Acorn Album Discography
By Mike Callahan, David Edwards, and Patrice Eyries
Last update: May 7, 2007




Acorn was a subsidiary of Eli Oberstein's Rondo Records. The early catalog was based largely on reissues of material from Rondo or other of Oberstein's Record Corporation of America labels, although not always credited to the same artists. When Rondo was sold to P.R.I. in 1961, Acorn was part of the deal, and reissues of material from old Tops or other PRI labels soon appeared. Acorn was eventually assigned to Hudson Record Company in New York, which was possibly part of the PRI empire.

Of all the budget labels that graced supermarkets during the late 1950s and early 1960s, this one may have been the silliest, at least as far as packaging goes. Artists like Blotto Otto? And whoever wrote the blurbs on the jackets was apparently not an English scholar; and neither was the proofreader. For example, we find this "explanation" of stereo in a box on the back of each album: "In these recordings the music has not been reshaped or reformed for the benefit of stereo. Rather, stereo and stereocoustics have been molded to fit the music and it is only thus that stereo sound has a chance to really sing, and to dazzle the connoisseur. 'Stereo' is the unrelenting division of orchestras into very discreet parts, thus engendering the technique of recording soloists or sections on separate mikes individually against their accompaniment. The philosophy of microphone placement is consistent with the acoustical environments and are especially selected to suit the subject."

Huh? My seventh grade teacher would have given me an "F" for that essay, for sheer incomprehensibility if nothing else. Of course, it didn't help that the author confused "discreet" for "discrete," but this wouldn't be the first or last time glaring errors appeared on Acorn albums. Take for example Acorn #649, which should have been titled Accordion Favorites by the Accordion Kings. Actually, on the back slick and the spine of the album, as well as on the top of the front cover, it is titled that way, but in the large title on the front cover, and on the label, we are treated to "accordion" being spelled "accordeon."

Apparently, Acorn, like the Rondo Gold series, was a special label whose releases were all in stereo (although not necessarily true stereo in all cases). We have not seen mono versions of these albums. The original Acorn label was blue with silver print. The ACORN logo (with an acorn inside the letter "O") bends around the top edge of the label. The address of the label is given on the back of the jacket as "West New York, New Jersey." Later issues also are known with a black label with silver print with the same design.


We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Acorn Records. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (all of which are out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 2002, 2003 by Mike Callahan.



ACORN ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Cover


Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents

601 - The Sleeping Beauty [19??]

602 - Broadway - Sammy White with Orchestra [19??] Probably the same as Evon 330. Give My Regards To Broadway/Mary Is A Grand Old Name/(others)

603 - Beethoven: "Emperor" Piano Concerto No. 5 [19??]

604 - Dvorak: "New World" Symphony [19??]

605 - Peer Gynt Suites - Cyril Green & London Concert Orchestra [19??] Anitra's Dance/In The Hall Of The Mountain King/(others)

606 - Dance in Glenn Miller Style [19??] American Patrol/When Johnny Comes Marching Home/(others)

607 - Nutcracker Suite, Opus 71/Serenade for Strings Sonata - Cyril Green & Orchestra [19??] Waltz Of The Flowers/Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies/(others)

608 - Sousa Marches - Grenadiers Band [19??] El Capitan/Hail To The Spirit Of Liberty/King Cotton/Hands Across The Sea/Diplomat/Stars And Stripes Forever/Liberty Bell/Manhattan Beach/Happy Comrades/Coast Guard

609 - The Merry Widow - Muller Lampertz & His Orchestra & Chorus [19??] Complete recording.

610 - Bizet: Carmen for Orchestra - Cyril Green & London Concert Orchestra [19??] Cover has photo of Bettie Page.

611 - Gypsy Music - Al Samanda & His String Orchestra [19??] Hora Staccato/Gypsy Love Song/(others)

612 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Opus 18 - Albert Cohen, Piano, with Societe Des Concerts Orchestra (Hans Lille, Conductor) [19??] Moderato/Adagio Sostenuto//Allegro Sherzando

613 - Beethoven: "Eroica" Symphony No. 3 [19??]

614 - Tschaikowsky: "Pathetique" Symphony No. 6 [19??]

615 - 1812 Overture/A Night on Bald Mountain/Coriolanus - Paul Waladsky & Schleswig Symphony Orchestra [19??]

616 - Stephen Foster Melodies - Al Samanda & His String Orchestra [19??] Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair/O Susanna/Old Folks At Home (Swanee River)/Uncle Ned/Captown Races/Beautiful Dreamer/Old Black Joe/Massa's In The Cold Cold Ground/My Old Kentucky Home/Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming

617 - Dance in Dorsey Style - Maurice Rene [19??] Song Of India/Dark Eyes/(others)

618 - Strauss Waltzes - Al Samanda & His String Orchestra [19??] Emperor Waltz/Blue Danube Waltz/(others)

619 - Tschaikowsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 - Albert Cohen, Piano, with Societe Des Concert Orchestra (Hans Lille, Conductor) [19??]

620 - Scheherazade [19??]

621 - Listenin' to the Popular Organ - Patricia Wilde [19??] Humoresque (Dvorak)/Elegie (Massenet)/Barcarolle (Offenbach)/Liebestraume (Liszt)/Salur D'amour (Elgar)/Poeme (Fibich)/Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakoff)/Etude (Chopin)/Nocturne (Chopin)/Melodie In F (Rubinstein)

622 - Tschaikowsky: Violin Concerto in D Minor [19??]

623 - Can Can/Gaite Parisienne - Cyril Green & London Concert Orchestra [19??]

624 - Mozart: Symphony No. 40 - Olympia Symphony Orchestra (Peter Mattos, Conductor) [19??] Allegro Molto/Adante//Manuetto-Allrgretto/Finale-Allegro Assai

625 - William Tell Overture - Cyril Green & London Concert Orchestra[19??] William Tell Overture (Rossini)/Titus Overture (Mozart)//Poet and Peasant Overture (Suppe)/Marche Slav (Tchaikovsky)

626 - The National Emblem March - Harry Smith & Grenadiers Band [19??] National Emblem March/Colonel Bogey/(others)

627 - Grieg: Piano Concerto - Hans Lillie [19??]

628 - Christmas Carols in Percussion - Patricia Wilde, Organ and Chimes [19??] Adeste Fidelis/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/O Little Town Of Bethlehem/The First Noel/Angels We Have Heard On High/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/What Child Is This/Good King Wenceslaus/Rejoice Rejoice Believers/Christians Awake//White Christmas/Joy To The World/O Come, O Come Emmanuel/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Silent Night, Holy Night/Good Christian Men Rejoice/We Three Kings/Lo: How A Rose E'er Blooming/Away In The Manger/Jingle Bells

628 - Viennese Waltzes [19??] Voices Of Spring/Tales Of The Vienna Woods/(others)

629 - Wedding Marches - Patricia Wilde [19??]

630 - Beethoven: Fifth Symphony - Peter Mattos & Olympia Symphony Orchestra [196?]

631 - 24 Honky Tonk Piano Selections - Blotto Otto & Rhythm [196?] This is a series of medlies. Sailing Sailing-Hinky Dinky Parlez Vous-Funiculi Funicula/The Band Played On-The Bowery- Sidewalks Of New York/Big Rock Candy Mountain-Red River Valley-She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain/I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen-While Strolling Through The Park One Day-Auld Lang Syne//Billy Boy-Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home-There Is A Tavern In The Town/Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms-Oh My Darling Clementine-Kathleen Mavourneen/When Johnny Comes Marching Home-For He's A Jolly Good Fellow-Hail Hail The Gang's All Here/When You Were Sweet Sixteen-Just Tell Them That You Saw Me-Abdul The Bulbul Ameer

632 - The Mikado - Acorn Savoyard Company [19??] A Wand'ring Minstrel/Our Great Mikado/Behold the Lord High Executioner/Three Little Maids From School/Were You Not to Ko-Ko Plighted/Finale Act 1//The Sun, Whose Rays Are All Ablaze/Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day/Here's a How De Do/A More Humane Mikado/The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring/Willow, Tit-Willow/There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast/For He's Gone and Married Yum-Yum

633 - South Pacific/Serenade for Strings - Albert Cohen & His Orchestra [19??]

634 - Pleasant Polkas - Polka Players Dance Group [19??] Little Brown Jug Polka/Golden Pheasant Polka/Champagne Polka/Yankee Polka/Colonel Polka//Carnival Polka/Cheek to Cheek Polka/Count Lichtenstein Polka/Auto Riding Polka/Beautiful Flower Polka

635 - Let's All Sing - Acorn Chorale [19??] In The Good Old Summertime/Bicycle Built For Two/(others)

636 - Brahms' Hungarian Dances - Peter Mattos [19??]

637 - The Pirates of Penzance [19??]

638 - Oklahoma [19??]

639 - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Lizst: Piano Concerto #1 - John Johnson & His Orchestra [19??] Rhapsody In Blue [Sondra Bianca & Orchestra (Hans Juergen Walther, Conductor)]//Piano Concerto #1 [Hamburg Pro Musica (Erich Riede, Conductor)]

640 - Honky Tonk Piano & Banjo with Rhythm - Frankie's Johnnies [19??] Frankie And Johnny/Gypsy Love Song/Home On The Range/Old Folks At Home/The Sweetest Story Ever Told/Mother Mother Mother Put A Rose On Me//Martha/The Last Rose Of Summer/Aloha Oe/Carry Me Back To Old Virginny/In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree/Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes

641 - Stereo "Pop" Concert - Olympic Pop Concert Orchestra [19??] Intermezzo Cavalieria Rusticana/Dance Of The Hours/(others)

642 - Music of Porgy & Bess - Albert Cohen [19??] Summertime/A Woman Is A Sometime Thing/(others)

643 - Gershwin: An American in Paris - John Johnson [19??]

644 - H.M.S. Pinafore [19??]

645 - Jazz - Various Artists [19??] Side 1 is by Gideon Dorey and the Little Club Boys, while Side 2 is by Clegg Lapp and the Dixieland Club. Susie/Dreamer/Jeannie/Joe/Camptown, Kentucky//Old Folks at Home/Moanin Blews/Serenading/Jet Planing/Foolin'

646 - The King and I - Albert Cohen [19??] I Whistle A Happy Tune/Hello Young Lovers/(others)

647 - Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F [19??]

648 - Sing with Honky Tonk Piano and Singers - Blotto Otto & Rhythm/Acorn Chorale conducted by John Johnson [19??] Seeing Nellie Home/Annie Laurie/(others)

649 - Accordion Favorites - Accordion Kings [196?] Moonlight/Meapolitan/Morenita/Trieste/Adele/Mary/Lola/Roan//Latin Tango/Russian Gavotte/Sabre Dance/Latin Marimba/Sand Dance

650 - Carousel - Albert Cohen & Orchestra [19??] June Is Busting Out All Over/You'll Never Walk Alone/If I Loved You/Carousel Waltz/What's The Use Of Wondering/(others)

651

652

653 - Songs of America - Hi-Tiders [19??] They're Laying Eggs Now And Hooray/Black Is The Color OF My True Love's Hair/Turtle Dove/Darlin' Corey/Wayfarin' Stranger/Darlin'/Hullabaloo Belay/Drunken Sailor/Railroad Bill/Doney Gal/I Am A Rake

654 - All the Best Children's Stories - Percy Baldwin & the Players [19??] Six stories by Hans Christian Anderson and nine stories by Christopher Robin.

655 - Latin Favorites in Percussion - Amadeus & His Percussionists [19??]

656 - Tchaikovsky: 5th Symphony - Albert Cohen & London Symphonia [19??]

657 - Waltzes for Dancing - James Murray [19??]

658 - Hawaiian Holiday - Lani Scott & Orchestra [19??] Hawaiian Holiday/Sleepy Sea/Hawaiian War Chant/Luana/Aloha Sweetheart/Hawaiian Starlight/Moari's Farewell/(others)

659 - Most Famous Opera Gems - Peter Mattos & Olympia Opera House Orchestra [19??]

660

661 - Polka-Go-Round - Tommy Clayton & His Polkateers [19??] Helena Polka/Clarinet Polka/Annen Polka/Farmers Polka/The Happy Coppersmith//Summel Petrus Polka/The Joyous Brothers/The Village Musicans/Why Worry Polka/Martha Polka

662

663

664 - Piano Percussion in Rhythm - Arthur Cohen with Rhythm Group [19??] Can Can/Humoresque/Song Of India/Barcarole/Hungarian Rhapsody//La Paloma/Opera Fantasy/La Violetta/Toselli's Serenade/Luxemburg Waltz-Skaters' Waltz Medley

665 - Stereo Sound Spectacular - Various Sound Effects [19??] Trains/Jets/Ships//Drums/Sea Sounds

666 - Ken Griffin Salute - Patrick Wilde, Organist [19??] Skater's Waltz/Red River Valley/My Darling Clementine/Swanee River/Jeanine/Pop Melody/Mattinata/Reverie/Hawaiian Song/And The Band Played On

667 - Sing-A-Long Around the Campfire - Sweet Singers [19??]

668 - Dixieland Jamboree - Dixieland Kings [19??] The Big Parade/Rockin' Chair/Dream Boat/Squeeze Me/Farewell Blues//Down Home Rag/Lovin' Arms/Lullaby Of The Leaves/Trippin' Along/Easy Livin'

669 - Famous Movie Themes - Paul Payne & His Orchestra [196?] Reissue of Rondo- lette 874 and the same as Evon 339, credited on Rondo-lette as the "Russ Case Orchestra." Theme From The Apartment/Ballad Of The Alamo/A Tale Of Two Cities/Hungarian Freedom Fighters//Stradivarius Theme/Gypsy Theme/Life Of Stephen Foster/Stephen Foster Theme

670 - Strike Up the Band March Time - Harry Smith & Grenadiers Band [19??]

671 - Show Time! - Kirby Stone Four [196?] Reissue of Tops- Mayfair/GoldenTone/Rondo 9582; in fact, that matrix number can be found in the dead wax area. Alexander's Ragtime Band/They All Laughed/Ballin' The Jack/I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now//How Deep Is The Ocean/I Told You I Loved You/Happy Little Island/Clyde

672 - Hawaiian Favorites [196?] Hawaiian War Chant/Song Of The Islands/Naka Pueo/Lovely Hula Hands/My Little Grass Shack/(others)

673 - Eddie Duchin Favorites - Milton Stanley [196?] Reissue of Tops L 1540, although on that label the artist was credited as the Al Lerner Orchestra. Manhattan/Nocturne In E Flat/Starlight Concerto/Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You/Shine/Night Dreams//My Heart Belongs To Daddy/It Must Be True/I Can't Give You Anything But Love/Besame Mucho/Love Walked In/Whispering

674 - The Ink Spots - Ink Spots [196?] (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons/Up A Lazy River/Do I Worry/Old Man River/(others)

675 - Cha Cha Cha [196?] Donde Estabas Tu/Noche De Ronda/Oyelo/Taboo/(others)

676 - Sing Along with the Busy Beavers - Busy Beavers [196?] Old MacDonald's Farm/Polly Wolly Doodle/On Top Of Old Smokey/Pop Goes The Weasel/(others)

677 - Dance the Twister - Bunny Chess & Twisters [1962?] Red Devil Twist/Hey Little Girl/The Spinner/My Baby Couldn't Dance/The Twister/Two To Twist//I Need Your Love/Diggin' The Twist/Oh This Is Love/Like, The Twist/I Just Couldn't Take It/Ankle Twist

692 - Christmas Carols in Percussion - Patricia Wilde, Organ and Chimes [19??] Reissue of Acorn 628. Adeste Fidelis/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/O Little Town Of Bethlehem/The First Noel/Angels We Have Heard On High/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/What Child Is This/Good King Wenceslaus/Rejoice Rejoice Believers/Christians Awake//White Christmas/Joy To The World/O Come, O Come Emmanuel/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Silent Night, Holy Night/Good Christian Men Rejoice/We Three Kings/Lo: How A Rose E'er Blooming/Away In The Manger/Jingle Bells

693 - Favorite Christmas Songs - Choir of London with Patricia Wilde, Organ [19??]





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