Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings

[stevejazz]

Greetings to members of the Acclaimed Music forums. My name is Steve Sullivan. Some may recall that I wrote the books "The Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volumes 1 and 2." I've been absent from the forums since then, but I'm glad to be back.
My new books--Volumes 3 and 4 of the Encyclopedia--have been shipped by the publisher (Rowman & Littlefield/Scarecrow Press), and I'm expecting to receive my copies any day now. I'm told they're already available on Kindle.
The first two volumes were basically organized to suggest a hierarchy of great song performances. Playlist/Chapter 1 essentially represented my all-time top 100, Playlist 2 was #101-200, etc. I say "basically," because I wanted each chapter to have representation for every time period and as many different musical genres as possible. So some great songs from the '50s, '60s, and '70s had to get pushed down somewhat to make room for songs for other decades. Still, over 95 percent of the songs in these books were in my personal all-time top 1,000. (The books included 1,056 song performances in all.)
The new Volumes 3 and 4 are different in one important respect: they are almost 100 percent chronological, with just a handful of exceptions. Playlist/Chapter 1 covers 1890 through 1919, Playlist 2 is 1920-29, etc., on through Playlist 12, which is 2010-2016. I split the 1960s into two chapters in order to make the two volumes closer to equal in size. The books include about 1,700 songs, bringing the total number of performances covered in the four volumes to just over 2,750.
If it's OK with the group, I'd like to offer the list of song performances in each chapter, one chapter at a time. In the books, of course, there is a full history and commentary on each song; here I'm posting the song lists only.
Here are the classic song performances in the new books from 1890 through 1919:

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The Thunderer (1890) - United States Marine Band
Semper Fidelis (1890) - United States Marine Band
The Old Folks at Home (mid-1892) - Len Spencer
O Promise Me (Jan.-Feb. 1893) - George J. Gaskin
Daisy Bell (1893) - Dan Quinn
Mama’s Black Baby Boy (fall 1893) - Unique Quartette
Yankee Doodle (early 1894) - Vess L. Ossman
The Liberty Bell (Jan.-Feb. 1894) - United States Marine Band
Keep Movin’ (Apr. 11, 1894) - Standard Quartette
El Capitan March (early 1895) - Sousa’s Band
Washington Post March (March 10, 1895) - Sousa’s Band
Oh Mister Johnson, Turn Me Loose (late 1896) - Len Spencer
Ragtime Medley (early 1897) - Vess L. Ossman
The Stars and Stripes Forever (1897) - Columbia Orchestra
At a Georgia Camp Meeting (1897) - Edison Concert Band
On the Banks of the Wabash (summer 1897) - George J. Gaskin
Smoky Mokes (Oct. 18, 1899) - Vess L. Ossman
Honolulu Cake Walk (Nov. 10, 1899) - Vess L. Ossman
The Thunderer March (late 1899) - Gilmore’s Band

Pasquinade (June 7, 1901) - Sousa’s Band
Good Morning, Carrie (Oct. 11, 1901) - Bert Williams & George Walker
Steal Away (Oct. 29, 1902) - Dinwiddie Colored Quartet
In the Good Old Summer Time (Dec. 17, 1902) - Sousa’s Band
Silver Threads Among the Gold (Oct. 27, 1903) - Richard Jose
Vesti La Giubba (On With The Play) (“Pagliacci,” Act 1) (Feb. 1, 1904) - Enrico Caruso
A Coon Band Contest (April 26, 1904) - Arthur Pryor’s Band
The Battle Cry of Freedom (October 10, 1904) - Frank Stanley & Byron Harlan
In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree (March 1905) - Henry Burr
The Cakewalk In the Sky (April 10, 1905) - Victor Orchestra
Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (Oct. 1905) - Byron G. Harlan
In the Good Old Summer Time (Nov. 1905) - Billy Murray
Gypsy Love Song (May 4, 1906) - Eugene Cowles
Chicken Chowder (Jan. 1907) - Ossman-Dudley Trio
Red Wing (July-Aug. 1907) - Frank Stanley & Henry Burr
The King of Rags (Sept. 17, 1907) - Arthur Pryor’s Band
The Smiler (Nov. 1907) - Vess L. Ossman
Wouldn’t You Like to Have Me for a Sweetheart? (April 11, 1908) - Ada Jones & Billy Murray
Come Where My Love Dies Dreaming (April 21,1908) - Peerless Quartet
National Emblem (May 22, 1908) - Arthur Pryor’s Band
I’ve Taken Quite a Fancy to You (June-July 1908) - Ada Jones & Billy Murray
Dill Pickles Rag (July 7, 1908) - Chris Chapman
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (Oct. 17, 1908) - Edward Meeker
Shine On, Harvest Moon (April 10, 1909) - Harry Macdonough & Elise Stevenson
Black and White Rag (June 15, 1909) - Victor Dance Orchestra
What a Time (Nov. 1909) - Polk Miller & Old South Quartette
Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet (Nov. 24, 1909) - Haydn Quartet
Roll, Jordan, Roll (Dec. 9, 1909) - Fisk University Jubilee Quartet

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (March 1910) - Peerless Quartet
Come, Josephine, In My Flying Machine (Nov. 22, 1910) - American Quartet
King of the Bungaloos (February 17, 1911) - Gene Greene
The Camptown Races (Gwine to Run All Night) (May 26, 1911) - Billy Murray
I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad (July 27, 1911)
– American Quartet
Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Oct. 1911) - Billy Murray
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Oct. 20, 1911) - Trinity Choir
Ragtime Cowboy Joe (April 23, 1912) - Bob Roberts
When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam’ (February 1913)
- Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling (Feb. 25, 1913) - Chauncey Olcott
Red Onion Rag (March 1913) - Roy Spangler
You Made Me Love You (June 4, 1913) - Al Jolson
Fon der Choope (From the Wedding) (1913) – Abe Elenkrig’s Yiddishe Orchestra
Too Much Mustard (Tres Moutarde) (Dec. 29, 1913) - Europe’s Society Orchestra
Castle House Rag (Feb. 10, 1914) - Europe’s Society Orchestra
Desecration Rag (March 6, 1914) - Felix Arndt
By the Beautiful Sea (May 14, 1914) - Heidelberg Quintet
Memphis Blues (July 15, 1914) - Victor Military Band
Sans Souci (Maxixe Brasilienne) (July 24, 1914) - Van Eps Banjo Orchestra
Chinatown, My Chinatown (Oct. 27, 1914) - American Quartet
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny (Nov. 13, 1914) - Alma Gluck
It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary (Nov. 23, 1914) - John McCormack
Somewhere a Voice Is Calling (Nov. 23, 1914) - John McCormack
Hello, Frisco, Hello! (July 19, 1915) - Olive Kline & Reinald Werrenrath
Alabama Jubilee (Sept. 11, 1915) - Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan
O Mary Don’t You Weep, Don’t You Mourn (Oct. 23, 1915) - Fisk University Male Quartette
St. Louis Blues (December 1915) - Prince’s Orchestra
Operatic Rag (Feb. 4, 1916) - Joseph Moskowitz
They Didn’t Believe Me (March 18, 1916) - Grace Kerns & Reed Miller
America (My Country ‘Tis of Three) (Apr. 21, 1916) - Columbia Mixed Double Quartette
Sunset Medley (May 1916) - W.G. Haenschen & T.T. Schiffer
Maple Leaf Rag (1916 piano roll) - Scott Joplin
The Entertainer (1916 piano roll) - Scott Joplin
Pretty Baby (June 22, 1916) - Billy Murray
Down Home Rag (December 1916) - Wilbur Sweatman with Emerson String Trio
For Me and My Gal (March 1, 1917) - Van & Schenck
The Star-Spangled Banner (May 26, 1917) - John McCormack
Darktown Strutters’ Ball (May 31, 1917) - Original Dixieland Jazz Band
The Battle Hymn of the Republic (June 28, 1917) – Charles Harrison & Columbia Stellar Quartette
Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee) (1917) - Helen Louise & Frank Ferera
Over There (July 13, 1917) - Nora Bayes
Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody (March 13, 1918) - Al Jolson
Blaze Away (Apr. 25, 1918) - Mike Bernard
Sensation Rag (June 25, 1918) - Original Dixieland Jazz Band
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows (July 26, 1918) - Charles Harrison
Memphis Blues (March 7, 1919) - Lt. Jim Europe’s 369th Regiment Hellfighters Band
Go Down, Moses (summer 1919) - Harry T. Burleigh
The Hesitating Blues (Sept. 19, 1919) - Art Hickman’s Orchestra

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Tomorrow I'll post the list of songs from 1920-1929. If anyone has questions or comments, please let me know.

Steve Sullivan

[StevieFan13]

Welcome back, Steve! Thank you so much for doing this!

[Sweepstakes Ron]

It's great to have you back, Steve! Can't wait to see the rest of the list!

The Entertainer (1916 piano roll) - Scott Joplin

So, uh, funny story about this one. For many years, this song was listed on AM, simply credited to Scott Joplin for the year 1902 (when it was published). After a while, it was finally addressed that, since Joplin never made any commercial recordings in his lifetime, it made no sense for it to be on AM in the first place. But Henrik and the rest weren't going to give it up so easily, and we figured that many critics were liked exposed to it through Marvin Hamlisch's arrangement from The Sting. So in 2014, the year was changed from 1902 to 1973, with the credited artist changed "Scott Joplin, comp. 1902; Marvin Hamlisch, arr. 1973". But then, a year later, the song was removed from the site entirely.

With this piano roll showing up, however, it may be possible for "The Entertainer" to return to AM (with "Maple Leaf Rag" possibly joining it). That is, if a piano roll counts as a recording in the first place. I suppose it could be considered the highest-fidelity form of recording there is.

[jamieW]

Thanks for sharing, Steve! As someone deeply interested in the stories behind the greatest music of all-time, your books are exactly what I've been looking for. (Especially since I've been voraciously listening to pre-50's music lately.) I've already ordered Volumes 1 & 2, and am looking forward to ordering 3 & 4, as well. Keep up the great work!

[stevejazz]

I appreciate the group's slight dilemma regarding "The Entertainer." In my original volumes, I included the first commercial recording of the Joplin composition, from 1928, by Nap Hayes (guitar) and Matthew Prater (mandolin), really a magical performance that symbolizes some of the wonderful black string-band recordings of that era. It is of course a loss to history that Scott Joplin never made any commercial recordings. Piano rolls are not the same thing. But they're a whole lot better than nothing, and because this is Joplin, these are historically significant. While I love the fact that the Hamlisch single put the song in the Top Ten after all those decades, it's not nearly on the same level as the Hayes-Prater record or the Joplin roll. If my series continues to Volume 6 or 7 (the latter would carry me to and beyond the all-time top 5,000), then I might get around to Hamlisch, but not before then.