Early Recording Goes Virile w Popular Len Spencer

Len Spencer

Source: Pop Music History

Launching the HMR Project in popular music in the United States is Len Spencer. Taking the view that musicians who disseminated discs become more popular than those who din't, it's apt to begin with Spencer because he is regarded to be the granddaddy of phonograph recording as the first big splash in the cylinder market. The first song recorded, incidentally, was also the first recorded sound, made on April 9, 1860, by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. The recording is a verse from 'Au Clair de la Lune' sung by a woman unidentified. Martinville invented the phonoautograph some 17 years before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1878, but Edison is the huge name in recording as we prefer it, with complete audible songs that can be purchased and played on a machine, in Edison's case the acoustic wax cylinder and phonograph that he began to sell in the nineties.

'Au Clair de la Lune'   First recorded song also the first recorded sound   9 April 1860

Born on 12 Feb 1867 in Washington D.C. toward a wide popularity that only the phonograph could supply, Spencer had begun teaching at his father's business college in D.C. at age eighteen, which he did for three years until hiring on with the Columbia Phonograph Company as a vocalist circa 1888. Historical Voices has him recording 'I Am the Edison Phonograph' auf Deutsch for Edison Phonograph in 1888 as well. Spencer signed up w the U.S. Phonograph Company (producing for Edison) about 1890 though his first issue, 'Liza Loves You', was in 1891 on Columbia. 'Ta Ra Ra Boom Der E' saw issue in 1892 on Columbia. In 1897 Spencer was arrested for stealing cylinder recordings from U.S. Phonograph presumably for purchase by Columbia. Other early cylinder issues included 'The Old Folks at Home' (New Jersey '92), 'Near It' (New Jersey '93), 'Mamie, Come and Kiss Your Honey Boy' (New Jersey '93) and 'Dat New Bully' (Columbia 2107 '95). New Jersey Phonograph was an arm of the North American Phonograph Company. The major label that would be Victor didn't enter the cylinder industry until 1901. Titles below are Spencer on cylinder, a couple transferred to flat disc.

'Larboard Watch'   Duet w Roger Harding   Issued on Columbia Phonograph 8400 sometime 1897-99

Composition: Thomas E. Williams

'23rd Psalm' w 'The Lord's Prayer'   Recital by Spencer   Issued on Edison Gold Moulded 8155 in 1902

'23rd Psalm' composed by Jewish King David circa 1000 BC

''The Lord's Prayer' is a sermon by Jesus circa 28 CE ('Matthew' 6:9-13)

'Arkansas Traveler'   Second of several recordings of this by Spencer   Violinist unknown

Issued on Edison Gold Moulded 8202 in Oct 1902

Original version issued on Columbia 11098 in 1900

'Arkansas Traveler' was recorded by numerous as one of the most popular tunes of the period.

'Making the Fiddle Talk'   Humor by Spencer w anonymous violinist

Issued on Edison Gold Moulded 8361 in 1903

'A Barnyard Serenade'   Len Spencer w Alf Holt

Issued on Edison Gold Moulded 9191 in 1906   Composition by Spencer

Spencer at the fore of cylinder recording also made him among the first to record on flat disc. DAHR begins its sessionography of Spencer on disc per 'Ma Onliest One' recorded on 17 April 1886 toward Berliner 991 and 'Nearer, my God, to Thee' recorded on 4 May toward Berliner 915. The Berliner label was the first to distribute disc recordings, founded by Emile Berliner who had also invented disc recording and the gramophone in Washington D.C. in 1887, the first getting pressed in 1894. The first decade of the 20th century witnessed Spencer recording numerously on both cylinder and flat disc with Ada Jones on titles like 'Peaches and Cream' (Edison Gold '06), 'Henny and Hilda at the German Picnic' (Edison Amberol 23 '08), 'Sweet Peggy Magee' (Edison Amberol 148 '09) and 'The Golden Wedding' (Edison Amberol 312 '09). Titles below are Spencer on early flat disc.

'Kiss Me, Honey Do'   Len Spencer   Recorded 15 April 1899   Issued on Berliner 07

Music: John Stromberg   Lyrics: Edgar Smith

'Levee Scene'   Len Spencer   Recorded 31 Dec 1904   Issued on Columbia 1551

Coon song composed by Charles Adams Prince

'Sweet Peggy Magee'   Len Spencer w Ada Jones   Issued on Victor 16765

Among titles opening the 19th century had been Spencer's 'Little Alabama Coon' in 1900 on Columbia 7256, that composed by Hattie Starr. The "coon" or "possum" song in reference to blacks had been around for more than half century by then. It came as part of the parcel of popular music in the United States through minstrelsy (blackface) and was as normal to hear as gospel hymns. The term had arrived in the early half of the 19th century due to the pronouncement of white eyes on a black face, like raccoons. As a stereotype with which to amuse, at the expense of black folk, it was used both affectionately and derogatively. Nevertheless, because minstrelsy was entrenched in the culture of the land, so did black performers get into the act. Other early popular vocalists of the coon song include William Denny and Arthur Collins.

Record charts which measured popularity were variously devised soon upon the advent of recording. Billboard was in business as an advertising company at the turn of the century, but its national music charts wouldn't arrive for another few decades. Meanwhile, of the local or regional charts that were made, many such came with advertisements, thus not entirely to be trusted. Having touched upon the problem of early charts preceding Billboard elsewhere, we find MusicVF commencing it's list of Spencer at #1 in 1900 per 'Ma Tiger Lily' (Columbia 7502). Spencer's title, 'The Arkansas Traveler' (Columbia 11098), is listed at #2 in November of 1900. The 1902 version of that on Edison Gold Moulded 8202 (above) reached #1.

Spencer ran a booking agency called Len Spencer's Lyceum in New York City before his death there on December 15, 1916 as World War I was raging.