This evening, I have been listening to quite a lot of Leeds records. In doing this, I have found some with familiar tempo changes and styles within their band and regular piano accompaniment. It sounds an awful lot like someone I have heard before...
Freddy Hylands!
That got me wondering, as I heard one Leeds record, then I started going through all the ones I can hear on the websites with all of these great old records. A few of them were Arthur Collins and Billy Murray records, so that got me all over the different record companies with piano accompaniment.
Other than the Leeds records, I came across this fascinating Victor from 1903:
https://ia600303.us.archive.org/35/items/BillyMurray_part5/BillyMurray-UpInaCocoanutTree_3.mp3
The thing that got me on this one is the accompaniment's style and feel, hmm...
Sounds pretty much identical to this Columbia record here by J. W. Myers:
https://ia601507.us.archive.org/27/items/JWMyers/JWMyers-UpinaCocoanutTree.mp3
Identical accompaniments, a little suspicious. Now this is what I mean about Hylands and Banta alternating the piano chair at Victor. The accompaniments on these two records have the same feel and Ragged touch. The Ragged touch of Fred Hylands that is. Banta was in the Metropolitan orchestra at Victor always when they recorded, but Hylands came in sometimes when Banta was out for the day, but then sometimes Hylands had some Columbia duties to attend to as well, so he would skip out on the Victor boys sometimes for C. H. H. Booth to then take over for the rest of the day. Yes, they would change pianists in the middle of the recording days sometimes.
So, now onto the Leeds records I was talking about. These first few are by Arthur Collins all from 1903 coincidentally. Now these aren't solely piano accompanied records, but the piano is INTENSELY loud! So in that, it's easy to hear.
So here you go with the first one:
https://ia902300.us.archive.org/31/items/ArthurCollins_part2/ArthurCollins-TheGooGooManCoonSong.mp3
It's pretty short, but listen to that perfect tempo for the interlude at the first 18 seconds! It's the perfect tempo for a Rag of its time! So jumpy and strong!
That's Hylands alright.
This next one is also Collins with the "Leeds orchestra" fro 1903:
https://ia700407.us.archive.org/17/items/ArthurCollins_part1/ArthurCollins-RobinsonCrusoesIsle.mp3
This is a fascinating record. The tango tempo, the piano, and the terrible quality of the record, which was a problem with Leeds records. Leeds records were original masters, but they were pretty terrible sounding ones.
I'm convinced that Hylands worked for the shady company of Leeds and Catlin.
Especially after hearing this one here(also by Collins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYitsz8glA
This one is as good Leeds records get!
These next few are by Vess Ossman:
And they are still Leeds records, but released on the "Nassau" label in that time when Leeds was getting into some nasty legal disputes.
here you go with what I'm sure is Fred Hylands behind Vess Ossman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds15qumwnrs
Too many things in the accompaniment sound like Hylands for it to be anyone else.
Now for this one recorded around the same time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLBzkiFXFhU
What a great title! "The Sousa Swing", that's just one of the best titles ever!
These were recorded in 1905 or 1906, but that doesn't mean that Ossman didn't still drag in old Fred Hylands, as Banta had been dead for a few years by then.
Now this last one REALLY gets me to lean more toward Hylands on the piano, by how laid-back and steady the tempo is and almost being a little behind the banjo, it's perfect! Even if Hylands would be the tender age of 34 when he recorded this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATYW-fMXmU
Well, Leeds has always been a mysterious company, but their piano accompaniment was always wonderful, even if the records themselves sounded terrible. The beautiful and valuable gold foil label can be misleading.
That got me wondering, as I heard one Leeds record, then I started going through all the ones I can hear on the websites with all of these great old records. A few of them were Arthur Collins and Billy Murray records, so that got me all over the different record companies with piano accompaniment.
Other than the Leeds records, I came across this fascinating Victor from 1903:
https://ia600303.us.archive.org/35/items/BillyMurray_part5/BillyMurray-UpInaCocoanutTree_3.mp3
The thing that got me on this one is the accompaniment's style and feel, hmm...
Sounds pretty much identical to this Columbia record here by J. W. Myers:
https://ia601507.us.archive.org/27/items/JWMyers/JWMyers-UpinaCocoanutTree.mp3
Identical accompaniments, a little suspicious. Now this is what I mean about Hylands and Banta alternating the piano chair at Victor. The accompaniments on these two records have the same feel and Ragged touch. The Ragged touch of Fred Hylands that is. Banta was in the Metropolitan orchestra at Victor always when they recorded, but Hylands came in sometimes when Banta was out for the day, but then sometimes Hylands had some Columbia duties to attend to as well, so he would skip out on the Victor boys sometimes for C. H. H. Booth to then take over for the rest of the day. Yes, they would change pianists in the middle of the recording days sometimes.
So, now onto the Leeds records I was talking about. These first few are by Arthur Collins all from 1903 coincidentally. Now these aren't solely piano accompanied records, but the piano is INTENSELY loud! So in that, it's easy to hear.
So here you go with the first one:
https://ia902300.us.archive.org/31/items/ArthurCollins_part2/ArthurCollins-TheGooGooManCoonSong.mp3
It's pretty short, but listen to that perfect tempo for the interlude at the first 18 seconds! It's the perfect tempo for a Rag of its time! So jumpy and strong!
That's Hylands alright.
This next one is also Collins with the "Leeds orchestra" fro 1903:
https://ia700407.us.archive.org/17/items/ArthurCollins_part1/ArthurCollins-RobinsonCrusoesIsle.mp3
This is a fascinating record. The tango tempo, the piano, and the terrible quality of the record, which was a problem with Leeds records. Leeds records were original masters, but they were pretty terrible sounding ones.
I'm convinced that Hylands worked for the shady company of Leeds and Catlin.
Especially after hearing this one here(also by Collins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYitsz8glA
This one is as good Leeds records get!
These next few are by Vess Ossman:
here you go with what I'm sure is Fred Hylands behind Vess Ossman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds15qumwnrs
Too many things in the accompaniment sound like Hylands for it to be anyone else.
Now for this one recorded around the same time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLBzkiFXFhU
What a great title! "The Sousa Swing", that's just one of the best titles ever!
These were recorded in 1905 or 1906, but that doesn't mean that Ossman didn't still drag in old Fred Hylands, as Banta had been dead for a few years by then.
Now this last one REALLY gets me to lean more toward Hylands on the piano, by how laid-back and steady the tempo is and almost being a little behind the banjo, it's perfect! Even if Hylands would be the tender age of 34 when he recorded this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATYW-fMXmU
Well, Leeds has always been a mysterious company, but their piano accompaniment was always wonderful, even if the records themselves sounded terrible. The beautiful and valuable gold foil label can be misleading.
I hope you enjoyed this!
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