National Recording Registry Announces New Worthies
Published April 08, 2005
The Library of Congress has announced the third annual addition of 50 sound recordings to the National Recording Registry. Criteria for selection include musical, spoken or other recorded sounds at least ten years old, and "those that are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." Recipients are set aside for special preservation.
The 2002 selections are here, 2003 here, and the new selections, 2004, here with the Registry's descriptions included. My own thoughts are those not indented.
- "Gypsy Love Song." Eugene Cowles. (1898)
Victor Herbert's 1898 operetta, The Fortune Teller, was the composer's first popular success for the stage. The Berliner Gramophone Company captured bass Eugene Cowles's performance of one of the operetta's hit songs, "Gypsy Love Song," on what was one of the very first "original cast recordings."
"Some of these days." Sophie Tucker. (1911)
Vaudeville singer and comedienne Sophie Tucker first recorded her signature song for the Edison company on cylinder. It was the beginning of a recordings career that extended nearly 50 years. The Sheldon Brooks song was an ideal vehicle for the earthy star known as "the Last of the Red-Hot Mamas."
"The Castles in Europe One-Step (Castle House Rag)." Europe's Society Orchestra. (1914)
James Reese Europe was the first black bandleader to record in the United States and was the personal conductor for the immensely popular dancing team of the 1910's, Irene and Vernon Castle. Reese's recordings were important stepping-stones in the development of jazz. They exhibit a frenetic quality, with more looseness and greater syncopation than heard in other dance bands of the era.
"Swanee." Al Jolson. (1920)
George Gershwin and Irving Caesar's song, "Swanee," was interpolated into the show, Sinbad, for Al Jolson. The song became Gershwin's first hit and remained associated with Al Jolson throughout his career. This recording captures the energy of Gershwin's song and Jolson's unique ability to "put over" a song with exuberance.
Armistice Day broadcast by Woodrow Wilson. (1923)
This recording of former President Woodrow Wilson made by phonograph technician Frank L. Capps is earliest surviving sound recording of a regular radio broadcast. It is also believed to be the earliest known example of a recording made by electrical, rather than acoustic, means.
"See See Rider blues." Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. (1923)
"Ma" Rainey, called by some "the mother of the blues," was a pioneering blues artist whose career began as a tent show and vaudeville performer. She is credited with influencing many blues singers, most notably, Bessie Smith. Although others recorded blues songs before Rainey and had begun to refine the genre, her recordings retain the powerful directness and poignancy that made her famous. Rainey made numerous recordings for the Paramount label; this recording is from a session she recorded with Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson.
"Charleston." Golden Gate Orchestra. (1925)
The band on this Edison disc recording included such notable musicians as Red Nichols, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, and Adrian Rollini. The selection represents the Edison Disc Record Master Mold Collection at the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, New Jersey. The Edison Phonograph Works used these metal molds to mass-produce disc records from 1910 to 1929 and as such, are the generation closest to original wax master. They are the best-sounding sources for Edison disc recordings, as well as the most stable, archivally.
- National Recording Registry Announces New Worthies
- Published: April 08, 2005
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- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: News, Culture: Arts
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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bolded the titles to make it more readable; yes, government source, ripe for the picking, but I did include my own input as well: that which is not indented
Well, I thank you! I would never have thought to check the list without this link and the substance posted here. It makes me feel good to realize I have more than a half-dozen of these in my own collection...
glad it was helpful, the '02 and '03 lists are worth perusing as well
Man, I'd love to check out those Murrow broadcasts from London circa The Blitz. Now that's some history for you.
Yesterday, I was walking along when the Ewok celebration from Return of the Jedi popped into my iPod. That song transitions into the Star Wars main theme, and I was thinking about how amazing it is, how striking, how original, how utterly... Star Wars it is. If that's not the greatest movie theme ever, I don't know what is.
I love the jaunty faux-jazz of the nightclub scene in the original
Are you talking about the Cantina scene? That music is fabulous. And I love the blue dude with like elephant-type hands that plays the keyboard-like instrument.
yes, cantina, it's been a while
Bad as I hate the idea of guvment as art critic, I gotta say this is a pretty sweet list. Jimmie Rodgers, the Beach Boys and Public Enemy all together. Plus some real pickin' fiends from Flatt & Scruggs and the Allman's. What more could you want?
Actually, it's the government as a library, maintaining our intellectual infrastructure. These are just the librarians' picks.
with nominations from the public
I've got 8 of those on my iPod including 2 of the albums. Not bad. Bet you''d never guess which ones I have tho.
Dave
Friends!!!
Friends are with a lot of affection and pleasure that me same Beto Mattos singer and Brazilian composer request her/it this recording support, because I have a wonderful work of a lot of more success with the bankruptcy of the big ones recording in Brazil am disabled of selling my work, so much that with the great success of my album don't have cd in the market and I seek a recording one or even dealer that can help myself in this process visits my site hears some of the music hope to count with this considered company.
www.betomattos.art.br
011 (97342103
Mike Johnson's "YODELING 40 YEARS" 2-disc CD
is now part of the Library of Congress' Recorded Sound collection!
What's so special about Mike Johnson's release, you ask, since there have been many, many yodeling albums containing 20 to 30 yodeling songs on them! Quite true, but none of them can boast that ALL of the songs on those releases were written by ONE person! Well we can, because all 50 of the yodeling songs on this 2-disc CD album were written & composed by Mike Johnson.
These songs will take you on a journey from Mike's raw beginnings and development to becoming Country Music's No.1 Black Yodeler. Also debuting on this release are more of Mike's unique wordless yodeling songs like "Black Yodels No. 2 to 7", "Snuggle-Up Yodel", "Wild Horse Yodel", and "Yodel Round Up." Mike has written over 100 yodeling songs.
On 15 March 2007 we received a confirmation letter from the Library of Congress informing us that Mike Johnson's "Yodeling 40 Years" and "Black Yodel No.1" CDs, and related yodeling material, are now part of the Recorded Sound Reference Center's permanent collection. This is a part of the Library's Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division.
Mike Johnson is also one of the 18 World Famous Yodelers featured on the "Rough Guide To Yodel" CD, singing his ever-popular "Yeah I'm A Cowboy."
Wanna hear some of those songs, go to www.indiecharts.com/yodeler
Wanna see Mike in action, go to www.YouTube.com and type the following titles into the Search Engine bar;
1. Mike Johnson's Tarzan Did! [Mike is 60 years old on this performance]
2. Mike Johnson's Wild Horse Yodel [and this one too!]
3. Mike Johnson - Mama Don't Allow No Music Round Here.
Radio DJs can download Mike Johnson songs at;
www.airplaydirect.com/music/bands/12725
Mike's Mother's Day hit "DID YOU HUG YOUR MOTHER TODAY?" is now part of the CD Baby lineup.
www.cdbaby.com/all/mikejohnson
Have a good day.
Joe Arnold, Roughshod Records
P.O. Box 100933, Arlington, Va. 22210
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Well we didn't all that list since it is at the link.
To take this much of the text, in this case, it should be pointed out, is OK because it is a 100-percent government release. As in, no copyright.
I'll have to get back this but very cool. I was going to commend the poster for the link back to other blogcritic articles - before I saw it was EricO. :-)