Some Irish performers for March 17th

Well, since it's St. Patrick's day, I thought it would be fit to do a post on many of the Irish singers and performers in the earliest days of the recording business. Many of these performers were either half Irish of were full-blooded as such. One of these half Irish performers is:

Vess Ossman. 

Yes, I know, his name is fully Dutch-Germanic, but the Irish comes from his mother. He did not often acknowledge his Irish ancestry, but many knew it was there, and often made jokes about how his terrible temper came from his side of him. As a stereotype of the Irish, his temper fit this very well, firey and quick. Much like the rumors of his accompanist Banta being Jewish, the Irish temper of Ossman's spread like wildfire, and since he practically worked with everyone, it was hard to be avoided. Ossman did not really record too many Irish songs, again referring back to how he did not well recognise the Irish in him. Even with his reluctance to acknowledge it, he did look like a true mix of the two nationalities that created him-- German and Irish. 

Now to begin with some records, not really getting to the Irish ones just yet.

Here are a few good and fun Ossman records: 

recorded in 1903 with Fred Hylands.

recorded in c. march 1897 with Frank Banta(?)

recorded in 1898 with Fred Hylands(played a little too slow though...)

The tune just above "The Tyro Mazurka", also has the alternative title called "The Climbing Rose Mazurka". 

With Hylands in late 1899(probably December of that year)

Ossman and Hylands' "Whistling Rufus" is among one of the best recordings of Banjo Rag-Time from before 1900(just barely before 1900...) in my opinion, as you not only get a classic in Rag-Time as the piece, but both performers are Rag-Time eccentrics. It is played extremely well also, Ossman is perfect, and even Hylands is flawless!(which as we all know is very unusual!). 

Now to begin with the most famous of the Irish singers on early records:

Dan W. Quinn. 

Yes indeed, he was the most Irish of the early singers, that wasn't an Irish tenor. More like an Irish baritone! Quinn was Irish on both sides of his family, and what's so great about him is that when he sang, he genuinely sounded Irish, no dialect needed. It wasn't thick and hard to understand like George Gaskin, but it was slight to the point of where sometimes it couldn't be noticed. The only way to really catch his Irish dialect is to be listening just enough to how he pronounced certain words when he sang. He was pretty much the more authentic version of Edward M. Favor. By this it is meant that Quinn was actually Irish, and did many Irish songs very well, but Favor was not actually not Irish at all. That was a very strange thing to me when

I first learned of that, as I knew of Favor as the one who popularized "Who threw the Overalls in Missus Murphy's Chowder", and many more Irish songs, but he was actually of French descent. Quinn's Irish songs were much more authentic, in more ways than just the Irish part of it. 

To begin with the records by Quinn, I won't start with the Irish songs outright, just to save that for a little later. The first one I have here is one that is dear to my heart in many ways, because it was the first 1890's tune that I learned after hearing the cylinder. "Put me Off at Buffalo" by Quinn with Hylands, 1898.

When I first heard this cylinder three years ago, I was captivated by the piano accompaniment behind Quinn. The song was hilarious, and I enjoyed the lyrics very much, but the piano was really the thing that caught the attention of my ears first. At that time, that was when I was really wanting to know who that pianist was. Didn't know at the time, and didn't think I ever would. Well, I know that it's Fred Hylands now, and that he was probably tipsy by the time that this take rolled around. Yes indeed, and you can clearly hear many of his mistakes, and this time, they're not really very well obscured(like that one at 1:54. Ooh! That's a painful one!). Furthermore, Quinn's Irish dialect can be heard easily on this one. 

This next one is not exactly an Irish song, but as Quinn did, he pretty much made anything he sang that way, just by how he was. Now this one was actually one that Quinn was, and still is apparently, known for singing. Here's "Glorious Beer" by Hylands and Quinn, recorded in 1899. Yep, this was recorded right smack in the middle of Hylands running that publishing firm. Hylands just goes absolutely wild on this one. I don't really know how to put it into words, but he's playing as many notes as he possibly can in a single few bars. I think. Well, he attempts to at least. The ironic thing about Quinn singing this is that he was a prominent supporter of the temperance movement. Wow. That's very weird. Also it's comical to take into consideration that the pianist behind him is probably drunk, or drugged of some kind(his playing is awfully fast and anxious...). This fact adds to the paradox that surrounds the circumstances of this cylinder. Hylands probably enjoyed recording this song. 

Now onto Quinn's Irish songs. Now we known that he made many of them, including the one that Edward Favor was known for(that I said before in this post), and many others of that kind. The first one I would like to showcase is Quinn's "Nothing's Too Good for the Irish" with Fred Hylands on piano, recorded in 1898. This was probably recorded within the same week or few weeks of "Put Me Off at Buffalo". Why? Well, listen to how similar the piano sounds on this one compared to his cylinder of "Put Me Off at Buffalo", though the piano is quite a bit more out of tune on this one. It's almost painfully out of tune on this one. I really love Hylands' accompaniment on this one, even if the piano is VERY out of tune here. The "Irish jig" solo at the end is particularly funny and really playful. It just goes to show that Hylands was a true Vaudeville pianist, and could play all of the corny vaudeville riffs we think of for that era. 

Another song that Quinn was famous for was recording "And the Band Played On", which is, as I have heard, still a popular song that is representing of the spirit of the 1890's. You can hear his version of this with the piano accompaniment by Fred Gaisberg, recorded in November 1895. This is a classic, hands down. Both in terms of Irish songs and just recordings in general, it's as such.

This last Irish song by Quinn is actually one of the earliest examples of his recordings that I know of. It's called "Oh Missus O'Flaherty, What Did You Mean Be That?" recorded in 1893, with Fred Gaisberg once more. What an obscure one! It's very rare, and strange in the range of Quinn's repertoire. Quinn was known for songs exactly  like this one, Irish comic songs, as being Irish, he made any song full of Irish wit, regardless of the circumstances. 

The next two Irish singers I would like to showcase are jointly going to be showcased, George J. Gaskin and Arthur Collins.

Gaskin(c. 1894)

Collins(c.1904-05)

To begin with Gaskin, he was actually claimed to be the most popular 1890's recording artist. That fact has been debunked since the 1930's, as it's certain that there's really no way to know who made the most records in that time, Gaskin, or Len Spencer(though I am convinced that Spencer made more records and was more committed to making records...) Gaskin was a singer who worked as a carpenter before Edison's men discovered him, and since old man Edison had a nitch for Irish tenors, Gaskin was golden to him. This was back in 1891, and for some reason, his voice was perfect for the phonograph. He was immediately considered one of the best recording artists in the business, and by 1895, he was making Berliners and Columbia cylinders like mad, as the record buyers often came to exhibitions solely to buy Gaskin's records. Now, to begin with some of his Irish songs, which he did many of(not surprisingly...). 

Here is his version of "My Wild Irish Rose" with Fred Hylands, recorded in 1898. Again, Hylands is probably tipsy when they recorded this, as there's this one thing that he plays in the solo at the beginning. Hm. What? It's very strange, and it doesn't really make any sense, much like how he played behind Quinn on "Glorious Beer". All that needs to be said it that there are too many notes. Anyhow, Gaskin is fantastic on this one, not too showy, and not too modest. Just the right amount of Irish dialect. 

This next one is also a famous one that Gaskin recorded, as well as about a handful of other recording stars at the same time. Here is a take of "Bedelia". Now that you've heard that one, here is a different take of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2q3c12oHrU

Both of these have Hylands on piano, doing completely different things on both of them. They are both fantastic records nonetheless, the best takes of the song in my opinion. 

This next one is a rarer one by Gaskin, but it's an Irish song for sure. Here you go: https://ia601409.us.archive.org/12/items/GeorgeJGaskin/GeorgeJGaskin-TheBestintheHouseisNoneTooGoodForReilly.mp3 This is a very odd one, but it's also a very interesting configuration of people. Why? Well, if your ears are good enough, you probably might recognise one of the other voices in this cylinder. Yes indeed, it's Russell Hunting! The two voices cheering on this cylinder are Russell Hunting and Fred Hylands. Hunting was also another Irish performer(not really being Irish though...) as we all know that he was known as "The Original Michael Casey", which was a character that a whole generation of people grew up with. Much like how Spongebob Squarepants is an icon of the younger generation now, the "Michael Casey" character was like this as well. 

Before I get to Collins, I should probably have a Hunting "Casey" sketch listed here, as those are all iconic in Irish humor. Just for giggles and genuine satirical comedy, here's Hunting's famous "Casey At the Telephone" recorded around February of 1896(this was recorded before he went to jail). This is funny every time I hear it. It's truly the genius of Hunting at work, though it might seem like simple vaudeville, it's actually amazing in many respects, as it's before he was sent to prison, and he uses many kinds of balancing techniques just for his voice. Since this was recorded before he was sent to prison, his humor is very slightly crass, which makes it even more charming, and realistic. 

Anyhow, here are a few Irish Collins records. This first one is one that Steve Porter was more known for(who was also an Irish singer, but wasn't Irish). Here you go with Collins and Hylands' "Armful of Kittens and a Cat" recorded in 1901. Hylands is good on this one! So is Collins, with his not-the-best Irish dialect. Collins was half-Irish, but was very much raised in a Catholic household, as the 10 children and Irish mother can say all for itself. Collins recorded many Irish songs solo before teaming with Byron Harlan in 1902, including many with the accompaniment of Frank P. Banta, not just Hylands. 

Now, this next one is actually the most politically-incorrect of any of the Irish songs that I have had here on this post. For some reason, I have the sheet music for this tune, anyhow before I get to that story I have with that music, here's the cylinder:

"The Mick Who Threw the Brick" by Collins with Frank P. Banta, recorded in 1900. For some reason the piano sounds a little bit like a banjo at some points of this cylinder. 

Anyhow, I have a very strange story in sheet music collecting with this song. I got the music to "The Mansion of Aching Hearts" at a sheet music giveaway three years ago, and I long thought it was just that tune that I got. Until about a year after I got the music, I was looking through my album of music, and I saw it once more, so I slid it out of the sleeve, and found that there was another piece attached to it. Guess what it was... ... "The Mick Who Threw the Brick" from 1899. WHOA! That was very bizarre! The cover of the music was not there, but all the rest of it was, and I didn't know that I had it until then. 

Now to end this post, because this post could go on for a VERY long time, I would like to end the St. Patrick's Day festivities with the descriptive selection by Banta's Popular orchestra called "Scene at and Irish Ball" recorded in 1895. Now this cylinder explains quite a lot about Banta's doings in Chicago in the mid-1890's, as this was recorded for the Chicago Talking machine Company around the time that W. H. Krell was getting to the top, and when Fred Hylands was a prominent director at that time. Well, it's a fantastic cylinder nonetheless, with all sorts of fun antics, that probably include Banta speaking at some point(not sure where though...). 

For a fun extra, here's Spencer singing a very strange but funny Irish song in 1903:

http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000001434/Pre-matrix_B-2063-The_kid_from_the_Bowery

(not sure who the pianist is, though it's probably Hylands since it's Spencer singing...)

I hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day! 

  

Some history to The Phonoscope and etc.

Well, it has been an interesting few days on this blog, with some heated comments below, how it's been something. Now to let that all behind me and to move confidently onward, I would like to do a post about how to navigate and fully understand a magazine that I often make reference to on this blog, The Phonoscope. It's something that not everyone will fully understand once delving into its pages, so many pages need some explaining. 

Here's the first thing about it, it was a magazine written by and for people who knew the record business or were in it. It was a magazine targeted at recording artists, and independent exhibitioners(or even some record buyers). Russell Hunting:

He knew what his audience was when he decided to go through with starting this magazine in 1896. His friends in the record business probably were skeptical about the idea, but once the first two issues went out, it proved to be a great success. Not bad for a jailbird redeeming himself. 

The first handful of issues were all written mostly by Hunting, but after that, he was only the (somewhat lousy) editor. The first three issues were a real "pot luck" of interesting topics and writing styles. Hunting was mentioned far more than any of the other artists in the first few issues, for obvious reasons, and the sections that are in the first two issues are really a great way to look at the early recording business through Hunting's eyes. The column of Our Tattler was absolutely scattered and absurdly hilarious in the two 1896 issues, here's a section from the November 1896 issue:

these are all hilarious, you've got to admit. And that was the point! The Our Tattler section was oftentimes the comedic section of the magazine where short phonograph-related stories were and little studio mishaps could be read about often. This magazine is a greater resource of information about the inner workings of the early recording business more than anything else that's in a modern book, as it contains great descriptions of the studios, locations, scandal stories, reports on lawsuits and court battles, and everything else that can be thought of when referring to the early recording business. Sometimes the descriptions of recording studios then are better than any I can give on this blog, like this one here from the December 1896 issue:

Could not have been said any better Mr. Hunting. 

That should give you a pretty good picture. That sums up much of the studio recording process of that time, seemingly slow and incredibly social, even though thousands of records were made and sold every week. The General News section was then where all phonograph related news and studio doings went after the beginning of 1897. 1897 was also the year that all the recording stars began to actually start their own record companies, such as the Universal Phonograph Company, of which you can see those involved here:

Yep, most of those can be read easily(I hope!). You not only get to see the modern and stylish signature of Russ Hunting, but also the graceful and gorgeous one of Len Spencer's! Many more ads for this company lasted into the middle of 1897. One thing you can also find that is really helpful in this magazine, it the sequence in which certain things of importance happened, like when the Columbia announcements changed from "...of New York city" to the more well-known "..of New York and Paris", and that's an important event in Columbia's history. You can also find when Issler's orchestra morphed into the Columbia orchestra, which that can be officiated in the April 1897 issue here:

"picollo" ha! That's some nice editing Mr.  Hunting. 

The Phonoscope really helps the fact that no ledgers from 1890's Columbia exist, so some things can be pieced together. Things that were lost with the burned ledgers. You can find a great description of Columbia's new headquarters at 27th and Broadway in New York at the beginning of their July 1897 issue, which is where that illustration I used a few posts back about the Columbia clan came from. As many magazines go, there are some issues that are full of important sections and information, and there are some that are not really as informative. They didn't exactly state when Columbia hired Fred Hylands, but it was certainly later in 1897. 1898 was really when the business started to become heated, and I would even be willing to argue that 1898 was one of the most important years of the acoustic era in recording. It was the official death date of the  "round" era, and it was an extraordinary year of exchange, progress, and gossip. It was when the dynamics of the exhibitions became more uniform, depending on the company that was hosting them. Edison had their fancy and gilded ones with a few sly hustlers from their staff doing theirs, whereas at Columbia's

they were lavish gatherings with drinks and food offered, and hosted easily twice as many people as the Edison exhibitions. The only downside to the Columbia exhibitions is that they lasted until after midnight each night, unlike the Edison ones, that went until about 10 or 11. In fact, speaking of the 1898 issues, here are some of the best sections from 1898 issues of The Phonosope:

(absolutely love this one, as the drinking habit can finally be proven with Spencer!)

Yes indeed, all the 1898 issues have something interesting to offer, no matter of what it happens to be that they are describing. Once 1899 came upon them, that was when Fred Hylands was getting the most attention in the issues. He is mentioned a substantial amount of time in 1899 issues, much more than in the 1898 issues. That just goes to show you how important the whole publishing firm jag was to the Phonoscope writers, to record companies and other jealous publishers. Hylands was able to stick his tongue at the other publishers who wanted to have the studio artists exclusively tied to their music. Hylands had all the studio stars on strings, something that the other big publishers( like Leo Fiest, Joseph Stern, and George Spaulding) were drooling over with envy. The amount of attention Hylands Spencer and Yeager got in the 1899 issues is really amazing, as in some issues, there are two or three pieces in the General News column that speak of various doings with the firm. It really must have been a good way to spread the recording business to more than just the studio. It was a good idea, for a short time frame(I will do a post exclusively on the full history of Hylands Spencer and Yeager soon!). The magazine was becoming much more complicated and tangled up by the end of 1899, which the December 1899 issue is the latest one that you can look at online for some reason. The 1900 issues are just as fascinating as I have heard, as one of the sections I have read from it describes how the artists think they can sing any songs, even though they cannot really. For example, George Gaskin singing "coon songs" rather than his usual Irish songs. I have not read any others of the 1900 issues, but I would certainly like to! 

I anyone knows how to access the 1900 issues of The Phonoscope, pleas comment on this post! 

I hope you enjoyed this! 

Character Studies--Russell Hunting(1864-1943)

"I don't give a @$%* about Comstock! I'll give 'em what they want to hear!"
That was Russ Hunting's logic when it came to his smut cylinders.

Russ Hunting was one of the more daring and crass of the early recording stars of the first full decade of recording. He really tried to get his message out that the "smut" he was recording was what his friends wanted to hear, and what the majority of the public wanted to hear. It was awful and it's hard on the ears to bare the language that Hunting used on his "smut" cylinders. It's all the cuss words we know, and he used them as a joke, and to get his points across. He made his records even more terrifying with the tones of voice and drama that he had mastered so well as a Shakespearean actor. His humor was very clever, even if the premise of many of these smut cylinders seemed wrong, the humor is genuinely funny, and very sophisticated. Hunting was truly the most forward-thinking of any of the early recording stars. His "Casey" sketches are a good example of his sense of humor, but his half a dozen surviving smut cylinders are really where his sense of humor lies. 


Hunting found the antics of his conservative friends foolish. He was always going in that direction that he was going in, and it seemed always as though it was a tangent from the others around him. Hunting went out and did many of the things that he described in his crass cylinders, so many of the scenes he set in these cylinders were actually things that he experienced. All the tales of wild men he told on these now lost cylinders, were just descriptions of his friends in the studios, and in the management of the few studios he worked for. He would never name them, "Len", "George", "Steve", or "Freddy", but he knew exactly who he was speaking of, even if his friends with these names hadn't a clue. All the friends of his found the "smut" cylinder idea a great thing as a joke for a little while, but that sense of esoteric records didn't last, as Hunting knew some phonograph parlor owners who were willing to buy dozens of his records. He was actually getting very good profits from these records that were only intended for him and his friends. It was a great idea, and all the parlor owners wanted more of them, and he was willing to do them favors. Hunting became a sort of Satan to the law by 1895, with all the Christian law authorities searching for him everywhere. They went to many parlors and destroyed the boxes filled with the brown cylinders Hunting made all his smut recordings on. He knew the law was after him, and he found it amusing that they were. He laughed at their strong beliefs in ridding of his "Radical cylinders", and his friends did for a short time. He continued to make more of these records, and gain even more profits from this. This all ended in early 1896, when he began to go out on the streets of Manhattan all bundled up and hidden, and he saw what Anthony Comstock's men were doing to his records, and to the parlor and saloon owners. He began to see how much the Christian authorities hated his records. In March of 1896, one of Comstock's men slyly came in disguise to Hunting's staying place at the time posing as a record buyer with kind intentions, but not long after he saw Hunting actually make one of these smut cylinders, he handcuffed him and grabbed hold of him, smashing the brown wax cylinder once he got Hunting on the ground. Hunting was a lost cause in the courts, and he lost the case inevitably, even if he claimed he was giving what the public really wanted, what the record companies wouldn't sell themselves. He thought he was doing them a favor. He stayed in prison for three months, thinking up some new ideas of what he could do to improve his reputation after he was let out. He was let out at the end of the summer of 1896, and he returned first to Steve Porter to start a film company. Hunting's intent was to make films illustrating the scenes in his "Casey" sketches, which was a great idea to start with, but it never came through and seemed to work. The film idea didn't work, but Hunting and Porter still kept interest in the film business, so this dual interest came together as one when Hunting began The Phonoscope. After that began in November of 1896, it was an instant success, and it got more people interested in the recording business, and into the exhibitions. Since Hunting ran hundreds of Columbia exhibitions, he saw the dramatic changes in attendance of these exhibitions. He remained in the United States for a few more years, earning great success all over the world, seemingly more than before the whole bust of 1896. In later-1898, he set off for England to start another career at the Edison-Bell phonograph company. He remained there for almost 20 years, making Pathe the best record company in all of Europe, and building up the Edison lines out in England. He came back to the US in 1915 to establish the Pathe Company in New York. That was a monumental success, and Pathe records were a hit in many ways. They were not only an interesting innovation in recording style, but also in sound quality. Hunting had somehow found out how ti make reverb on his records, which in that time was considered an alien type of thing, since the studios were so small. Hunting's Pathe studio was small, but he did something that made it sound just like a concert hall. This is really where he showed his genius side, was when he worked at Pathe, as he was also the man who decided to record the "Hell Fighters Band" after their return from the French Trenches. Hunting must have loved the idea of "Jass" that was emerging, so he was up on every trend that came around, even if he was thinking a few steps ahead usually. His love for drama and humor stayed with him for the entirety of his life, as he could be seen in the 1920's and 30's still doing some of his old "Casey" sketches, and also performing some Shakespeare here and there. He was a very fun and amiable man, short, slim, dark-haired, and had some comical-looking pointy ears that were a crowning feature about him. He never dressed frivolously, and wasn't one to over-compensate for anything by what he wore or what he said. He was a very honest man, who was willing to state the actual truth about anyone to their face, whether it be good or bad. He would use all sorts of slang and dirty words and phrases, which made his informal speech always interesting to listen to. He truly left a legacy that mustn't be forgotten. 

I hope you enjoyed this! 

Russell Hunting with some advice and Liberal thinking

Russell Hunting, 1897(from my own art)

Among the genius things that Russell Hunting did for the recording business, he started up The Phonoscope in November of 1896, and when he started this up, he wrote some very funny and informative sections when he had a larger role in the magazine's actual content and publication. Hunting was a very liberal thinker, and always had the future and the latest of things on his mind. He was one of the few earliest recording artists who knew that the records he made would last for 100 years, and maybe even more. When I  am reminded that Hunting thought this, the only thing I can think about when I listen to the few surviving smut cylinders he made is that in the back of his mind, he knew someone would be listening to his voice uttering those nasty words generations after he made it. 
Since his voice had several different shades and sides to it, he could disguise his voice easily, even when he used pseudonyms. But of course, there were certain ways he said things that gave it away. It gave away that it was Mr. "Michael Casey" who was speaking. His smut cylinders were popular, but they all knew who it was speaking the words. His voice was too distinctive:
https://archive.org/details/TheOldManAndJimByRussellHunting1894
The people who didn't know of him just knew him as "The Original Casey", not Russell Hunting. 
The man was a genius, he knew that he would eventually get in legal trouble for his cylinders, but it lasted longer than he probably would have thought(which must have been a kick for him!). After all that legal trouble, he returned a hero after three months in prison. 
What Hunting did on records was what he really was as a person, not giving a rap whatsoever of what the big politicians and people who ran the country wanted. He made records for the people, the majority of people, in America, and all over the world(later he did). Hunting didn't really give too much advice in The Phonoscope, but his sections are really the best of the best when it comes to that magazine. He gave out lots of advice to exhibitors of various talking machines, and since he's in this picture:

We can very well assume that this exhibition went very well and was very successful. Whenever Hunting was at an exhibition, you knew it was going to be a good one. 
His advice looked a lot like these sections here:

The first one is exhibtor advice, the second one is general advice. Other than this, there were stories he recalled from his earliest days in the recording business, which funny lines in them, such as this one:

In this section, he was recalling when he was first starting out in the business and began experimenting with his own horns, which as the quote above suggests, were made of those things. 
He wasn't in the business for the frivolous things like sacred songs and old minstrel music(like Steve Porter and Len Spencer were!), he was in the business for creation, new ideas, realistic thinking, new music, and comedy. Even after a decade of traveling in Europe and beginning a new century, he was still formulating those new progressive ideas he always had. By 1916, he was back in the U. S. as the manager of all the Pathe company, which was no small thing. In 1916, a new style of music came to the public's ears, "jass" as it was called. Before the big explosion of "Jass" in 1917, Hunting did one small thing in '16 that was just as jazzy as he could be. Fred Van Eps spoke in the 1940's of Russell Hunting allowing a saxophone player in Van Eps' trio, only because John MacDonald(Harry MacDonough) just didn't find the idea attractive enough. How Hunting got a big score on that. MacDonald felt ashamed by this and immediately allowed the Sax player just after their first Pathe was released. It was not only forward thinking of Van Eps, but also of Hunting, as within a year, Jazz became an official style everywhere, with the saxophone as one of the style's most important instruments. 

This didn't end Hunting's great decisions though, in 1918 and 1919, many collectors may notice a handful of records by James Reese Europe's band. All of these records are Pathe's. So we know who the person who decided to have this was, Russell Hunting. The members of the 369th infantry band were invited several times in early 1919 to Pathe to make their many famous records, under the obliging and supervision of Russell Hunting. This was the best thing he did in my opinion, it really doesn't get better than that.  The Jim Europe band was the best black band of its day, and Hunting gladly hosted them at Pathe, and paid them all very well, probably just as much as all the prestigious white artists. They really are the most groovy records of early jazz, here is my favourite of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gftl8zClfUQ
Pathe was really the only compny who could accommodate the whole band and get a decent sound, as Hunting did all these weird and progressive tricks to make their recording room the best of its kind. 

Hunting still did shows and talks occasionally after his term in the managing chair at Pathe ended in 1926. They were mostly for benefits of other things than recording, though he did do some things like that occasionally, some of which even included reviving his "Casey" character.
He is a figure in the early recording business who should never be forgotten for all that he did, even if he is still pretty obscure to-day, and disliked for his policial views and his few surviving records. 

I hope you enjoyed this! 

Dissecting things from The Phonoscope

Digging through the great old magazine The Phonoscope can really be fun sometimes. As I'm sure it was fun to write it as well:

(from my own art. Russell Hunting writing for The Phonoscope, with various machines and horns around him.)

He must have had a good time writing and doing editing for it as the editions kept coming. How is it a good source? Well, you just have to know what you're looking for when you get to it, and you can view all the editions from November 1896 to December 1899 Here. 

The sections that I share on this blog are ones that I have dug around for in all the editions available online(there are more of them out there that the Library of Congress owns), because I had heard of the section used and in what edition. But as you're doing that, you WILL run across other little things you want to save. So that is why I have saved so many things from it. This is where the mystery to who "Freddy Hylands" was can be solved, where you can learn when  record companies collapsed and when new ones began. It is also a great way to read funny little anecdotes and yarns about the artists we all love from their records. It's where we can hear how Russell Hunting really wrote, and how mediocre of an editor he was. 

It was Columbia biased however. What I mean by this is that it mostly spoke of matters relating to the Columbia phonograph company and also Berliner. Even though it did speak a good amount of Edison, it was more Columbia in its general writing. Their staff had a high praise for Columbia's "heavy-weight piano artist" and Mr. Leonard Spencer, it's very clear this is true by all the great things they mention about the eccentric and strong-willed Hylands and the intelligent, perfectly figured Spencer. 

Here are a few of these things about Spencer and Hylands:

 (Heh, I remember this one.)

an esoteric reference I still don't really get.

(still makes me laugh)

We all love those Hylands and Spencer stories. That last one still gets me though, I know that cylinder of "Will O the Wisp" by Myers is out there, and I really want to hear how hard it worked Hylands. Apparently, that's how hard Banta worked at Edison's studio, as Hylands as well(well, according to the Hylands section above that one). But as I have said before, it's probably him just complaining almost meaninglessly. 

As expected from a magazine co-written by Russell Hunting, he is mentioned quite a lot throughout the editions. Both his "Casey" records and just general antics on vacation or record sales. He doesn't get mentioned too much though, just enough to catch your attention. The only editions where it's really relevant are in the earlier ones, as he was the main writer if the first few editions. 

here are two Hunting sections:

These are only two of many. 
someone who was never mentioned in The Phonoscope and who should have been was Frank Banta:

He was never mentioned, but his "rival" Freddy Hylands sure was. As this is proving the Columbia bias even more. they still loved him just as much as Hylands was praised in The Phonoscope. 
Something that can be found in several editions of the magazine is documentation of the artists of Columbia doing private performances for big "swells" of New York.It is something that cannot be found anywhere else, not even in small local newspapers. 
Here are some of them:

(Lots of typos on this one)
But a lot of familiar people mentioned.

(This one is actually the first time Fred Hylands was mentioned in The Phonoscope)

I think there are a few more of these, but I cannot find them right now. 
I hope if you haven't read through The Phonoscope yet that my link to it helped you out! Enjoy the reading! 

I hope you enjoyed this!