John McCormack

Subject: John McCormack
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 25 May 19 - 06:18 PM

There have been lyric posts and a few threads mentioning the legendary Irish tenor John McCormack, so I assume there are list members who appreciate his art.
Marston Records has just released a massive 16 CD collection of
his Electrical recordings for Gramophone (HMV) and Victor, with supplements which include his very first acoustical recordings on cylinder and disc from 1904/1906, and most of the extant broadcast recordings.
McCormack - Electrical recordings, first recordings, airchecks
https://www.marstonrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/mccormack-patrician

With the release of this set, almost every McCormack recording is
now available.

A few years ago Marston issued all the ODEON recordings, and
NAXOS has issued the acoustic Gramophone and Victor sides.

McCormack - ODEON recordings
https://www.marstonrecords.com/collections/singer/products/mccormack

McCormack - acoustic recordings (Naxos)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=john+mccormack+naxos&i=popular&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

The John McCormack society has an online discography here:
John McCormack discography

McCormack appeared and sang in 2 motion pictures, both have been
available on DVD, selections may be found on youtube.
Song O' My Heart (1930)
    TCF - Murnau & Borzage at Fox (12 DVD box)
Wings of the Morning (1937)
    KINO - paired with St.Martin's Lane (out of print)

Thomas.

Subject: RE: John McCormack
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 May 19 - 06:47 PM

Thank you so much for that. Actually, I have a somewhat distant but nonetheless solid relationship with Count John. John's father and my great-grandad allegedly worked in the same factory in Athlone. The job of foreman came up and they both put in for it. John's dad got the job but not before fisticuffs had ensued. So we lost but I'm not bitter. I'm a huge fan of John McCormack and I'll be eagerly looking into your links.

Subject: RE: John McCormack
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 May 19 - 02:15 PM

My Dark Rosaleen.

Subject: RE: John McCormack
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 28 May 19 - 12:53 PM

As a record-collector in the field, I can tell you that John McCormack had a tremendous audience among record-buyers in the American south from his earlier recordings c. after WWI until before 78 rpms ended their domination of the market c. 1950.

So much so, that I, hunting for genuine old time music and blues records in house after house from the Mason-Dixon Line south to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic coast to the Mississippi—the homeland of old time music and blues in their heyday 1920-1942—commonly found the traditional records outnumbered by shoals of McCormack's high-toned classical-styled pop-standard songs, 'Mother Machree' among the most numerous.

That Southerners continued this elevation of taste is confirmed by the equally tremendous popularity in the region of Vernon Dalhart, whose elegant vocals dressed up southern-themed folk and pop music during those decades. McCormack had clearly made a market for Dalhart.

Apparently—I imply no value judgments—the ordinary southern singing wasn't such a draw; traditional and early country music recordings never sold anywhere near so well.

After 1942, with the help of radio, musical styles broke with tradition and changed to recognizable modern pop, suddenly mutating into distinctly different R&B and country music. Which of course ended the saleability of McCormack and Dalhart too.

Admittedly I'm only stating the obvious. Funny how normal-seeming we assume that outcome is, though, considering all the deeper questions it raises.

Bob

Subject: RE: John McCormack
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 05:44 PM

youtube presentation by Marston about McCormack recordings


Marston video - McCormack recordings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGFw-SWDd4&redirect_mongo_id=5cf953c1ab676c0040f8d9c5&utm_source=Springbot&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=2019%2520Summer%252020%2525%2520Off%2520Newsletter

Enjoy!
Thomas.