watching Fran lab. Keep smiling and keep safe.

[Keith_Ward]

"Oh we got both kinds, we got country AND western!"

[vwestlife]

Fun fact: The first 33⅓ RPM 12-inch records on the consumer market were actually introduced by RCA Victor in 1931. They were called "Program Transcription" records and could hold up to 15 minutes of music per side. But these records sounded bad, wore out quickly, and required expensive new machines to play them, which people couldn't afford during the Great Depression, so the format was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1936.

[glasstronic]

An *OUTSTANDING* presentation.
Thank you!

[TheCort]

Fran. I could listen to you talk for days. The amount of knowledge jammed into that head of yours is exquisite.

[petercrowl]

At a garage sale I held I had a portable phonograph out on a table playing a stack of 45's. A kid stood watching it in wonderment. After a few minutes he asked what it was. I said it's a device and that's my playlist.
Priceless moment.

[ASilentS]

I guess.... orange was the new black...

[crashalot]

That was definitely the most interesting 20 minutes I have spent on Youtube this year! Thanks Fran!

[RetroGameStream]

Yay I have another favorite vintage music channel to enjoy! Fran seems very warm and friendly and, most importantly, informative. Keep up the great work!

[discerningmind]

Thank you, Fran. You're always so knowledgeable, and I enjoyed learning about this. Another beneficial factor of 45s and teenagers is economics. When I began buying records, it was 1968, I was twelve, and a 45s cost less than a dollar. I remember .78 cents being common. And some 45s would be marked down based on their salability.
Your video here came up as a suggestion because earlier I'd watched a film made by RCA in late 1948, early 1949, introducing the new 45 RPM record format, as well as the player that you have on the desk. The film included two other 45 RPM players available to accommodate different uses. One of these was a non-amplified version that plugged into a home system that was common at the time, consisting of an AM-FM Radio and a non-45 RPM record player, installed into various styles of cabinets.
Per your mention of the new 45 RPM format being released on March 31, 1949. Perhaps RCA felt that the 31st was much better than April 1st, since that's April Fool's Day.

[nickclark]

Thank you Fran that was riveting, I learned such a lot, you are a great teacher, yes please, more on the other formats of record💐

[lastrada]

Fran actually does a good presentation and lecture. It's a friendly and informative little documentary. Better than some professionals. Nothing stuffy in her presentation -- she is prepared and she segues between subjects keeping the conversation interesting. You can tell she has a passion for her subject. If I met her in high school or college this young lady would have been one of my favorite "girlfriends." She knows her stuff. She actually looks too young to really have lived when these records were popular. Nevertheless, she is sharp on the subject of 45 nostalgia.

Next time she should mention or included that some 45-sized records were EPs (RCA I believe) -- 4 songs at 33 rpm with a small hole but the size of a 45 record. Several Elvis Presley EP's were released this way. I have some with country singer Jim Reeves and some European records. Great cardboard color sleeves. There must be a reason for this marketing move. Maybe they were trying to introduce a possible stereo 45 eventually.

I like that when she talks she can actually show a good example of the machines and how they operated.

This video was produced well enough to show students in a school if a music teacher wanted to include the history of records. Her explanation of how the records are cut and why is very good. There isn't anything she said that is inaccurate. High fidelity! Wow...nice explanation. RCA also introduced Dyna-vinyl which was flimsy and I think it was manufactured at their Camden, NJ pressing plant. It was supposed to prevent warpage when in the sleeve. Later, LP's were put into plastic sleeves instead of paper.

I enjoyed Fran for the whole 21 minutes. I'd listen to any explanation she tapes -- she has a good clear speaking voice.

[bobzwol]

Fran, thank for taking the time to do this video! Having been born in 1955, 78's 45's & 33's are a major part of my life! .This video is right up my alley! Thanks again!
I also purchased that same RCA 45 RPM player at a Los Angeles flea market for $5.00 some 38 years ago.I still have it.

[Multi]

~ Love history! Love music history and records even more! Very interesting, 45s ARE STILL BEING MADE and they remain fascinating, and thank you, you rock! Cheers, DAVEDJ ~

[AppliedScience]

Great video! Thanks so much for all the info.