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Not music, but I think this question fits this section better than any of the others:

Many years ago, I had a 7-inch Berliner record that contained a comic monologue on politics in Washington, DC. I haven't had or heard the record in decades, and my recall of it has dimmed, but it comes to mind now and then and I'd like to know what the heck it was. I don't remember who recorded it, but there's one line that stands out in memory: "Now the Democratic Party says that the Republicans are all thieves. And the Republican Party says that the Democrats are all thieves. So [forgotten punchline]."

I remember that the record ends with "Downtrodden colored people, your hour of deliverance has come! Liver, lights and [some other food item] have fell to six cents a pound!"

I've had no luck identifying this record anywhere else, and I've hesitated to ask the question here, because I'm only trying to learn more about this particular record and monologuist...not start a discussion about current politics. I'm hoping that if I know the title and the speaker's name I'll be able to hear this record again online. My thanks to anyone who may be able to provide a clue as to what the record is.

Do any of these seem to ring a bell? Just to rule any of these recordings out, here is a link to some Berliner recordings that were either monologues or speeches on the DAHR website. I hope this helps in some way. There appears to be a problem with the link on my end so I am attaching this picture of the page.

http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/index

-Steve

I just listened to my copy of Berliner #660: Free Silver Orator, by George Graham. It ends with the candidate promising that his first act upon being elected will be to reduce the cost of liver to 6 cents a pound, and to load express wagons with silver and distribute it free of charge. Lots of cheering, of course.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is the record you're looking for, in spite of the price of liver.

George P.

Thanks, gents, for your help. None of the titles on the DAHR list seem familiar, though I'm wondering if it might possibly be 621, given the nature of the title and the final line of the record I remember. I can't seem to find a copy of that particular one online, though. I did find a few George Graham records from around that time, and the voice does sound familiar; but not distinctively so.

George, the reference to liver at six cents makes me wonder if it was some sort of a running joke of the era, either in Graham's own material or more broadly. It does seem an odd coincidence that it's referred on (at least) two records of the period. But your record is definitely not the one I once had; though it's been almost half a century since I last heard it, I remember that last line on mine pretty much verbatim, because I thought it was odd even as a teenager.

I don't remember the rest of the material on the record much at all, apart from the two lines I quoted. The joke about the two parties, given the age of the recording, is one of those things that makes a person say "The more things change..." -- I just wish I could remember what the doggone punch line was! But all my life I've been one of those people who can consistently tell a joke perfectly well until the end -- and then totally mess up the punch line!

According to this website a copy of "Negro Stump Speech" sold on eBay for $301 after 10 bids. If that was indeed the record you had, it appears to be particularly valuable.
http://www.popsike.com/VHTF-Berliner-Gr ... 97608.html

-Steve

Hunh. Somebody really wanted it. You never can tell though, whether eBay prices reflect actual current values. I mean, obviously they do, when someone's willing to pay a high price like that, but the two (or more) bidders may be the only people anywhere who'd go nearly that high. At the same time, I've seen some very common records, in average condition, go for prices that seem unwarrantedly high. Recently I discussed one of these over-the-top sales with the seller, and asked him if there were something special that I'd missed. He told me he was as surprised by the high price as I was.

I wonder if that was the title I had. I may never find out what it was, but who knows? Someone might recognize it -- can't hurt to ask. Given the relative obscurity of these recordings, I wish many more of them were digitized and available online. I hope someday they will be.

Hello, Cody,

For what it's worth (not much probably), after reading your initial post I wrote down the titles in the Paul Charosh Berliner Discography title Index (1995 ed.) that might be the disc you are thinking of. I have heard none of these. I didn't bother to research these in the discography for lack of time, but you can search them on line. Some of them are no doubt songs, as is the last title I listed, which seemed like a pretty promising title, given your post. Catalogue/matrix numbers follow the titles, but proper capitalization is not necessarily followed here. Best wishes, Mark

Casey's address to the G. A . R. [Grand Army of the Republic]
608 0717
Gladstone's advice on self help and thrift
6014
Get your Money's worth (Jones)
1904
Minstrel show
6009
He's up against the real thing now
0143
in a police court
624
International debating club
642
I thought I was a winner
1611
Koonville Koonlets
0966
parlor sofa politics
1602
police court
0643
police court scene, Washington DC
624
political parade
438
President McKinley's Inaugural Address-extract
678
quack medicine man
0789
ravings of a maniac
0799
ravings of John McCulloch
633
sentiments on the Cuban question
5014
speech on forefather's day-extract
693
Statue of Liberty oration-extract
694
a story at a college dinner
606 696
stump speech on love
623 0583
taking the census
649
talk on money
645
a warm reception
0868
when a coon sits in the presidential chair--Dan W Quinn, baritone
0165

Thanks for digging into the discography, Mark. That's a book I don't have. The title "A Talk on Money" (No. 645) jogs my memory a bit. I haven't had a chance to look for more information on that one yet, but will do so over the weekend to see if I can determine whether that is in fact the record I mean. I really appreciate the help.

Thank you Mark! The record was Graham's "Talk on Money", of June 2, 1896. I don't think I'd have found it without your help. While it's not quite as rip-roaring funny as I thought it was fifty years ago (it's mildly funny now), at least I know the punch line to the Democrats/Republicans gag: "...Well, they know each other, so there's no chance of an argument there!"

The disc on mp3:

https://memory.loc.gov/mbrs/berl/13645Z.mp3

Incidentally, there's quite a large selection of Berliners at the same source:

https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/berlhtml/b ... rding.html

I am glad you were able to find that Berliner recording, Cody! You are right, it is pretty humorous.

-Steve