Re-recordings of Edison 2-minute cylinders

[EdisonSquirrel]

I find that it was very common for Edison to re-record a 2-minute cylinder by another singer or band and release it under the same serial number. The secondary recordings are not documented in my source book (i.e., Edison Cylinder Records, 1889-1912, by Allen Koenigsberg). I don't know whether documentation for the secondary releases exists elsewhere.

I also know that many brown wax cylinders were also re-recorded and released under the same serial number, frequently on 2-minute black wax.

Let's begin a list of such records and their re-recordings here:

1. "In the good old summertime"
recorded by William Redmond on Edison 8118
re-recorded by Billy Murray

2. "The Belle of Kentucky"
recorded by the Edison Concert Band on Edison 8101
re-recorded by the Edison Military Band



Rocky

[WDC]

Yep, Rocky, that's how they did it, and it has been always a reason for good confusion.
The catalog references I have sometimes gives a second issue hint on black wax. Normally, you are way more likely to find a re-release than the first issue of a certain song. Some black wax cylinders with unusual low numbers indicate such a case.

And they not only did it with the gold moulded records but during the brown wax era too. And that is why the catalog may list J. W. Myers and the record you have has Harry MacDonough or someone else on it. This is the most serious problem of all.

Virtually any popular number can be found. The problem is that we'll certainly never find out how many re-recordings actually were made.

Having a reference with all follow-ups of a certain song would be really something to have. I also thought of the unlimited possibilities of joy and resources if one had a complete set of all released Edison cylinders... *justdreaming*

[EdisonSquirrel]

Norman,

I too want a complete set of all Edison cylinders. I don't think we're asking for too much!

Obviously, an examination of the Edison discographies will give us an incomplete picture of what was actually released. We may look over the brown and black wax cylinder releases of Harry Macdonough and Byron G. Harlan to get a general idea of what they recorded, but we'll never have the complete picture, and we cannot say with certainty that one or the other did not record a particular song--only that the discography gives no indication of such.


Rocky

[EdisonSquirrel]

A few nights ago I won a copy of "I'll be with you when the roses bloom again," recorded by Frederick H. Potter (Edison 8276). My source book indicates that Harry Macdonough recorded the song released under this serial number, which is also available at the cylinder digitization site. I'm curious to find out if the Potter re-recording is accompanied by an orchestra, or simply by a piano, as was the original Macdonough release.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0050260129


Rocky

[gramophoneshane]

3. "Sunflower Dance"
Recorded by Ossman on Edison 7881
Rerecorded by Van Epps