Phonoland

I'm just wondering if anyone might know in what year this HMV 12" 33rpm record was first released. It is one of a 53 record set, and has this label on one side, and brail on the other. It is vinyl, but a very early vinyl similar to the first vinyl 78's, so I'm guessing it must be late 1940's or early 50's.

I don't know what HMV did in the 1950s, but by 1954, the Audio Book Corporation was using the 16.67 rpm speed (which is the main reason it appeared on turntables). In the mid 1960s, they changed to 8.33 rpm, and provided special adaptors which sit on a 33 turntable and rotate the record at 8.

All Audio Books had the large center hole size, and the records came in 7", 8", 10", and 12" diameters. I borrowed a few from the library, and thought a 12" record with a large hole looked funny on the record changer.

Note that most record changers would totally foul up trying to play these records. The adaptor is thick, preventing the 45 spindle from seating. And some changers automatically select 7" when the 45 spindle is installed.

By 1973, they were using cassettes too.