There has been some extensive comment regarding 'Tea for Two' and
a roll available in Oz.  This roll is available from a web site in
Adelaide, South Australia.

Historically, there were two roll producing companies in Australia.
G.H. Horton started the Mastertouch company in Sydney, New South Wales,
around 1916.  A child prodigy, Len Luscombe started the Broadway
company at a later date and was based in Melbourne.  Most Broadway
titles were recorded by Len Luscombe.  When Len Luscombe passed away
in the 1950's, the whole of the Broadway business was purchased by
Mastertouch.

Many of the Mastertouch titles with the same title as the Broadway
recording, were replaced with the Broadway recording.  Those Broadway
numbers were used as the new Mastertouch roll number.  The 'Sxxxx'
Broadway number became 'ADxxxx' Mastertouch number.

Many Mastertouch rolls were produced using QRS masters.  Many Mastertouch
rolls have Max Kortlander and J. Lawrence Cook as the artist.  There
are probably many other QRS artists listed as Mastertouch artists.  My
collection of rolls amounts to only about 700.

Specifically with regard to the title 'Tea for Two', my information
lists;

QRS (This information from QRS catalog 1003 of 1987):
  QRS Q-175 Tea for Two (see also No No Nannette, QRS XP-1003B)
  QRS CEL-117A Tea for Two (played by Liberace)
  QRS 9702 Tea for Two Cha Cha

Mastertouch:
  Roll No. G2407 Tea for Two(M) (M for medley)
  Roll No. G6435 Tea for Two(M) (M for medley)
  Roll No. S 954 Tea for Two Cha-Cha

Mastertouch legend:
  An 'S' roll was a small roll;
  A 'G' roll was a large spool 'Golden Jubilee' selection;
  The 'G' rolls were 'compilations', generally;
  Broadway song rolls with a single title had a 'xxxx' number.

'Tea for Two' is an old song and 'Tea for Two Cha Cha' is a relatively
modern (1960) arrangement.  Broadway roll 1274 is 'Tea for Two' and
I have that roll.  So what does all this mean?

QRS never had a financial interest in Mastertouch.  Some observations
and comments from our USA friends based on web searches suggest there
was a relationship.  The business relationship was that Mastertouch had
a license to produce pianola rolls with QRS recording artists from QRS
masters.

Many Mastertouch rolls were produced from Broadway masters.  Len
Luscombe had a particular style which is fairly easily identified.
The 'Tea for Two' recording could have been produced from a Broadway
master which was reverse licensed to QRS.

I have a copy of Broadway 'Tea for Two', and would be interested to
record this on a iTunes music file format and compare it with the QRS
number 2894.

Paul Rumpf

 [ More MMD articles about Mastertouch are indexed at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/M/mastertouch.html 
 [ -- Robbie