Vernon Dalhart...

[De Soto Frank]

Did Vernon Dalhart ever perform / record any tunes that weren't mawkish, dirge-y ballads ?

[Wolfe]

Sure. Lots of his records weren't ballads. Try his Hallelujah, I'm A Bum or something else.

That said, he's one of my least favorite prolific record makers of that era.

[De Soto Frank]

I must be "lucky" so far I've only acquired the dearth of ballads...




"That said, he's one of my least favorite prolific record makers of that era."


I wonder whether I prefer him to the scads of "Hawaian Guitar" records...

[barnettrp21122]

I've read that Dalhart was classically trained.
Here's an Edison Blue Amberol of him performing Gilbert and Sullivan's "Nightingale's Song" from HMS Pinafore

The Nightingale's Song- Pinafore (Gilbert-Sullivan) Vernon Dalhart BA 3385

https://www.box.com/shared/b0b8oy2541

[Norfolkguy]

I have him on an Emerson record singing "St. Louis blues" and on a diamond disc singing "Roll em' Girls" Not too bad on either, but not my favorite singer.

[Valecnik]

He sang the vocals on this one, Red Hot Henry Brown. I would say it's pretty red hot!

[youtubehd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o48ogfIUHZE[/youtubehd]

[phonojim]

He sings on "Bringin' Home The Bacon" by Kaplan's Melodists - DD and cylinder. It's a good lively dance number.

Jim

[estott]

Here's "The Runaway Train", another of his folk-ish songs, but with tongue in cheek lyrics and in a brisk tempo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CxMieXyR0Q

He also recorded a light hearted song called "Don't marry a widow"

"I've gone and married a widow / who has a pair of twins / and now I'm walking the floor at night / gettn' stuck with safety pins"

He did start out as a conventional singer, doing quite a few duets with Gladys Rice for Edison, but by the 20's he was firmly stuck in the "hillbilly" style. He's ok, but I like Johnny Marvin much better.

[Valecnik]

And "The Prisoners Song" with Kaplans Melodists on Diamond Disc 51666R and BA5105 is, I think, the best recording ever of that tune.

The flip side, "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen", again with Kaplan's on 51666L and BA5126 is very nicely done too.

[estott]

I'm informed that this is him singing "Hard Hearted Hannah" under a pseudonym:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... e8AvEKzbco