Doug Boilesen, June 2024

The "Children's Book of Music" is a nicely illustrated book about "different musical styles, the works and lives of famous composers and performers, how to play instruments, and the amazing range of music around the world."

There are four different types of pages in the book: Musican Profile; Instrument Profile; Music Style; and Performance.

Within the "Modern music - PERFORMANCE" section there are two pages on recorded sound which have phonograph connections in addition to two phonograph related images on the cover of the book.

 

 

On page 100 there is a small picture of an Edison tin foil phonograph (not Edison's first tin foil phonograph) with the caption that on this phonograph "sound is recorded as indentations on foil wrapped around a cylinder." ("Children's Book of Music," Second American Edition published by DK Publishing, New York, 2023. © 2010, 2023 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Penguin Random House, LLC.)

 

 

The Recorded sound page provides a very high-level overview of recorded music's timeline:

In 1877, Thomas Edison made the first recording of a human voice on his newly invented cylinder phonograph. This began a wonder of inventions in the recording world, from gramophone records to today's fifth generation (5G) technology. The birth of radio provided a springboard for musicians and this continues today with the availability of digital downloads and online streaming. (Ibid. p. 100)

Four artists were also highlighted on page 100 with the following text and performance related factolas.

Nora Bayes, 1880-1928, American

A popular singer during World War I, Nora Bayes performed morale-boosting songs for Allied troops. Her song, Over There, written in 1917, became an international hit and the anthem for America's war effort. Bayes recorded on phonographic records.

 

"Over There," Words and Music by George M. Cohan, William Jerome Publishing, New York, 1917 (Source: Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection, Johns Hopkins).

 

John McCormack, 1884-1945, Irish

Tenor John McCormack sang classical and popular songs. He made his first recording in 1904 on a cylinder phonograph. In the 1910s and 1920s, he recorded for a leading producer of phonograph records, The Victor Talking Machine Company.

The well-researched website of The John McCormack Society promotes the legacy of the great tenor and includes the complete discography of over 800 recordings made by John McCormack. That discography is based on "the research of Paul Worth and Jim Cartright that was published in their book "John McCormack – A Comprehensive Discography (JMACD)," 1986 (Greenwood Press). Nine Edison cylinder records were made in the fall of 1904 in London and these were the earliest recordings made by McCormack.

The nine known published Edison cylinders were two-minute black wax records in the gold-moulded series. Presumably, there was only one take of each of these. The first Edison cylinder has the following information on the edge in raised letters: “(Title). J. McCormack. Thomas A. Edison. Pat’d 13124.” (Ibid.)

The first Edison recording made by McCormack was "The Snowy Breasted Pearl" (Traditional) No. 13124 recorded "for the National Phonograph Company, UK. With Orchestra conducted by possibly Hubert Bath. With spoken announcements by John McCormack. Two-minute black wax cylinders; one take of each. 160 rpm." (Ibid.)

Another of those nine 1904 Edison cylinders was "The Green Isle of Erin" which can be heard courtesy of the UCSB Cylinder Record Collection:

LISTEN to Edison Gold Moulded Record "The Green Isle of Erin" by John McCormack, 1904 (UCSB Cylinder Record Collection) No. 13153 Foreign Gold Moulded Record: British series.

"Green Isle of Erin," Words by Clifton Bingham, Music by Joseph L. Roeckel, Published by Edwin Ashdown, Ltd., London, 1892. (Source: Irish Sheet Music Archives).

See Spotify's "This is John McCormack" for a Public Playlist of selections by McCormack.

See The John McCormack Society's Discography which includes embedded songs available for listening. The long-term goal of the society is make available a copy of all of John McCormack’s recordings.

 

Bing Crosby, 1903-1977, American

Bing Crosby, one of the most successful recording artists of all time, made the bestselling record ever, White Christmas. He is famous for his "crooner" sound, developed by singing close to the new-style microphones , introduced by Bell Labs in the US in 1926.

 

Recorded on May 29, 1942, 78 single release of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby on Decca Records, 18429 A, with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, Matrix # DLA 3009, 10-in. double-faced). (DAHR).

 

 

Benny Goodman, 1909-1986, American

Clarinet player Benny Goodman and his band played a style of jazz that made people dance. Goodman began recording in the 1920s, and then, with his band, went on to take a regular slot in the nationwide radio program, "Let's Dance."

 

1935 Promotion Benny Goodman and His Orchestra as stars of N.B.C's radio program "Let's Dance." (Wikipedia)

 

Benny Goodman for Columbia Records, 1947

 

 

Five additional artists were highlighted on page 101:

Smokey Robinson, 1940 - American

Patsy Cline, 1932-1963, American

Jimi Hendrix, 1942-1970, American

Adele, 1988-, British

BTS, 2013-, South Korean

 

Second American Edition published by DK Publishing, New York, 2023. © 2010, 2023 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Phonographia