Maybe 1st Country Music Recording

06 Mar 07 - 06:14 PM (#1988741)
Subject: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Bill D

For those who have not looked into The Wayback Machine (The Internet Archive), here is one introduction.

A 1916 recording of Don_Richardson playing Durang's Hornpipe and Little Brown Jug They have several formats to choose from, or a 'flash' player right on the page. (He plays it too fast...but, hey maybe there was limited space on the 78!)

At the top of the page, and under 'keywords', you can find a large 'selection' of recorded audio to explore. Some good, some...interesting.

So many sites, so little time....

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07 Mar 07 - 08:54 AM (#1989383)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Scrump

He plays it too fast...but, hey maybe there was limited space on the 78

In the early days of "78s" the recording speed could vary widely from around 65 rpm to 100 rpm, so that might explain why he seems to play it too fast - he may not have played it at that speed!

The early recording machines (and indeed playing machines) were mechanical, and I guess no one was particularly bothered as to whether the speeds matched, as long as the recording could be heard more or less OK.

I think it wasn't until the 1920s when 'talkies' started, that there was a need to ensure the speed didn't vary too much. That was when the 78 speed was chosen (for the best compromise between disk capacity and sound quality). Sometimes you can still find an early '78' marked with a different speed, e.g. 80 rpm, from before standardisation.

With some suitable software, you should be able to slow the recording down and get it to sound more like it probably would have when played 'live' in the recording studio (or wherever it was recorded).

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07 Mar 07 - 11:31 AM (#1989569)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Bill D

Thank you for reminding me, Scrump...I downloaded it in the .ogg format (a slightly better format than MP3) and decided to try it in GOM Player a totally free program which will play almost any format! (Video or audio)

In GOM Player there is a 'control panel' with a feature to control speed...at about 80%, it sounds pretty good! It also has a built-in equalizer and volume control.

In GOM, you can even control brightness, contrast and color saturation in videos as they play!)

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07 Mar 07 - 04:26 PM (#1989869)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: kendall

I have some of my grandmother's old 78s. Among them, The Death of Floyd Collins by Vernon Dalhart, the Pikanny's Paradise, Rockaby your baby etc.

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07 Mar 07 - 06:12 PM (#1989991)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Bill D

Vernon Dalhart was a real pioneer....you can still get someold releases by him.

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07 Mar 07 - 06:58 PM (#1990028)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Peace

CD available here.

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08 Mar 07 - 06:40 AM (#1990323)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: kendall

Marion T. Slaughter had to change his name to get recorded.

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08 Mar 07 - 09:24 AM (#1990429)
Subject: RE: Maybe 1st Country Music Recording
From: Scrump

Somewhere I have Vernon Dalhart's original (I think it was anyway?) version of the Runaway Train on a vinyl LP of kids' songs. It was popular on the radio in the UK in the 1940s or 50s.

I think he also recorded Wreck of the Old 97 - did he write that?

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