The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just got a new Blue Amberol cylinder 4968 Life's Railway to Heaven. It is by Gene Austin and George Reneau who were known then as The Blue Ridge Duo. Who knew? I thought he was strictly a pop singer. I couldn't find a video of it on youtube, but I found Lonesome Road Blues courtesy of Uncle Vanya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zVjX67zDE

Vernon Dalhart was a pop singer, too. But in that period the record companies were discovering that country (ish) material actually could sell, so they pressed a fellow like Austin into service that way. That cylinder is from 1925, right on the edge of when real country music started to be recorded. There isn't much from the acoustic days.

I'm no expert on country music, but why is this not real country music? It sounds real to me.

marcapra wrote: I couldn't find a video of it on youtube...

It's not on YouTube, but here's a sound file --

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/searc ... inder13853

You can download it or click the arrow to play.