Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

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Every once in awhile Bloggerhythms takes a break from reviewing CDs to discuss other subjects related to music. Today is one of them.

Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were even considered novelties back in the day. Because most of them had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them could be mistaken for 45 RPMs but the speed allowed for up to 15 to 20 minutes of playing time per side.

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16 RPM records were too slow for proper high fidelity sound. Because good quality reproduction was not possible they were mostly used as outlets for the spoken word although there were some exceptions. (For example, see this label from a 16 RPM Miles Davis disc on the Prestige label.) Radio stations often used them for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries.  More frequently they became the first "Talking Books" for the blind.  Pictured at the top, left, is a 16 RPM record of H. G. Wells' The Time Machine narrated by actor Dan O'Herlihy.

The famous Seeburg 1000 was a record player that was used exclusively to play background music in offices and restaurants. The system used 16 RPM discs that were 9 inches in diameter and could be stacked on traditional 45 RPM spindle adapters for continuous play. The records for this system were monaural and could play up to 40 minutes per side. Because the Seeburg's usage was strictly intended for background music the sound quality was not a major concern. You can find out a lot more details on this subject here.

Finally, believe it or not, Chrysler Corporation created Highway Hi-Fi, an audio format that enabled the 16 RPM records to be played in their cars from 1956 to 1958. The system employed a sapphire stylus with a ceramic pick up on a turntable that was installed below the instrument panel. A record player installed in a car? Yes, it really happened. Here is the Wikipedia article about it should you be interested in learning more.

It is obvious why the format died. Cassettes came along allowing people to listen to books in their cars or while jogging around town. Broadcasters also discovered superior sounding and more efficient ways to solve their transcription needs but, for a brief era, the 16 RPM record served a specific and useful purpose.

Even back in the day these records were hard to find because most of them were manufactured for commercial usage only. I have never seen one nor do I know anyone who ever owned one.  Have any of you ever had the pleasure?