The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I found that I have a 1912 Columbia record of the American operatic baritone David Bispham that was a surprise to me. This record is in really great shape and the voice in both sides of this record is very present and clear. For an acoustic recording the Columbia engineers did a good job of capturing the orchestra as well as the voice. Of course, as with all acoustic classical recordings, the orchestra is a bit distant compared to later electric recordings.

A very nice Schubert song sung in German

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

https://youtu.be/q1m4J0QXovw

This song is an old English drinking song. The title refers to the dead drunk men on the floor after a night of too much drink and search for women.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

https://youtu.be/B_aFDjEcNkc

I think it is interesting that Columbia had many of their classical music artists sign the wax on the master recording. This record has this on the Schubert song side.

melvind wrote:I think it is interesting that Columbia had many of their classical music artists sign the wax on the master recording. This record has this on the Schubert song side.

Columbia in the 1911 to sound 1914 period had both classical and famous popular artists sign the wax. All the 1912 Weber and Fields records are signed.

A beautifully polished video--thank you! Another of Bispham's records, his account of Schubert's "Erlkonig" from a few years earlier, is by a wide margin my favorite account of that tremendous song. Some years back I read Bispham's memoirs, and they gave a vivid account of the opera/concert world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries--but never have I read a biography or autobiography that offered less information personal to its subject. I came away knowing much more about the world in which Bispham flourished and nothing at all about the man himself.

What a wonderfully centered, contenant voice.

Thank you for this. I am a fan of Mr. Bispham, but at present have only one 78 (Annie Laurie). Two that I would like to find are "The Pirate Song" and the 1906 "Danny Deever" with piano accompaniment--a great performance.

Joseph Clack,

I don't want to steal this thread away from Dan's wonderful transfers, but I thought you, Dan and others might like to see this disc. Pictured for your viewing pleasure are pics of my copy of the 12-inch diameter Columbia 30016, The Hanging of Danny Deever, by David Bispham. I bought this record from a friend about a year ago. I've been an avid collector of early, rare, odd labels for 35 years, and I have never seen another 12-inch Columbia record with this label variety before or since. I love the larger, descriptive sticker on the back of the record!

Bob

Terrific record Bob! I would love to hear it one day. I looked this record up on the DAHR site and it appears it was released on this black label and also on the more common Blue banner label. It is from 1906 so perhaps sometime in 1906 they changed to the new labels. Anyone know?

https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/ ... nny_Deever

And as a side note; the song was written by Walter Damrosch who was a composer and a conductor that helped popularize classical music in the USA at the turn of the 20th century. He conducted Opera and many other types of music and was an eager early recording producer. An impressive guy that likely knew Bispham.

Yes. Banner labels were introduced in 1906. The first Banners did not say "Symphony Series" at 4 o'clock.

Bob, thanks for posting the photo of the Danny Deever record. My copy (now lost) was on the early banner label. I too, in many years of collecting, have never seen a 12 inch black and silver Columbia (until now). A great find, especially with the back seal about the poem.