I had a rather productive evening talking with my dearest friend Craig this evening, and many ideas were exchanged between us, just like any conversation I have with him. It's always a pleasure when we connect. Now of the many things that were exchanged in this conversation, one was the mentioning of Fred Hylands. It would seem that I am starting to find a handful of collectors who are well aware of Hylands, but not exactly sure of any details about him, which does make sense, since he's been largely forgotten through the ages. If you got to a gathering of record collectors, it is likely that you won't ever heard the name Fred Hylands, as you will more likely hear Frank P. Banta or C. H. H. Booth, or if you're lucky maybe Fred Bachman. No Hylands, I would believe that fully. Unless there's a much older collector in the mix, who has been collecting for thirty plus years, then you're more likely to hear Hylands mentioned somewhere, but not really in any deeper context. The mystery as to why Hylands was never spoke of by Jim Walsh was slightly addressed in this conversation, but not the whole "drinking in the studio" thing, though that certainly needs to have been addressed, as that was most likely one of the contributors to Walsh refusing to mention Hylands anywhere(though it's clear he was well aware of Hylands, and probably aware of all his faults). As goes with any conversation about early studio pianists, we did mention Frank P. Banta, and later Burt Green. I had to explain the connection between Green and Hylands(or the rest of the people in the "Columbia Clan" if you will), which led to the Hylands, Spencer and Yeager jag. I got my Hylands Spencer and Yeager piece in a trade this evening, and how I'm happy to see it once again!
Here you go:
(close up of Ada Jones on the cover)
Close up of logo
(Hylands actually did the slogan part above all their names! I can tell, as the notes are really uneven and not uniform)
You can hear Harding sing this song here!
It's truly a wonder to have this piece back! I immediately framed it when I got back home, and it's at this moment sitting high up on one of the walls in my room, waiting to be taken to the first Santa Cruz Rag-Time festival next weekend! It's amazing to think that this piece was once at Hylands' home, and probably held in his or Burt Green's hands early in its life. Whatever it's history was, it was certainly in the possession of one of the prominent firm members at one point in 1899. Now what's even better about this sheet music is that Hylands' "You Don't Stop the World from Goin Round" is advertised on the back page, which is, actually, the first thing listed(go figure...), and more of their popular publications are listed as well. I would say that this piece was dated more exactly to about May or June of 1899, shortly after the firm was first established.
Now to get back to this conversation. We threw around many names that some record collectors would know, but not too many would. Craig brought up the very obscure recording artist W. E. Browning, and as it would turn out, Browning was more of a composer than a recording artist, as he only made a few 9-inch Zon-O-Phones, one of which he recently acquired. I have not yet heard this man, but Craig described him as more of an amateur singer, sort of stereotypical as far as composers from that era go(much like Hylands was!).
It was also mentioned that Billy Murray once spoke of Fred Bachman. The circumstances of this were said to have been Murray's first Victors. Now that was interesting to hear. I had assumed it was Banta or Booth, for the reason that Banta was working the most in later 1903(when Murray made his first Victors), or if not Banta, it could have been the supposed impossible, Fred Hylands. Now it turns out that it was neither of these pianists. Well, that's just what I heard, and it's very believable. I am listening to some of his early Victors just as I'm writing this, and it sounds more like a pianist I have not yet analyzed on this blog, so in that case, it would have to be Bachman. But it's a little harder to figure it out this time, as the piano playing is showy, broken up, with lots of notes, and not with the most steady of rhythm. It sounds a little like I'm describing Hylands, but it can't be, and it's a little shaky and restricted too me Hylands as well.
Here's his Victor of "Up in a Cocoanut Tree", recorded in September 1903
Now it's starting to make a little sense. But just for a good comparison, here's J. W. Myers' Columbia of that from around the same time. I hope that this illustrates the difference a little more. I think I know what they are now. Hylands was just looser, and at the same time quicker at hitting notes. It's very weird really, something that's hard to explain, but once you know it, it makes more sense. I have a feeling that Bachman might have been aware of Hylands very well, and had heard him as well, more so than Banta probably did. But then again, Banta and Bachman didn't get drunk or drugged between takes, so that factor makes their playing much more uniform and easier to distinguish. There are some records where Hylands sounds so drunk that he sounds almost like a different pianist(though when he sounded like this, his attributes still come though...kind of... ...well, you can tell he's trying to be himself...).
We also mentioned how the Banta's were much more well off than the Hylands' and I think I might have explained this before, but it's partially because Banta was better with his money, and he wasn't joining in all of these gambling games with publishing music and whatnot. That's truly a great comparison to make when thinking of the early recording business. Banta to Hylands is a very interesting comparison to make, everything about them were polar opposites in many ways. Their personalities were opposites, Banta being quiet and modest, Hylands being loud-mouthed and arrogant. Banta being very responsible and stalwart, Hylands being insolent and hard to trust. Banta being deep-thinking and steadfast with decisions, Hylands being erratic and spontaneous with decisions. It's really fun to compare them!
Anyhow, it seems that the word is getting around that Hylands was such an important missing link in knowing about the early recording business. That's really good to know! Get to identifying Hylands out there record nerds!
I hope you enjoyed this!
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