Nostalgia

I know there must be at least a few of you readers that think I live my life in the past,let me assure you that isn't the case. Many times I quite innocently see or think about things from the past with a new eye,and often this fresh look leaves me with questions. One of the questions is why did 45 RPM records have larger holes than 33 1/3 RPM? (Yes, for those of you wondering I still have both a turntable and some old 45s and several 33s,though they are seldom used). The answer is relatively simple,the larger holes made them easier to use on the jukebox spindles,kind of like having a larger hole in a sewing needle. Here is a bit of bonus trivia for you,outside the US 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs,but they could be punched out if desired. It is also said that it was a competitive issue between RCA and Columbia,they didn't want to share the same formats. Now for the extra points!! Does anyone remember what the inserts that went into the 45s were called? Check back tomorrow for the answer!