User:Mjb/Speiser family recordings

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I am slowly curating and digitizing as much as I can from the Ted & Pat Speiser family's audio & video library. The resulting archive is getting large and difficult to keep track of, so for now, I am collecting as much info as I can here on my wiki.

Audio

Collection info on Discogs

The Speiser collection of commercial and promotional releases is tracked on Discogs:

There are about 325 items.

The most valuable records in the collection, based on average price in previous sales on Discogs:

  • Various - The Playboy Jazz All-Stars, Volume 3 $42.49
  • Ray Charles - The Great Ray Charles $30.00
  • Various - Jazziz On Disc Two $29.99
  • Various - Noël Ensemble $21.25
  • Jackson 5 - Jackson 5 $20.00
  • Hot Antic Jazz Band - We Love You, Jabbo $19.70
  • Andrés Segovia - The Art Of Andres Segovia $14.49
  • Various - The Music Of Greece $14.14
  • Eartha Kitt With Henri René And His Orchestra - That Bad Eartha $12.97
  • Jean-Baptiste Lully - Le Concert Des Nations, Jordi Savall - L’Orchestre Du Roi Soleil (Symphonies, Ouvertures & Airs À Jouer) $12.93
  • R. Carlos Nakai - Emergence: Songs Of The Rainbow World - Native American Flute Music $11.43

There may be some records which are worth more, but they are not listed here because they have not been sold through Discogs yet.

I used to work in a record shop and can say most of the records are not worth very much because they are not in good enough condition to sell, or are just not very sought after.

Shellac 78s

There are about 75 shellac and (post-1930s) shellac-like plastic records, some of which were here already and some of which were on loan from other family members. They have all been digitized, but each one requires research and further processing, so they are a work in progress.

Of the 75, the following have all been digitized to FLAC with basic tags. Ones in bold still need artwork added.

  • [1923] Memphis Five - Walk, Jenny, Walk!; Last Night on the Back Porch [Columbia 7 D]
  • [1923] The Troubadours - Roses of Picardy; Green-Arden Orchestra - Marchéta [Victor 19117]
  • [1924] Carl Fenton's Orchestra - All Alone; At the End of a Winding Lane [Brunswick 2739]
  • [1924] Helen Clark & Lewis James - Tea for Two; I Want to Be Happy [Victor 19463]
  • [1924] John McCormack - All Alone; Rose-Marie [Victrola 1067]
  • [1925] Jack Smith - I Care for Her and She Cares for Me; Feelin' Kind o' Blue [Victor 19800]
  • [1925] John McCormack - Moonlight and Roses; The Sweetest Call [Victrola 1092; Oakland]
  • [1925] Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders - Pretty Cinderella; Gone Again Gal [Victor 20241]
  • [1925] Lewis James - I'll See You in My Dreams; Franklyn Baur - Because They All Love You [Victor 19598]
  • [1925] Meyer Davis' Le Paradis Band - Washington and Lee Swing; Nobody Loves You Like I Do [Victor 19526]
  • [c. 1925] Oriole Orchestra - I Can't Stop Babying You; Gene Rodemich's Orchestra - Twilight [Brunswick 2797]
  • [1925] Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra - Ah-Ha!; Just a Little Drink [Victor 19666]
  • [1925] The Revelers - Dinah; Oh Miss Hannah [Victor 19796]
  • [1925] Waring's Pennsylvanians - Freshie; Mighty Blue [Victor 19784]
  • [1926] Roger Wolfe Kahn & His Orchestra - A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You; Song of the Flame [Victor 19935]
  • [1927] Aileen Stanley & Johnny Marvin - Under the Moon (Yoo-oo-oo-oo); Vaughn De Leath - Sing Me a Baby Song [Victor 20787]
  • [1928] Gene Austin - Thinking of You (I've Grown So Lonesome); Sunday [Victor 20411]
  • [1938] Tchaikovsky, Antal Dorati, LPO - The Swan Lake Excerpts [Columbia Masterworks MM-349]
  • [1946] Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians - Barcarolle; Doll Dance [record 4 of 4 from The Twin Pianos album (A-512); Decca 23768]
  • [c. 1948] Jimmie Livingston & His Orchestra - I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts; Some Little Someone [Varsity 233]
  • [1949] Frankie Laine - Mule Train; Carry Me Back to Old Virginney [Mercury 5345]
  • [c. 1952] Bud Roman & The Toppers with the Hal Lomen Orchestra - My Truly Truly Fair; Rose, Rose I Love You [Tops 293]

To help with organization, storage and transportation of the 78s, I bought a special box, dividers, plastic outer sleeves, and generic replacement sleeves. The total cost of these specialty items was about $75, thus averaging out to $1 per record. Now instead of being in grocery bags and haphazard piles, they are well organized and will be better preserved.

Condition

Generally, the 78s are in very good ("VG") condition, meaning they have some wear and extraneous surface noise, but as 78s go are still pretty clean and scratch-free, and the grooves are not noticeably damaged. Some are in "VG+" condition, showing signs of light use but being as close to NM (near mint) as a played record can be. About a dozen are in poor to fair condition, having been played many times and not having been well taken care of; they have much surface noise, and some are prone to skipping.

The following records have pieces missing and cannot be played at all:

  • [1950] Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen & His Orchestra ‎– Jing-a-Ling Jing-a-Ling / Parade of the Wooden Soldiers [Decca 27242]
  • [1952] Frankie Laine - High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me) / Rock of Gibraltar [Columbia 39770]
  • [1954] Eddy Howard & His Orchestra ‎– Till We Two Are One / Little Miss One [Mercury 70293]

Another broken record, in two pieces, might be repairable with super glue, then with a sewing needle to carve dried glue out of the groove:

  • [1948] Tex Williams & His Western Caravan - Happy Birthday Polka [Capitol Americana 40095]

None of these are particularly rare, and the music has all been reissued in higher quality on other formats, so these could all be tossed in the trash.

Digitization notes

Each 78 often takes longer to digitize (to my satisfaction) than an entire vinyl LP. There are two reasons:

  1. Frequency response was haphazard on the earliest recordings due to technological limitations, and it was not standardized across the industry until the late 1950s. To some extent, the oldest records were made to sound best on the record company's own brand of phonograph, and you were also expected to adjust the sound to your taste using the bass "turnover" and treble "cutoff" knobs on some units, as well as by having a variety of needles or styli on hand, each with a different tip radius so it can ride higher or lower in the groove. Some collectors have published guides to reproduce what they say is the correct EQ for 78s of different labels and eras, but quite a lot of this information is folklore and not very scientific, so I use my own method of analysis and correction.
  2. There is variation in speed. Most 78s are cut at 78.26 RPM, but some are slightly faster or slower, so I have to research and correct those accordingly.

The Internet Archive takes donations of physical and digitized 78s, so I am going to upload all my rips there. See The Great 78 Project.

You can read more about my digitization process at User:Mjb/Ripping vinyl#78 notes.

Historical sidetrack

Many of the 78 sleeves have a seal from a particular shop: The Knight-Campbell Music Co. in Denver. You can see historical photos of this amazing music store at http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/search/collection/p15330coll22/searchterm/knight-campbell/order/nosort ... The building is still there at 1627 California Street, but its facade has been downgraded, and it is now a parking garage. If only we could time-travel.

Spare 78 sleeves

The collection includes one each of the following sleeves without the records that belong in them:

  • Edison - selected catalog on back mentions record #s 50045 through 82197
  • Imperial (1950s) - mentions Fats Domino, T-Bone Walker, etc.
  • 3 generic unmarked beige paper sleeves, all different

There is also one each of these brown paper retail bags with Victor advertising on them, from Runge Music Co., Fort Collins, CO:

  • Orthophonic Victor Records
  • The Orthophonic Victrola

Missing 78 sleeves

There are a number of 78s which do not have matching sleeves. I'll keep track of this on Discogs.

Victor 78 sleeves

Many of the Victor 78s have probably had their sleeves swapped willy-nilly over the years. There's no telling which ones really belong with which record.

However, I have managed to categorize them:

  • For records pressed circa 1923
    • front: "VICTOR RECORD" in engraved typeface; left sidebar "VICTOR Records and Victrolas are scientifically..."; right sidebar "ALL these great artists..."
    • back: "FAMOUS SELECTIONS BY SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST ARTISTS"; right sidebar "Victrola Tungs-tone Stylus"
    • center hole has decorative printing around its edge
    • back left sidebar list IDs spotted so far:
      • C-5-11-D
    • back bottom center featured artists spotted so far:
      • Melba as Marguerite in Faust

I only have one of these sleeves, and the oldest Victor records in the collection was first released in 1923, so that's why I said circa 1923.

  • For records pressed circa 1924
    • front: "VICTOR RECORD" in engraved typeface; left sidebar "VICTOR Records and Victrolas are scientifically..."; right sidebar "THERE are Victor Records by all these..."; list of names in right sidebar is a longer list than before
    • back: "A SPECIAL LIST OF VICTOR RECORDS OF POPULAR SELECTIONS"; right sidebar "Victrola Tungs-tone Stylus"
    • back left sidebar list IDs spotted so far:
      • C-5-11-D
    • back bottom center featured artists spotted so far:
      • Farrar as Carmen in Carmen

I only have one of these sleeves, and the second-oldest Victor record in the collection was first released in 1924, so that's why I said circa 1924.

  • For records pressed circa 1924 to October 1925
    • front: "VICTOR RECORD" in solid typeface; sidebar frames have 4 lines instead of 5; left sidebar same as before but italics are less oblique, dashes are shorter, and the word "only" is added to the end; right sidebar has shorter dashes; list of names in right sidebar includes Chaliapin, Coates, DePachmann, Gabrilowitsch, Jeritza, Landowska, Lashanska, Mardones, Matzenauer, Mengelberg, Ponselle, Schipa, Stokowski; Philadelphia Symphony is now Philadelphia Orchestra; e in Clément is not accented
    • back: "A LIST OF VICTOR RECORDS SPECIALLY RECOMMENDED"; right sidebar "For Best Results Use: VICTROLA TUNGS-TONE NEEDLES"
    • back left sidebar list IDs spotted so far:
      • 306, 307, 309, 319, 320, 321, 322, 323
    • back bottom center featured artists spotted so far:
      • Caruso as Rhadames in Aida
      • De Luca
      • Elman
      • Farrar as Carmen in Carmen
      • Gigli
      • Jeritza
      • Martinelli
      • Ponselle
      • Schumann-Heink as Fricka in Die Walküre
      • Scotti as Scarpia in Tosca

Beyond the October–November 1925 launch of the "Orthophonic Recording" and the first "Orthophonic" Victrolas, I am making a lot of assumptions: I am assuming they matched sleeves to the type of record (Orthophonic sleeve for Orthophonic-labeled record). I am assuming they did not put new sleeves on later pressings of old records. I am assuming they were careful to match the sleeve to the type of music. These assumptions may not be correct.

  • For records pressed in October 1925 and beyond, with "Orthophonic Recording" on the labels
    • front variations spotted so far:
      • "Waiting to Sing for You" with opera singers
      • "Waiting to Play for You" with pianist
      • "Waiting to Play for You" with dance band
      • "Waiting to Play for You" with orchestra
    • back: "THE NEW ORTHOPHONIC VICTROLAS"
    • back Victrola model combos spotted so far:
      • CREDENZA, GRANADA, COLONY, CONSOLETTE (the first four models introduced in late 1925)
      • CREDENZA, 4-4, 4-3 (this indicates 1926, after the Granada and Consolette were renamed 4-4 and 4-3, respectively)
    • back sidebar record list IDs spotted so far:
      • 324 & 325
      • 326 & 327
      • 328 & 329
      • 330 & 331
      • 340 & 341
      • 342 & 343
      • 344 & 345
      • 346 & 347
  • For records pressed circa late 1926 and beyond, with "Orthophonic Recording" on the labels
    • front variations spotted so far:
      • "HERE THEY COME!" with marching band parade silhouettes
      • "Dance! and let the" with seated dance band silhouettes
      • "From the Opera" with costumed performer silhouettes
    • back: "VICTOR RECORD. Orthophonic Recording"; left sidebar "You will want"; right sidebar "Do you know"
    • back sidebar recommended record combos spotted so far:
      • left: 6584, 35806; right: 20110, 6587 (20110 released Sep. 1926, deleted Nov. 1926; 6587 released Oct. 1926; 35806 released Feb. 1927)
      • left: 6610, 20132; right: 1203, 4000 (6610 & 20132 released Oct. 1926)
      • left: 1178, 6899; right: 1183, 35777 (35777 released Nov. 1926)

The silhouettes give it a more Art Deco style, which makes me think these sleeves were late '20s rather than mid.

Reel-to-reel tapes

There are about 48 homemade reels of various lengths. Some have recorded music or TV shows, some have birthday parties, travelogues, letters on tape, you name it.

Ted's reel-to-reel deck does not work at all, and will cost $570 plus parts and shipping to get it refurbished by Reel Pro Sound Guys out of Montana, so I rented a deck from a local one-man audio repair shop and digitized all of the homemade reels.

Reels on SoundCloud

I selected a few of the most interesting reels, processed, split and tagged them, and uploaded them to SoundCloud.

I also uploaded a vacation slideshow reel. Ted would have played the left channel for the audience, and occasional tones in the right channel would automatically advance the projector to the next slide. Tertia & Eric have the slides and projector.

The remaining homemade reels are digitized but not processed yet.

Commercial reel

Since the music is not rare, I did not digitize the one and only commercial reel in the collection:

  • [1959] Peggy Lee / George Shearing - Beauty and the Beat!

Vinyl 45s

There are eighteen 7" vinyl or styrene 45s. Most do not have sleeves.

So far, these have been digitized to FLAC and given basic tags:

Another 13 are in progress, digitized but not processed:

  • [c. 1955] Victor Borge - Caught in the Act vol. II
  • [c. 1956] Musikkorps der Schutpolizei, Berlin - Opa's Lieblingsmelodien
  • [1958] Marianne Vasel & Erich Storz - Sunny Lake Walk; The Little Train
  • [c. 1958] various - Top Hit Tunes TH-26-1
  • [c. 1959] various - Top Hit Tunes TH-31-1
  • [c. 1959] various - Top Hit Tunes TH-31-2
  • [1960] Annette with The Afterbeats - Pineapple Princess; Luau Cha Cha Cha
  • [1960] Don Costa & His Orchestra & Chorus - Theme from 'The Unforgiven'
  • [1961] Jack Ross - Happy Jose (Ching-Ching); Sweet Georgia Brown
  • [1961] John D. Loudermilk - Language of Love; Darling Jane
  • [1961] Johnny Burnette - God, Country and My Baby; Honestly I Do
  • [1970,1971] Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad; El Jinete [only one side playable]
  • [1970,1980] Will Barnes - She Ran Off with Buck; Marijuana Polka

3 were unplayable or had terrible distortion due to groove damage; I have no plans to attempt to digitize them, and the songs are easily found elsewhere:

  • [1975] Waylon Jennings - Rainy Day Woman / Let's All Help The Cowboys (Sing The Blues)
  • [1978] Janie Fricke - Please Help Me, I'm Falling (In Love With You) / Get Ready For My World
  • [1979] Kenny Dale - Only Love Can Break A Heart / Child Of The Wind

Vinyl LPs

All of these LPs have been digitized to FLAC and have basic tags. Items in bold do not have cover art yet. Items with an asterisk (*) were ripped from a substitute CD or LP of better quality.

Classical

  • [1973] Stravinsky - Petrouchka (1911) [LSO/Mackerras]

Funk, Soul, R&B

  • [1962-1971] Stevie Wonder - Looking Back
  • [1971] Ike & Tina Turner - Something's Got a Hold on Me
  • [1974] Ray Charles - Come Live with Me

Jazz

  • [1950] Benny Goodman - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert
  • [1954] Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra - That Bad Eartha
  • [1956] Shelly Manne & His Friends - Modern Jazz Performances of Songs from My Fair Lady [mono version]
  • [1958] Louis Armstrong - Louis Under the Stars
  • [1959] Lena Horne & Harry Belafonte - Porgy and Bess
  • [1960] Spike Jones and His City Slickers - Thank You, Music Lovers!
  • [1974] George Benson - Bad Benson aka Take Five*
  • [1978] Al Jarreau - All Fly Home*
  • [1986] Bobby McFerrin - Spontaneous Inventions*

Pop

  • [1952] Danny Kaye - Hans Christian Andersen
  • [1965] Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights [mono version]
  • [1966] Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme*
  • [1968] Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Look Around*
  • [1968,1970] Neil Diamond - Velvet Gloves and Spit
  • [1968-1975] Ray Stevens - The Very Best of Ray Stevens
  • [1976] Wings - Wings at the Speed of Sound*

Psychedelic rock

  • [1970] Bo Hansson - Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings

Regional

  • [1953] Larry Adler - A Recital of Spanish and Slavonic Music
  • [c. 1960] various - Musical Memories from Munich to Heidelberg [mono version]
  • [1964] Gregory A. Bueche & Maude Barker Neff - Heritage
  • [1980] various - Jury's Irish Cabaret

Soundtrack

  • [1954] Rosemary Clooney, Guy Mitchell, Joanne Gilbert ‎– Red Garters
  • [1959] Miklos Rozsa - Ben-Hur [mono version]

Spoken word

  • [1963] John Fitzgerald Kennedy - A Memorial Album

I have no plans to digitize the following:

  • [1955] Living French: A Complete Language Course [4x10" LP box set]

Audio cassettes

I kept about 36 homemade tapes which are unlabeled or have labels indicating they may have something interesting or unique on them, like radio broadcasts. None seem to be of any personal family moments, but who knows. It will be a while before I can digitize them.

I discarded any homemade tapes which were labeled as being copies of LPs from the vinyl collection.

There were only a couple dozen commercial tapes, and none were rare or valuable, so I donated them to charity.

Audio CDs

Nearly all the CDs in the collection have been ripped to FLAC (tracks + log + cue) and tagged with basic info.

  • [1935-1939] Benny Goodman feat. Great Vocalists of Our Times [2004 CD]
  • [1953-1962] Frank Sinatra - The Capitol Years [CDP 7 94317 2; 1990 CD]
  • [1953] William Kapell - Frick Collection Recital [09026-68997-2; 1998 CD]
  • [1955] Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours [72434 94755 2 6; 1998 CD]
  • [1957] Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella and Louis Again [440 065 390-2; 2003 CD]
  • [1959] Members of the Woody Herman Orchestra - A Tribute to Woody Herman [GHD5053; 1997 CD]
  • [1960s-1980s] various - Noëls du Monde [12.20.04; 1991 CD]
  • [1960s-1990s] various - Yesterday - A Tribute to the Great Songs of the Beatles [RS7-060-1, JCD1-5971; 2001 CD]
  • [1967] Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim - [eponymous] [9 46948-2; 1998 CD]
  • [1968-1971] Janis Joplin - Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits [CK 32168; 1980s CD]
  • [1977-1991] various - Smooth Grooves - Smooth Jazz vol. 1 [R2 79826; 2000 CD]
  • [1979-1994] Sesame Street - Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs [1997 CD]
  • [c. 1980] Bernard Romanens - L'abbe Bovet [65050; c. 1987 CD]
  • [1983] Strauss, Alt-Wiener Strauss-Ensemble, Kulling - Dorfschwalben aus Österreich [INT 830.844; 1987 CD]
  • [1984-1999] various - Candlelight Moods and Memories [RS7-052-1, HCD1-5971; 2001 CD]
  • [1987] Linda Ronstadt - Canciones de mi padre [9 60765-2]
  • [1987] Victor Borge - The Two Sides of Victor Borge [c. 1998 CD]
  • [1989] Bolcom & Morris - Let's Do It - Bolcom & Morris at Aspen [OCD 3004]
  • [1989] Gipsy Kings - Mosaïque [9 60892-2]
  • [1989] various - Jazziz Two
  • [1990] Inkuyo - Land of the Incas [17064-2]
  • [1990] Maggie Sansone - Mist & Stone [MMCD 106]
  • [1990] Native Flute Ensemble - Gathering of Shamen [TT119D]
  • [1990] Yve Evans & Company - 4 Jaz C Me [NWCD30274]
  • [1992] Branford Marsalis - I Heard You Twice the First Time [CK 46083]
  • [1992] R. Carlos Nakai - Emergence [CR-609]
  • [1992] Strunz & Farah - Américas [R2 79041]
  • [1992] various - Talking Spirits [CTD-126]
  • [1993] Jbbar Karyagdy Trio - Uzundärä - Ancient wedding dance music of Azerbaijan [PAN 2034; 1997 CD]
  • [1993] La Vienta - Jazzmenco [CD-83353]
  • [1993] Pete Wernick - On a Roll [SH-CD-3815]
  • [1993] Peter Kater w. R. Carlos Nakai - How the West was Lost [SD 801]
  • [1994] Mesa Music Consort - Spirit Feathers [TTCD 124]
  • [1994] Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble - Music for The Native Americans [CDP 7243 8 28295 2 2]
  • [1995] Armik - Gypsy Flame [BCD526]
  • [1995] Kavkasia - Songs of the Caucasus [WTP 5178]
  • [1995] Shahin & Sepehr - e [HOMCD 7076]
  • [1995] various - Putumayo presents Women of the World - Celtic
  • [1996] Hot Rize - So Long of a Journey [SUG-CD-3943; 2002 CD]
  • [1996] various - Lovin' the Blues [ATP027]
  • [1996] Willie & Lobo - The Music of Puerto Vallarta Squeeze [2-92678]
  • [1997] various - Hearts, Hands & Hides [TTCD132A]
  • [1998] Eddie Palmieri - El rumbero del piano [RMD 82197]
  • [1998] Sylvia Zurko - Celtic at Heart [101956]
  • [1999] Andrea Bocelli - Sacred Arias [462 600-2]
  • [1999] Armik - Isla del Sol [BCD534]
  • [1999] Lully, Les Concert des Nations - L'Orchestre du Roi Soleil [AV 9807]
  • [2000] Ronnie McCoury - Heartbreak Town [11661-0453-2]
  • [2000] various - Noël ensemble [548 332-2]
  • [2002] Pete Wernick's Live Five - Up All Night [NR 2002]
  • [2003] Carl Sonny Leyland Trio - Broadway Boogie
  • [2003] Carl Sonny Leyland Trio - Studio Session
  • [2004] various - A Touch of Vintage [Verve sampler]
  • [2004] various - Presenting the Bose Wave Music System [CCM-001269]
  • [2006] Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela [ATO0030]
  • [2009] Time for Three - 3 Fervent Travelers [KIC-CD-2035]
  • [2012] Mumford & Sons - Babel [GLS-0131-02]
  • [2012] The Lumineers - The Lumineers [3712589]

The following CDs have not been ripped because they are still sealed; I will keep them sealed in case someone wants to buy them:

  • [1999] Bing Crosby - Golden Legends [GL 61372]
  • [2002] Sylvia Zurko - Other Facets [SHM2002]

Video

VHS videocassettes

The commercial VHS tapes were all junk, stuff readily available on DVD or which no one would ever want to watch, so I donated them all to charity.

I've separated the remaining VHS tapes into categories:

  • Family home videos: 24 tapes from 1991–2005. Running time could be anywhere from 2 to 6 hours each. These are at my computer desk.
  • Interesting ephemera: about 30 tapes with unique TV broadcasts and space science documentaries. These are on top of the piano for now.
  • Boring ephemera: movies, shows, and tennis matches taped from TV, nothing particularly rare. There several dozen of these in boxes.

When digitizing VHS tapes, some loss of color information is unavoidable. There's nothing I can do about this. The color is still on the tape, but the colors in the digital version will always appear washed-out and slightly fuzzy. I can increase the saturation in post-processing, but it doesn't make the colors more accurate. Pro gear which can do near-lossless conversion costs tens of thousands of dollars and is out of reach for most people.

I have digitized one tape so far:

  • Journey Through the Solar System, Episode 10: Jupiter - A Clearer Picture
    • Since it is a public domain NASA video, I uploaded it to the Internet Archive, where other episodes from the series can also be found. I just uploaded the raw DV-AVI capture (erroneously listed on the website as Cinepack format). Their system created the streaming version and the other downloadable formats automatically. I deleted my local copy of the file.

List of family home videos

  • #89 Mercury 3/6/72; Xmas 91: Viet, Mai, Tanya+Laurent; Grand Canyon; Dixiland/Mall; +15 min/Vohkoh images
  • 8/4/91 '91 hikes + several more
  • 91 camcorder videos; Xmas 95/94
  • Kauai - Luau, North Coast, kids dancing (ILan Roth 2/92); Renaissance Festival 7-9-94
  • Kelly Duc Wedding
  • Jerry eclipse plus [illegible]
  • 96 video cam's
  • '97 Kelly's Shower + several more
  • 8/30/97 Quoc/Dung Wedding + several more
  • Feb 98 Orlando Se World Epcot Everglades Pyvdam(?) St. Maarten 2 hrs + 1 hr 3m 4/20/98 Supai hike + natural bridges & enel(?) Arches & Delicate Arch + 8/98-3/99 (2 H) hikes, Dana +? 40 min
  • 3/14/98 Dana starts to walk + several more
  • 10-10-99 Hike to Ouzel Lake + many more

It looks like these have been partially or fully transferred to Digital8 DV; see below:

  • '97 camcorder videos - Orlando Space Shuttle STS 82, Sea World, Disney World, continued next tape [not sure if I have the next tape]
  • 99 Sony Cam - 0-55m 4,5,99 Snow Birds; T @ MI; M's Day; D's B Day; Hike W. C.r. Falls
  • 99 Videos - Japanese drums; Strome & Fauk(?); Ypsilon Lake; Dana swims; Audubon; Xtal Lake; Ouzel R; Kurt Wedding
  • 6-3-01 Tertia & Eric's Wedding; 0-47m John Wilson's video; 47m to 67 min Ted's video
  • June 7 2003 Welcome Adelaide

DV videocassettes

The are about 40 Digital8 DV camcorder tapes which are all family home movies.

Transfers of VHS tapes

These DV tapes are transfers which Ted made from older VHS tapes in the late 2000s.

  • May 1993 trip to Grand Canyon
    • Duration: 122:02
    • Format: DV-AVI (26 GB). Not processed or uploaded anywhere yet.
  • Feb. 1997 trip to Florida
    • Warning: not nearly as exciting as it sounds.
    • Formats: DV-AVI (30 GB) and processed H.264 MP4 (9 GB). Not uploaded anywhere yet.
    • Part 1 (33:55): Cape Canaveral, Space Shuttle Discovery STS-82 pre-launch & launch, Daytona Speedway, Daytona Beach
    • Part 2 (53:07): Daytona Beach, Sea World Orlando, Disney World, Disney-MGM Studios
    • Part 3 (35:06): Disney-MGM Studios, Busch Gardens
    • Part 4 (11:23): Busch Gardens
    • Part 5 (0:56): Melbourne Beach
    • MP4 converted with FFmpeg N-81291-g7387506 with command-line options -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.4" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 16 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ac 1 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1
  • March 1997 - Grand Canyon, Havasupai, Arches, etc.
    • Duration: 61:14
    • Formats: DV-AVI (13 GB) and processed H.264 MP4 (4 GB). I uploaded the MP4 to the Internet Archive (follow the link).
    • A home movie documenting the highlights of Ted & Pat Speiser's sightseeing trip to the Grand Canyon, Havasupai Indian Reservation, and Arches National Park in March 1997.
    • MP4 converted with FFmpeg N-81291-g7387506 with command-line options -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.4" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 16 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ac 1 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1
  • 4-99 Snow Buds + Tertia Grad'n
    • Duration: 55:27
    • Format: DV-AVI (12 GB in 7 files) and processed H.264 MP4s (950 MB in 7 files).
    • Part 1 (6:46): woodpeckers at the bird feeder - April 3, 1999
    • Part 2 (20:06): Tertia graduation - May 1, 1999
    • Part 3 (8:52): Ann Arbor picnic & Univ. of Michigan - May 2, 1999
    • Part 4 (6:02): Mother's Day incl. Dana petting zoo - May 9, 1999
    • Part 5 (4:30): toddler Dana
    • Part 6 (3:48): Dana 2nd birthday - May 29, 1999
    • Part 7 (5:19): Rocky Mountain National Park hike - May 30, 1999
    • Original VHS tape ("4,5,99") also available.
    • MP4s converted using FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with these command-line options: -vf "yadif,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k -ac 1
  • Dana '00 Bday; TLPT Zion 9-00
    • Format: DV-AVI (26 GB in 7 files).
    • Part 1 (90:52): Zion National Park Sep-Oct 2000
      • MP4 converted using FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with these command-line options: -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 16 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k -ac 1
    • Part 2 (0:59): Dana hay bale maze c. Oct 2000
    • Part 3 (7:48): family gathering c. Oct 2000
    • Part 4 (10:16): Dana 2nd birthday 2000-05-28
    • Part 5 (3:17): parachute & jet watching 2000-05-29
    • Part 6 (2:18): 2000 Boulder Creek Fest dancing girls & worst raggamuffin freestyle ever
    • Part 7 (7:22): diaper Dana c. May 2000
    • MP4s converted using FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with these command-line options: -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k -ac 1
  • 6-3-01 Tertia & Eric Wedding
    • Duration: 19:44
    • Format: DV-AVI (5 GB) and processed H.264 MP4 (280 MB). I uploaded the MP4 to Vimeo (follow the link; ask me for password).
    • Original VHS tape ("9") also available with 47 more minutes of video by John Wilson.
    • MP4 converted using FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with these command-line options: -vf "yadif,hue=s=1.25" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ac 1
  • Adelaide 6-7-03 (Addie's birth)
    • Duration: 26:30
    • Format: DV-AVI (6 GB) and processed H.264 MP4 (263 MB). Not uploaded anywhere yet.
    • Original VHS tape ("June 7 2003"/"Welcome Adelaide") also available.
    • Warning: Begins with the sound of Tertia vomiting and is just a madcap barrel of monkeys from there.
    • MP4 converted using FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with these command-line options: -vf "yadif,hue=s=1.25" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ac 1

Original DV footage

This is material that was originally shot with the Digital8 HandyCam which Ted must have obtained around Christmas 2005.

  • Xmas 05, Sno Mt 06 #3
    • DV-AVI transfer in progress
  • D+Addie Bday, #4, 6-06
    • Part 1 (2:37): eagle spotting
      • Format: DV-AVI (560 MB in 2 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (69 MB).
    • Part 2 (3:41): cottonwood tree removal
      • Format: DV-AVI (800 MB in 3 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (145 MB).
    • Part 3 (8:17): roller derby (Green Barrettes vs. Bad Apples)
      • Format: DV-AVI (1.7 GB in 14 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (210 MB).
    • Part 4 (4:07): Dana figure skating
      • Format: DV-AVI (879 MB in 8 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (45 MB).
    • Part 5 (4:30): Tertia & Addie ice skating
      • Format: DV-AVI (1 GB in 11 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (46 MB). I uploaded the MP4 to Vimeo (follow the link; ask me for password).
    • Part 6 (4:36): owl spotting
      • Format: DV-AVI (1 GB in 4 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (160 MB).
    • Part 7 (15:46): Dana choir
      • Format: DV-AVI (3.3 GB in 14 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (350 MB).
    • Part 8 (4:36): family pool fun
      • Format: DV-AVI (1 GB in 15 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (200 MB).
    • Part 9 (7:26): Dana & Addie birthday
      • Format: DV-AVI (1.5 GB in 11 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (150 MB).
    • All MP4s converted with FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with command-line options -r ntsc -i "concat:file1.avi|file2.avi|etc" -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 20 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k
  • 'not all imported'
    • Part 1 (34:25): Alaska
      • Format: DV-AVI (7.2 GB in 48 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (743 MB)
      • MP4 converted with FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with command-line options -r ntsc -i "concat:file1.avi|file2.avi|etc" -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 20 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k
    • Part 2 (0:59): Paris
      • Format: DV-AVI (200 MB in 5 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (8 MB)
      • Just a brief shot of the Arc de Triomphe, hotel room, and Paris handbag
    • Part 3 (6:49): Addie Halloween at the zoo
      • Format: DV-AVI (1.4 GB in 19 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (160 MB)
    • Part 4 (0:47): kids choir
      • Format: DV-AVI (175 MB in 2 files) and processed H.264 MP4 (8 MB)
      • I don't recognize anyone in this choir of middle school-aged children. Maybe one is Dana?
      • Parts 2, 3, 4 converted with FFmpeg N-85750-ga75ef15 with command-line options -r ntsc -i "concat:file1.avi|file2.avi|etc" -vf "yadif=mode=1,hue=s=1.2" -c:v libx264 -preset veryslow -crf 23 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v main -level:v 3.1 -c:a aac -b:a 160k
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