“Venetian Love Song” by Victor Herbert’s Orchestra 1911?

[melvind]

This is one of those records that must have been very popular. There were multiple recording dates each with various takes in 1911, 1913 and 1918. All dates and takes use the same release number and share the same matrix number. It makes it hard to know what you have. But, it is a pretty nice song and softly recorded with lots of hiss as is common on the earlier acoustic orchestral recordings.

DAHR has 3 transfer examples, all of which are confusing and different, but this record matches the 3rd one on the DAHR page label and music wise. I am dating it to 1911 because in Mike Sherman’s “Collector’s Guide to Victor Records” this label variation was started in 1910 is said to only be used on early purple label records. But, I could be all wrong. The release number in the runout shows 60056 and just before the number there is what looks like a tiny E, but it is so small it could be something else. DAHR lists it as an unknown take in 6/21/1911, 5/28/1913, or 5/23/1918.

If anyone know more about the various versions of this record please let me know.

Nevin: “Venetian Love Song” by Victor Herbert’s Orchestra 1911

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

https://youtu.be/X8fOQYob1Uk