Curious record side labeling

I can recall a few nightmare scenarios with a record changer. A friend had one and we were listening to some records. When we heard the same album being replayed, it was time to panic. That meant that the next record in series had not fallen completely (i.e., it was hung up) so the arm returned to playing the same record it had just played. The next record could be just barely hanging on, waiting to drop and sandwich the tonearm.

I remember my parents had a record changer in their console that had a device with a claw like clamp that would flip the record over (78 rpm). If memory serves me right it was a Stanton. Now that was progress , early 1950's.

No doubt vinyl today is valued for its sound quality and most things revolve around that. Well, maybe album art and some enjoy physically interacting more with their recordings than digital usually permits.

But from the 50-70's, when vinyl and apparently also changers were king, it was more about musical selection and convenience. That's what most people played records for. Audiophile type users were a very small minority.

Neat how times change.....

When the LP came out, it was a quantum leap in so many ways over the 78--way better sound, it held far more music, and was far more durable as well. It never occurred to most people that the LP was capable of far better sound than they were hearing, and many wouldn't have given up the convenience anyway. The audiophiles who went for better sound with more expensive cartridges, careful handling, and single-play manual turntables were definitely on the fringe.

Until the '80s changers still outnumbered single-play 'tables.

I have a couple copies of the Capitol Beatles 2-LP compilation titled "Love Songs." One is pressed and numbered for a changer (1&4, 2&3) and the other is for single play (1&2, 3&4).