Souvenir record issued to commemorate the centenary of 1812 Patriotic (Anti-Napoleonic) war. The recording is made in three parallel grooves - one cannot guess which one will play when the tonearm is placed on record. That is the "Puzzle" announced on record in capital letters. In audio file they are recorded in sequence.
The title "God Save the Tsar" (anthem of Russia in 1833-1917) and numbering had been erased in Soviet times, restored later. The melody "Glory to the Lord" was the official anthem of Russia from late 18th c. till 1833.
I am curious whether this wonderful idea was used in later time?
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The idea is very curious indeed! Though, the “riddle” risks that one will quickly get bored with
As one of analogies I can only remember the Leningrad’s records “Duplex” that contained two parallel grooves on each side. However, there was not any riddle: the grooves were marked on the disc edge.
May be fellow record collectors could remember some other examples?
(Translated from Russian)
May be fellow record collectors could remember some other examples?
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I have one example that can be better called “the wasted chance”
In the middle of 80th I bought a gift for kids – a doll (probably made in Eastern Germany) that had embedded miniature record player for tiny records (about 5 cm (2”) in diameter). Only one record was included that featured laughter on one side and weeping on another side. In order to change the doll “mood” one had to open a small door in the doll’s back, extract the player and turn the record on other side. But if they made parallel grooves, the doll could laugh or weep on its own! If they made 10 parallel grooves and record a world or a phrase on each one, it could randomly pronounce them showing the “Artificial Intelligence”
In the middle of 80th I bought a gift for kids – a doll (probably made in Eastern Germany) that had embedded miniature record player for tiny records (about 5 cm (2”) in diameter). Only one record was included that featured laughter on one side and weeping on another side. In order to change the doll “mood” one had to open a small door in the doll’s back, extract the player and turn the record on other side.
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What a cool toy! Such device by itself is a rare monument to creativity ) Most likely they did not have such technology in GDR or failed to recall in time the “well forgotten past”…
(translated from Russian)
These were called 'Puzzle Plates' originally, the word 'Plate' instead of 'Record' shows the age of the idea. I think the first one was a UK Berliner. Have a look at http://www.normanfield.com/labels1b.htm. I have a UK Zonophone like this with English, Welsh etc national tunes, from about 1911, for the Coronation of George V. I think the original issue had a special label but mine is a normal green label.
There was a horse-racing game record with six grooves which may have been as late as the 1950s.
