Original ROARING 1920's Music

[LittleNipper]

I really love the music of the 1920's. It tended to be happy and upbeat for the most part! Midway through this decade electric recording is the latest breakthrough. It would be the use of microphones that would allow for a much wider spectrum of sound. And this can be appreciated as one compares recordings before 1925 with those that came later. This first recording is from 1927 and is THE VARSITY DRAG. It is a "Hot number!" in the vernacular of that day. Realize that movies with sound were "new". There had been movie shorts with sound, however: acoustic recording was not an easy process. It always meant special placement of the various instruments. Some instruments recorded quite poorly. Example: Special violins were designed so the that they would sound "fuller" acoustically. Electrically recorded sound was a lot easier though not simple (watch SINGING IN THE RAIN to get the jest of the matter -- which is an excellent representation). As long as the artists remained stationary, electrical recording was a profound change in recorded sound... Oddly, the early electrical records were still played on acoustical equipment. And while the "new" sound was dramatic on the older talking machines, the ORTHROPHONIC "VICTROLAS" were designed with longer and wider horns with thinner shaped and sealed aluminium diaphragms and were wonderfully matched to the new records. ANYWAY, here is THE VARSITY DRAG -----

 

[Man of Ethics]

ROARING 2020s -- one century later.

 

[LittleNipper]

Compare the above recording to this "Hot Number" DOO WACKA DOO by Paul Whiteman and his Orch. from 1924>

 

[fncceo]

Ruth Etting, Edith Day, Fannie Bryce, Jelly Roll Morton ... some of the best music ever made.

 

[Man of Ethics]

Distracted boyfriend:

 

[Man of Ethics]

Very immodest by the time's standards:

 

[fncceo]

Very immodest by the time's standards:

The 'Jazz Age' hadn't turned into prudes yet...

 

[occupied]

More like snoring twenties. Amirite? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[LittleNipper]

1925 MELANCHOLY LOU

 

[LittleNipper]

Here is Paul Whitman's recording of CHARLESTON. This is played on a VICTOR 1925 Orthophonic CREDENZA.

 

[LittleNipper]

1924 THE ONLY, ONLY ONE

 

[LittleNipper]

YES! WE HAVE NO BANANAS! 1923

Here is the same song recorded on an 1923 Edison Diamond Disc and played on a very rare 1927 Edison machine which was supposed to compete with the Orthrophonic Victrola but died after only a year and a half of production. Only about 1500 of this model Edison were sold. The heavy Diamond Discs were also quickly dying.

The popularity of this novelty song should not be underestimated ----- so, here's another version --- an electric from roughly 1926

 

[LittleNipper]

The big hit for Paul Whiteman with his Ambassador Orchestra beginning in 1920 was WHISPERING. It would become his standard piece. Here on VICTOR Record is WHISPERING (featuring a slide whistle):

 

[LittleNipper]

AL JOLSON would be very popular throughout the decade. Here he sings his 1922 hit TOOT, TOOT, TOOTSIE! (Goo'bye)

This song would appear in the JAZZ SINGER in 1927 ------ here's a excerpt

 

[LittleNipper]

1920 THE JAPANESE SANDMAN:

1920 Sung by NORA BAYES:

 

[LittleNipper]

This one is a bit of an oddity. It was written in 1919 and this recording was recorded in November of 1919. It was released in December of 1919 and began to sell very well. In January of 1920 the record hit number one and held that spot for 13 weeks. The name is DARDANELLA:

In November of 1920 Billy Murray and Gladys Rice recorded this vocal version:

This became the number one seller for 1920 and is estimated to have sold a combined label quantity of 5 million records.

 

[Ringo]

 

[LittleNipper]

Fanny Brice sings MY MAN from 1921:

 

[LittleNipper]

BLUE YODEL NO. 1 recorded 1928 by VICTOR:

 

[Ringo]