The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Has to be Butane Blues by Johnny Hicks. Sorry I have no clip. Anybody?

I was going to nominate Florence (the pride of Wilkes-Barre) Foster Jenkins, but you beat me to it. For those who missed the Mel-O-Tones, there was a CD re-issue a few years ago. She's still dreadful.

Henry wrote:I was going to nominate Florence (the pride of Wilkes-Barre) Foster Jenkins, but you beat me to it. For those who missed the Mel-O-Tones, there was a CD re-issue a few years ago. She's still dreadful.

Were the Mello-Tone Jenkins records actually a "public release" ?


The CD was ( I think ) a re-release of an LP: "The Glory of the Human Voice ???"

It also features a really bad basso....

I attended college in Wilkes-Barre, and my voice teacher was an avid record collector since the mid 1930's, and he personally knew Mme. Jenkins' accompanist, Edwin MacArthur, who was always concealed by a screen to protect his identity...

Mme. Jenkins' home still stands in Wilkes-Barre, on South Franklin Street, next to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and it now houses the Wyoming Valley Geological and Historical Society Library.

And yes, the passage of time has NOT improved her vocal abilities...

I think my favorite FFJ is her rendition ( rendering?) of the "Bell Song" from Lakme`...

The Jenkins recordings ended up in the early 50s on an RCA 10" LP, and later re-issued as one side of a 12" LP, but I can't remember what dreadful companion was on the other side. Even though they were vanity recordings, they eventually ended up on a major commercial release. The tragedy of Florence was that she really thought she could sing better than anyone at the Metropolitan Opera. Her voice coach [and accompanist], Cosme McMoon was willing to collect the paycheck and go along with the gag. Poor Florence.

"Cosme McMoon" was Edwin McArthur's "stage name" when accompanying Mme. Jenkins.

If her ambitions far outweighed her vocal abilities, she did raise quite a bit of money through her recitals for the Metropolitan opera...


Too bad her philanthropy does not make her performances any better !


Does anyone know how many Mello-Tone Jenkins discs were released ?

Yep Tinkerbell; Yoko takes the prise. That is absolutley hideous!

Clay