Favorite demo records?

[52089]

When showing off your favorite machines, what record(s) do you most like to play, particularly to demonstrate to a non-collector, and why?

Obviously this varies greatly by machine and type, so feel free to be as specific or as general as you like!

[alang]

I typically use ragtime, early jazz, snappy foxtrot, or even swing, because that is most likely to appeal to my guests. To create interest with guests in their teens or twenties I may play the Ink Spots "I don't want to set the world on fire", because they know that from the computer game Fallout 3 and are excited. I know, some of these are not ideal to play with steel needle and mica, but I know which of my records sound good and which don't. I have to add that my 78s are from the $10 per box quality, no E quality records are being harmed in the process.
Andreas

[OrthoSean]

A few:

For the 10-50, either the electric "La Paloma" by Emilio DeGogorza (Victor Red Seal 1141) which is one of the "great records". He sounds like he's right in the room with you and at the end, he does one of the most amazing trills you've ever heard. It always surprises anyone who hears it! "The Varsity Drag" by George Olsen or "Let's Misbehave" by Irving Aaronson are also great choices for a 10-50, Credenza, 8-35...any orthophonic machine, really, but these are a few favorite electric demonstrators.

The EMG usually gets demonstrated with whatever I happen to have on the constantly revolving pile of "these just in" records! Most recently, though, when anyone has stopped by to visit, I've played either "We" by Lee Morse on Viva Tonal Columbia which has some really incredible presence and piano playing that's hard to resist or one of the few Fats Waller organ solo Victor scrolls that I picked up recently. All quite impressive on that machine, but honestly, not much isn't!

For horn disc machines and early inside horn VTLAs and the like, I always grab either Eddie Morton's "The Oceana Roll" or something quieter like a Maud Powell disc. The Morton disc is one of the greatest, clearest acoustic Victors I've ever heard.

For cylinder machines, my favorite 2 minute demo cylinders are both Albany Indestructibles: Arthur Collins' "Let Me Down Easy" and Ediie Morton's "A Singer Sang A Song". Both great, clear recordings...and LOUD! Two BAs I like to play are Edgar Davenport's "Sheridan's Ride" and Fred Van Eps' "Alexander's Ragtime Band", both nice clear direct recordings.

For Diamond Discs, Winegar's "Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down" is a great electric and there's also the Tennessee Happy Boys "Sweet Georgia Brown", a nice toe tapper!

I could think of lots more, but these tend to get played the most for guests!

Sean

[De Soto Frank]

Hmmmm... depends on the guests...

Many of my friends are musicians, and singers in particular, so I may select stuff that skews towards their voice-part, or taste, or generally stuff I think "they need to hear"...

Some of my favorite demo pieces are as follows:

Victrola VV-XVI (L-door) - Sousa's Band or similar (from original records supplied with machine).

Victrola XI - "Second-hand Rose" - Fanny Brice (Victor Blue arch-label), "The Spaniard that Blighted My Life" - Al Jolson (Victor black Arch-label)

General acoustics: "Clavelitas" (sp?) - Amelita Galla-Curci (Victor Red-Seal); The Bell Song from Lakme` - Mabel Garrison, Victor Red-Seal; "Vieni sul Mare" - Caruso; "Roamin' in the Gloamin" or "It's nice to get-up in the Mornin' (ah, but it's nicer to lie in bed!)" - Harry Lauder; "Absolutely, Mr. Gallagher? Positively, Mr. Shean!" - Gallagher & Shean, Victor black label;
Most any Billy Murray - Ada Jones.

Edison Diamond Disc C-250: "Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffmann" - Carolina Lazzari (etched-label); "What'll become of Hinky-Dinky-Parlee-Voo?"; some bouncy Fox-trots

Edison Cylinders (Homes - B, C)- Marches, Collins & Harlan...

Victor Orthophonic VE-8-12 - "Rhapsody in Blue" - 1924 Victor Blue arch-label, Whiteman Orchestra w/ Gershwin at piano; Rachmaninoff piano solos; Chopin Polonaises - Victor Red-Seals, Artur Rubinstein; Any Fritz Kreisler Ortho; any Victor disc by "The Revelers", Fats Waller,...


That's just off the top of my head... if really special company is coming ( or enthusiasts from far away ) I will think-out a "program" of sorts...

[epigramophone]

When demonstrating my Amberola 50, one cylinder which always makes my guests sit up and take notice is BA1729 "Ride of the Thuringia Hussars" played by the U.S.Marine Band.

Then as a contrast, BA1553 "Bell solo from The Magic Flute" played by Charles Daab shows the delicacy of which the machine is capable.

As to records generally, I agree that it depends on the guests. The finest red labels will be wasted on those uninterested in opera, and the opera buffs may not appreciate jazz or hot dance, but fortunately many of us have a foot in both camps.

[FloridaClay]

Some of the store demonstration records, like the one's put out by Pathé and Columbia extolling the virtues of their records, can be fun too.

Clay

[Orchorsol]

The EMG...
...All quite impressive on that machine, but honestly, not much isn't!

Absolutely! I've been trying to think which records but so many sound great and it would depend on my mood and on who I was demonstrating to, which I'd grab first. Several opera records come to mind, several lieder, several chamber music, several jazz and hot dance, etc...

[Valecnik]

When demonstrating my Amberola 50, one cylinder which always makes my guests sit up and take notice is BA1729 "Ride of the Thuringia Hussars" played by the U.S.Marine Band.

Then as a contrast, BA1553 "Bell solo from The Magic Flute" played by Charles Daab shows the delicacy of which the machine is capable.

As to records generally, I agree that it depends on the guests. The finest red labels will be wasted on those uninterested in opera, and the opera buffs may not appreciate jazz or hot dance, but fortunately many of us have a foot in both camps.

These two BAs would be among the first I'd grab for a demo also. Overall I tend to look for any one of a dozen similar favorites which I can find close to the machine I wish to demonstrate. If you spend too much time looking, you've lost them before you even finish winding. I like to try to get at least half way through the first record before the listener looses interest.

[Swing Band Heaven]

For an Edison machine I don't think you can beat the Quartet from Rigoletto - either the version in English or Italian. Sounds fantastic on my Fireside 2 / 4 combination type machine. Loud and clear and makes the hairs on your neck stand up.

[Valecnik]

For an Edison machine I don't think you can beat the Quartet from Rigoletto - either the version in English or Italian. Sounds fantastic on my Fireside 2 / 4 combination type machine. Loud and clear and makes the hairs on your neck stand up.

Could you provide the record number? Blue Amberol or? Thanks