Music recorded in June 1917
June 1917 was a month of simultaneous expansion of World War I and strengthening of national control. In the United States, the first Pulitzer Prize was announced on June 4th and awarded on June 6th, marking a new milestone in the institutional history of journalism and literature. On June 5th, the first registration under the Selective Service System took place, marking the full-scale start of wartime mobilization. On the Western Front, the Battle of Messines took place from June 7th to 14th, with the British army achieving a successful offensive. In Greece, Constantine I (1868–1923) abdicated on June 12th, clearly establishing the leadership of the Eleftherios Venizelos (1864–1936) regime. On June 15, the Espionage Act was passed in the United States, strengthening wartime controls. Furthermore, in late June, the advance contingent of the American Expeditionary Forces arrived in France, making the United States' full-scale participation in combat a reality.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the June 1917 recording.
In the recording industry in June 1917, phonograph sales were notable for their patriotic appeals following the country's entry into the war, in-store demonstrations, installment payment options, and compatibility with various record playback systems. Thomas A. Edison, Inc. confirmed the June releases and recordings of Blue Amberol, while Columbia Graphophone Company, Victor Talking Machine Company, The Aeolian Company's Aeolian-Vocalion, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, and Pathé Frères Phonograph Co.'s Pathéphone all confirmed sales activities from their June 1917 advertisements. Below, we will only list business activities that can be directly confirmed in June 1917.
Edison
At Thomas A. Edison, Inc., we can confirm the release of Blue Amberol in June 1917. From the late 3170s to the early 3200s, the lineup included popular songs, dance tunes, marches, instrumental music, and religious music. Songs such as Vernon Dalhart's (1883–1948) "Can't You Hear Me Callin', Caroline?", Ada Jones' (1873–1922) "Come On Over Here, It's a Wonderful Place", and dance tunes by the Jaudas' Band were on the market. The inclusion of patriotic themes and marches suggests a product lineup that anticipated demand after the country entered the war.
Recording work in June included Lou Chiha “Friscoe”'s "The Drytown Blues — One-Step" on June 18, 1917, and Billy Golden (1858–1926) and Billy Heins' (dates unknown) "Bill's Visit to St. Peter" on June 29. In terms of sales, newspaper advertisements for New Edison's live demonstrations continued that month, indicating that recording, release, and retail promotion were progressing in parallel.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170608-01.1.21
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170621-01.1.10
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74575519
Columbia
Newspaper advertisements from June 1917 show the sale of the Columbia Grafonola by the Columbia Graphophone Company and the promotion of Columbia Records. The June 6, 1917 issue of the Indianapolis News contains an advertisement for installment payment plans for the Columbia Grafonola. Furthermore, the June 14, 1917 issue of the Indianapolis News contains an advertisement for Columbia Records A2225 "Let's All Be Americans Now," indicating that the company was promoting record products that same month.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170606-01.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170614-01.1.12
Victor
Regarding the Victor Talking Machine Company, we can see from local newspaper advertisements from June 1917 that they were promoting the sale of patriotic records using the Victrola and demonstrating them in stores. The June 11, 1917 issue of the Richmond Palladium published an announcement that Victor records would be played in stores on the days of the month. Furthermore, the June 18, 1917 issue of the Richmond Palladium introduced patriotic songs and readings that should be heard on the Victrola, showing a clear focus on product promotion tailored to the post-war market.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19170611.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19170618.1.3
Aeolian Vocalion
Regarding the Aeolian-Vocalion from The Aeolian Company, we can confirm that they were conducting demonstration sales with comparative listening sessions, as seen in advertisements from June 1917. The June 14, 1917 issue of the Indianapolis News featured an advertisement touting natural sound reproduction, and the June 21 issue of the same newspaper announced that customers could bring their own records for listening. This shows that the company was emphasizing playback quality in its sales efforts.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170614-01.1.9
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19170621-01.1.3
Brunswick
Regarding the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, several advertisements from June 1917 confirm that they were selling phonographs capable of playing various types of records. The June 3rd and 8th editions of the *Daily Tribune*, and the June 10th edition of the *South Bend News-Times*, among others, advertised Brunswick as a machine compatible with multiple record formats. This can be seen as a sales strategy that emphasized differentiation from dedicated record players.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DT19170603.1.10
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DT19170608.1.19
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=SBNT19170610.1.17
Pattyphone
Sales activities for the Pathéphone, manufactured by Pathé Frères Phonograph Co., can be traced back to newspaper advertisements from June 1917. An advertisement encouraging the purchase of a Pathéphone appeared in the June 3, 1917 issue of the Sunday Times, indicating sales activities were underway in the early part of that month. Furthermore, an advertisement for the Pathéphone appeared in the June 29, 1917 issue of the Hammond Times, alongside that of Kimball phonographs, suggesting that in-store promotions were continuing even at the end of the month.
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/57983176
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=LCT19170629.1.8
