The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Similar to the introduction of "talkies" in the film industry essentially ending the careers of some silent film actors, did the introduction of electrically recorded records greatly effect the recording stars of the acoustic era? For one, I'm thinking of Billy Murray. While his "nasally" voice recorded and played back loud & clear on acoustic recordings, I'm not sure that it translated well to electrical recordings, where that attribute was not necessary. While I'm not a Billy Murray historian per se, I have the impression that his post 1925 career was on the decline. Was it due to him not translating well to the electric era, or was that his style of music was no longer popular, (or both)? Any thoughts on other vocalists not crossing over well? Is there the impression that bands of the new electric era tailored their musical style to take advantage of the wider frequency range offered by the new process? In other words, did the advent of the electrical era greatly change music as we knew it, or did the music evolve independent of the new recording process? Interested to read your thoughts....

Probably because their repertoire remained largely unchanged either side of 1925, most classical vocalists made the transition from acoustic to electric recording successfully. The real change was in the quality of the orchestral accompaniment.

Regarding Billy Murray, I noted a long time ago the difference in his vocalizations from the acoustic to the electric period. For example, I find his voice on selections such as "The Kinkajou" and "Roll 'Em" (both electrically recorded) to be subdued compared to earlier recordings. It's almost as if he was "toning down" his voice for the more sensitive microphone.

I don't think any careers were "destroyed" abruptly because of the electrical recording process, as was the case when talking pictures took over from silent films--1929 seems to have been the landmark year. But, I do know, base on what I've read, that many of the old timers, such as Billy Murray sort of fell by the wayside as new recording stars emerged as a result of electrical recording--and radio, even before that. Radio (in the United States) had created a demand for a new style of singing, which eventually evolved into the baritone "crooner" style popularized by Crosby in the 1930s. Around the mid-1920s, there was a plethora of "whispering baritones" such as Jack Smith, whose rising careers transitioned very well to popular records, (in addition to "soft singing tenors," like Cliff Edwards.) Along this line, the portability of electrical recording equipment made it possible to travel to far flung locations to seek out new talent, launching the careers of Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family, many Delta Blues artists, etc.--greatly expanding the popular music genre.

Where electrical recording seems to have had the greatest impact was on the classical side, as solo vocal performances (arias, etc.) eventually gave way to major Orchestral works that had been largely avoided during the age of acoustic recording--with a few notable exceptions. Some of the Red Seal stars such as John MacCormack, retained their popularity, while others faded--possibly due to the fact that by the mid to late 1920s, they were past their prime.

Roland Gelatt provides a fascinating history of the transition to electrical recording in "The Fabulous Phonograph." It's worth it to hunt down a copy, if you've never read it, or you can access it online -- https://archive.org/details/fabulouspho ... a/mode/2up

OrthoFan

Al Jolson went from acoustic to electric essentially "unscathed".

What's been written here about Billy Murray is true. Victor put Murray to a lucrative contract in the early 20's, but I think the record buying public was wearying of him and Henry Burr and the rest of the studio singers that had been around for 20-30 years. Attempts to align Murray with newer musical trends, unconvincing.

Billy Murray was only one of many artists whose style was made old-fashioned by the new sounds that reached the public via radio and later on with the electric recordings. The popular stentors that flourished for the first 20 years of the century, who had to shout to be heard in music hall and opera stages, gave way to softer voices like Bing Crosby. Al Jolson, the exception, survived thanks to the Jazz Singer, which made him the first artist to talk in the movies, and to his flexibility to redirect his career as actor on the radio and in movies - musically he was a relic from the 30s onwards. One important contribution of the electrical recording was to enable people to properly hear stringed instruments like the guitar and the bass, which helped to popularize certain musical styles like country music and to retire instruments like the tuba and the banjo.

.... Although the scarce electrical recordings of the mid 20s that still used tuba, or stringed bass (arched, not plucked) as in some Okeh and Victor sides, are astounding when played on an orthophonic machine!

Inigo wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:33 am .... Although the scarce electrical recordings of the mid 20s that still used tuba, or stringed bass (arched, not plucked) as in some Okeh and Victor sides, are astounding when played on an orthophonic machine!

Yes! King Oliver Dixie Syncopators used tuba in their electric recordings, and Wellman Braud in Duke Ellington's band alternated bowing with slapping, the recordings sound very good. John Kirby in Fletcher Henderson's band also alternated tuba and bass until the early 30s, their Columbia electrical recordings sond rich and full.

Inigo wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:33 am .... Although the scarce electrical recordings of the mid 20s that still used tuba, or stringed bass (arched, not plucked) as in some Okeh and Victor sides, are astounding when played on an orthophonic machine!

I have Victor 20675, which on one side has Johnny Marvin singing "Me And My Shadow" with Nathaniel Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra, a May, 1927 side that not only has a tuba for bass, it was recorded in Liederkranz. And sounds it. It's amazing on an acoustic machine designed for electrical records. (The flipside is "I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now", which is a hot number by Jean Goldkette's orchestra that has Bix, Tram, and Venuti on it. String bass, but still extremely impressive. Probably a Bill Challis arrangement, although DAHR doesn't have an arranger credit.)

Yes, I also have 20675, and sounds impressive! Some other sides of Shilkret, Whiteman or Weems also sound great in a reentrant gramophone, or in modern equipment.
Now in my record room I'm using as a shelf-side player a little Philips portable record player with a small solid state amp, connected to two magnific 9" speaker boxes in series, to provide 4ohm required by the player. These are one next to the other, and the player sitting on top. A small poor man arrangement, but God! What sound this delivers with these 78s! The bass almost moves the room walls!