Harry Macdonough

Harry Macdonough

Source: Wikipedia

Born John Scantlebury Macdonald on 30 May 1871 in Hamilton, Ontario, balladeer, Harry Macdonough, is thought to have been Irish, with the Macdonald surname being derived from "MacDhòmhnaill" in Scotland. Macdonald didn't change the printing error that got his last name changed to Macdonough on his first cylinder because he didn't think it much mattered. Nor did he argue with Edison recording manager, Walter H. Miller, who changed his name from John to Harry because he thought it more romantic. Nor did he alter the major presence of the Irish and Irish themes in early popular music, only adding more, such as 'My Wild Irish Rose' (1900), 'My Beautiful Irish Maid' (1902), 'Where The River Shannon Flows' (1910) and 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling' (1912). Macdonough is among numerous to get my own Blueberry Prize in popular music, that for 'Wild Irish Rose'. Worth $120,000, like others, Macdonough died before he could receive this prestigious award.

Macdonough had first recorded in 1898 for the Michigan Electric Company of Detroit. Those were for phonograph parlor slot machines. Billboard began tracking 'Amusement Machines' in 1899, though what records which may yet exist of Macdonough are unknown.

Macdonough made his first recordings for Edison Records on 17 October 1898 in West Orange, New Jersey [Timo Gramophone]. Since in those early Edison years there was no way to duplicate cylinder recordings with a master mold, artists were required to record songs multiple times in studios equipped with multiple recording machines, perhaps as many as ten at a time. Macdonough was paid nine dollars for his first session of twelve songs, $1 per song thereafter. At first glance that doesn't seem like much, but it added up. Edison didn't solve that problem until it initiated its Gold Moulded process in 1902. Edison Records and its competitors (Columbia in cylinders and Berliner in flat discs) also employed squads aplenty to write titles on labels in script since there was no way to print them at the time. Berliner's flat discs were recorded on only one side at the time, nothing on B side but a label. The invention of cylinder recording is what eventually sent Edison Records to its grave, spending years attempting to advance a method which defied improvement while flat disc technology strolled past like a gas-powered automobile compared to a wagon. Edison Records had a baby that it couldn't throw overboard. Cylinders already showing signs of being outdated in the first decade of the 20th century, the heat was on between Columbia and Victor like it was in early cars, with exception that, rather than leaving cylinders behind, early auto makers preferred more of them. Unlike Edison Records, the use of the cylinder in the engine wouldn't prove a nemesis to itself. In 1901 Oldsmobile began to sell a one-cylinder buggy with three horsepower. I hazard that Macdonough would have been more interested in 'Pretty Molly Shannon' (Edison Gold Moulded 8278 of 1902) than motor mobility at the time. Only eight years later in 1909 Daimler was making an engine of 35 horsepower that exceeded fifty miles per hour. Macdonough would have been about 38 years of age at the time, perhaps even in the market for an automobile by then. I don't know if Macdonough ever owned a car at all. But if he did and it was made by Ford in the first decade of the 20th century, it would have been a four-cylinder Model N with fifteen horsepower of 1906, or a four-cylinder Model T with twenty horsepower of 1908.

It was 1899 when Macdonough joined the Edison Male Quartet, replacing Jere Mahoney as second tenor. Others in the Edison were John Bieling (lead tenor), SH Dudley (baritone) and William F. Hooley (bass). Just which songs on which Mahoney had appeared, if any, aren't determined, but Discogs associates Macdonough with 'My Old Kentucky Home' and 'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep' in 1899. Per 'Camp Town Jubilee' below, that is listed only once by the Edison Male Quartet in Duane Deakins' 'Edison Standard Index' of 1959, that released on Edson 2226 sometime prior to 1900, thus preceding Edison's Gold Moulded initiated in 1902 which finally made the duplicating process considerably easier with a single master, something the Berliner flat disc label had been doing for years.

Macdonough's first top charting title as a solo artist is thought to have been 'Mandy Lee' reaching #3 in March of 1900. Music VF has him on above sixty titles in the Top Ten to as late as 'The Girl on the Magazine' at #1 in April 1916. Edison Records issued cylinders exclusively until its Diamond Discs in 1912. Edison's main competitors before the turn of the century were Columbia cylinders and Berliner flat discs. Columbia dove into the disc market in 1901 per its Climax label and would abandon the cylinder market as old technology altogether in 1912. Berliner would merge with Victor in 1901, the year Victor introduced its Monarch label to which Columbia's Climax was rival. Thus were Columbia and Victor the two main pincers with Edison Records in their grip. Add a few more competing labels like Brunswick in 1916, and by 1930 old-fashioned Edison Records, running more on brand loyalty than technology, would vanish. The popularity of flat discs over cylinders as early as 1901 may be reflected in Macdonough's early recordings of 'Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder'. Issued on Edison 7870 in July of 1901, that issue isn't discovered on any best-selling charts. Its release on Victor 907, however, rang the bell at #1 in October 1901. Nine of Macdonough's titles had topped the charts during his career:

   The Tale of the Bumble Bee
      10/01
   Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
      10/01
   The Mansion of Aching Hearts
      9/02
   Hiawatha
      7/03
   My Dear
      12/07
   Where the River Shannon Flows
      2/10
   In the Valley of Yesterday
      10/10
   Down by the Old Mill Stream
      12/11
   The Girl on the Magazine
      4/16

'Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder'   Harry Macdonough

Edison Records 7870 issued July 1901

Music: Herbert Dillea   Lyrics: Arthur Gillespie

Others with whom Macdonough made records include Grace Spencer in 1900 whom he met via the Lyric Trio. They issued a couple of duets that sold well per 'When We Are Married' reaching #2 in Sep of 1900 and 'Tell Me, Pretty Maiden' topping the charts at #1 in April 1901.

The Edison Quartet had become the Haydn Quartet in 1901 to the purpose of recording for other than Edison Records. The Haydn had also recorded as the American Quartet at the time. The Haydn was the original super group, its major contenders being the American Quartet upon their becoming separate entities and the big daddy of them all, the Peerless Quartet. It follows that Macdonough of the Haydn, Billy Murray of the American and Henry Burr of the Peerless were probably the three most popular vocalists in early pop music. The HQ's initial Top Ten topped the charts at #1 in Oct 1900 per 'Because'. Nearly forty other songs placed in the Top Ten to as late as 'Cross the Great Divide' in April 1914. Six more of their titles topped the charts at #1: 'In the Good Old Summer Time' (2/03), 'Bedalia' (1/04), 'Blue Bell' (6/04), 'Sweet Adeline' (10/04) 'Sunbonnet Sue' (10/08) and 'Put on Your Old Gray Bonnet' (12/09). Macdonough also recorded for Victor while w the Haydn, such as the Victor Male Chorus.

Macdonough had visited the Top Ten a couple of times in duets with S.H. Dudley beginning with 'Sweet Annie Moore' at #3 in August of 1901 followed by 'Bye and Bye You Will Forget Me' at #4 in June 1902. Multiple duets w John Bieling had seen the Top Ten as well since 'Tessie' at #4 in January 1903 followed by 'In the Sweet Bye and Bye' reaching #1 in April.

Macdonough had recorded 'In the Good Old Summer Time' on numerous occasions, including multiple masters for Victor 1655 which charted at #2 in January of 1903, making Victor 1655 below a later version.

Come Elise Stevenson w whom Macdonough topped the charts twice per 'Because You're You' in April 1907 and 'Shine on, Harvest Moon' in April of 1909.

Come Olive Kline with whom Macdonough topped the charts severally beginning with 'You're Here and I'm Here' at #10 in June of 1914. 'They Didn't Believe Me' reached #1 in November 1915.

As Macdonough's career progressed he began working as a manager for Victor. Come 1920 he retired from performing and became a full-time manager, switching over to Columbia in 1925 to work as a studio director until his death on 26 Sep 1931 in New York City.