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Ramshackle Rag: Recording Pioneers Volume One VIP Records RP-1001 - $12.50 (US shipping included) 
 Today, only antique phonograph buffs are familiar with the sounds of ragtime, vaudeville and tin pan alley that swept the country in the first two decades of the 20th century. Hundreds of thousands of recordings covering a wide spectrum of musical styles were published, but the vast majority remain unknown to modern listeners. This is a shame, because the musical heritage of the early part of the 20th century is just as important as any other era... perhaps moreso, because it marked the beginning of popular recorded music in America. 
America has been accurately described as a "melting pot", but in this period, the various cultures that came together to create this country had not yet had time to fully assimilate. Large cities in all parts of the country abounded in neighborhoods populated with people with their own distinct immigrant accents and customs. It was only natural that ethnic humor should be a part of their music. When Billy Murray sings about Tony "the wop" from the barber shop, he isn't belittling or demeaning Italian immigrants. On the contrary, the lyrics make it clear that Tony is a war hero... an American of high standing.
World War I was the focus of attention in newspapers from the teens, and novelty tunes depicting a soldier's life were penned by the hundreds. Most of these songs have become little more than a historical footnote in the history of music, but a few of these topical tunes have gone on to become timeless standards... chief among them being "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm", presented here in Arthur Fields' classic version. Marion Harris performs a classic "answer song" bringing "Alexander's Ragtime Band" up to date for the war effort, and the Peerless Quartet sing a sentimental song praising the girl back home... But my personal favorite WWI song is "Good Morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip". As a child, I had a copy of this record, and I played it nearly every morning when I woke up. There was one line I could never figure out, but I've since deciphered it... "Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. If the Camels don't get you the Fatimas must." (Camel and Fatima were cigarette brands of the time.) The song still never fails to bring me a smile.This CD clearly illustrates how ragtime and military band music merged to create what would soon become known as "jazz". Musicologists cite ragtime as being the precursor to jazz, but limit their definition of ragtime to early forms promoted by Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb. Some go so far as to say that if it isn't played on a solo piano, it isn't "genuine ragtime". I've read several books on the history of jazz that skip over the first ten or twenty years of the century altogether, claiming that the music that was called "ragtime" in this period wasn't really ragtime at all. They complain that the name of this noble musical form was appropriated and dragged into the dust by "cheap, disposable tin pan alley tunes disguised as rags". I personally consider this pompous attitude to be complete hooey. Listen to the amazing ragging and cakewalking on this CD by Arthur Pryor's Band and Prince's Band and decide for yourself. 
The acoustic recording process necessitated certain concessions on the part of the orchestras. Cellos and basses couldn't be heard well by the recording horn, so tubas were often substituted for the bass line. The distance from the horn made a huge difference as well... any performer more than fifteen or twenty feet from the horn couldn't be heard at all. With a large orchestra, this could pose a serious problem. Caruso's wife, Dorothy described watching her husband perform for the recording horn in a tiny wooden booth, surrounded by musicians, some of which sat on swings suspended from the ceiling!Acoustic recording spawned certain musical fads... Woodblocks, xylophones and bells reproduced with astonishing clarity, so all of a sudden, every arrangement included "clippity clop" woodblocks and xylophone solos. It's amusing to note that as soon as electrical recording was introduced, these gimmicks immediately fell out of vogue. Although Sousa's Band was one of Victor's highest paid outfits, John Phillip Sousa himself would have nothing to do with recording. He left the recording sessions to his concert master to conduct, expressing disgust for the "canned music" that ironically brought him a fortune in royalties. One can imagine the look on his face if he heard his band's recording of the overture to Herold's Zampa. I don't think I've ever heard this particular piece played so fast... no doubt to make it fit on a single side of a 12 inch disk! 
In particular, acoustic recording favored the higher range of the male voice. This was the golden age for tenors, with three of the greatest (yet totally different) tenors of all time... Enrico Caruso, John McCormack and Billy Murray. Like Caruso, Billy Murray's voice was perfectly suited for the phonograph. So well suited in fact, that he became the first artist to rise to fame solely on the basis of his recordings, not his live performances. John McCormack was the greatest Irish tenor who ever lived. His breath control and ringing top were legendary. The story goes that McCormack ran across Enrico Caruso having breakfast in a hotel restaurant one morning and greeted him with, "How is the world's greatest tenor this morning? Caruso answered, "That's amazing! I was just about to ask you the same question!" McCormack's rendition of "There's A Long, Long Trail" included on this CD is a stunning example of his vocal expertise.I hope you enjoy this music as much as I do. There are a lot more great records from the teens to transfer and restore. I'll begin work on volume two soon. Please check out the Sound of the Gramophone Store to find t-shirts, mousepads and tote bags emblazoned with this hilarious cover image.  Get neat stuff with this image at The Sound of the Gramophone Store
If you like this CD, it is not inconceivable that you might also like...
Sheiks & Vamps: 1920's Dance BandsVolume One (VIP DB-1001) 
These CD's are $12.50 apiece. Shipping within the US is included. Shipping to Canada is an additional $2.50 for the first CD, and $1 for each additional CD shipped with the same order. International shipping is an additional $5.00 for the first CD, and $2 for each additional CD shipped with the same order. You can order online, using our secure PayPal links. If you don't have a PayPal account yet, sign up now using the link to the left, and you will get a $5 from PayPal for signing up. If you would prefer to send a check or money order by mail, drop me a line at... sales@vintageip.com and I will send you an order form that you can print out and mail in. 
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