Answer (Robyn) – Evan Williams, 5.5 MB mp3 file.
Just a single sided record today. This one is a remarkable tenor singing a melancholy and slightly operatic love tune from 1919. I wish the noise reduction was a bit less obvious on this one.
Navajo – Harry MacDonough. 4.5 MB mp3 file.
Ok, a bit of history on this one: back before I was born, my dad did some tinkering and fixed up an old Victrola that had been in the family for years. This was the record that he tested it with. It’s a goofy little novelty tune from 1904. There’s a bit of static, and the digital noise reduction is a bit obvious, but the record is a hundred and five years old so you gotta give that some respect…
Normandy – Edwin J. McEnelly’s Orchestra, 6.2 MB mp3 file.
What a Blue Eyed Baby You Are – Edwin J. McEnelly’s Orchestra, 5.4 MB mp3 file.
Prior to a big battle that happened some 65 years ago today, Normandy was best known as a seaside resort in the north of France. This recording predates “Operation Neptune” by about 19 years, and it’s a little bit of extra irony that the “B” side of the record is about a girl with extremely blue eyes…
Ida – I Do – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 6.2 MB mp3 file.
Charlestonette – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 5.7 MP mp3 file.
More music from 1925. It’s kind of sad, but I’m really hooked on anything I can find by this band. This is a problem since it’s unlikely that there’ll be any new releases. Also, the majority of their recordings date from over fifty years before I was born.
Don’t Go Out With Him Tonight – Billy Williams. 5.6 MB mp3 file.
Molly McIntyre – Billy Williams. 6 MB mp3 file.
A couple of novelty songs from Billy Williams, recorded in 1916. This guy has a habit of wandering off into a sort of spoken-word fugue in the middle of an otherwise ordinary song. It’s probably intentional, but he still sounds half-drunk when he does it.
You’ll Find Old Dixieland In France – Van and Schenck, 4.1 MB mp3 file.
When Tony Goes Over The Top – Van and Schenck, 4 MB mp3 File.
Ok, these files are the first to get the Warning! Potentially Racist Lyrics label. The first one, “You’ll Find Old Dixieland In France” is nothing special – a tune about how many people from the South are serving in the Army in WW I. The second one though… Wow… It’s about an Italian-American barber serving in the trenches. He’s obviously the hero of the song, but the nicknames they use for the guy are incredibly cringe-inducing.
Funny – Jack Shilkret’s Orchestra, 6.5 MB mp3 file.
Croon a Little Lullaby – International Novelty Orchestra, 6.1 MB mp3 file.
Continuing with the hits of 1925. This is where the potential controversy starts up. The first track, “Funny” is nothing terribly unusual – the high frequency sounds are kind of muddied by the digital noise reduction, which is kind of a pity. Still, it’s better than ear-splitting swathes of scratching noise. The second one, “Croon a Little Lullaby” is full of the whole post-Civil-War reminiscing about a South that didn’t actually exist. It’s not quite bad enough to warrant a Warning! Potentially Racist Lyrics notice. It’s just kind of tacky.
The Farmer Took Another Load Away! Hey! Hey! – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 5.1 MB mp3 file.
Manhattan Medley – Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 5.3 MB mp3 file.
Two from the same band, which is kind of unusual for Victor recordings. The first is a goofy novelty tune that’ll get wedged in your head, the second is a laid-back dance number. Both are from 1925.
Fooling – Meyer Davis’ Le Paradis Band, 6 MB mp3 file.
Are You Sorry – Don Bestor and his Orchestra, 5.5 MB mp3 file.
A couple danceworthy tunes from 1925. When these were in vogue, F. Scott Fitzgerald had just published The Great Gatsby, and the Chrysler corporation had just been founded.
My Old Kentucky Home – Ed. M. Favor, 5.1 MB mp3 file.
Another pre-1900 recording. This one has a stamp on the hub indicating that it was from March 9, 1899.