Music recorded in September 1929

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Music recorded in September 1929

September 1929 was a month marked by a series of events that signaled a shift towards the next era in the fields of economics, diplomacy, culture, and technology. On September 3, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high of 381.17 on the New York Stock Exchange, and on September 9, Aristide Briand (1862–1932) proposed the European Solidarity concept at the League of Nations Assembly. On September 18, Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) delivered a radio address on peace efforts and disarmament, and in the same month, Ernest Hemingway's (1899–1961) "A Farewell to Arms" was published as a book. Furthermore, on September 30, Fritz von Opel (1899–1971) achieved the flight of a rocket-powered glider, and later in the month, the 1929 Bahamas hurricane caused damage from the Bahamas to the Florida Keys.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information regarding the September 1929 recording.

In the recording industry in September 1929, even just looking at the list for September 25th, we can see the simultaneous activities of Victor Talking Machine Company, Columbia Graphophone Company, Okeh Phonograph Corporation, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Gennett Records (by Starr Piano Company), American Record Corporation, and The Gramophone Company, Limited. Urban dance bands, regionally-oriented blues and old-time music, ethnic language recordings, radio transcriptions, film sound transcriptions, and European classical recordings all coexisted in the same month, indicating that September 1929 was a period of considerable market fragmentation.

Victor

On September 25, 1929, Victor Talking Machine Company was simultaneously recording blues solos, banjo performances, ethnic language scenes, and jazz/dance music by The Mound City Blue Blowers. On the same day, they were also seen transferring film audio from United Artists Corporation, Fox Film Corporation, and Pathé Pictures onto wax discs, indicating that the company was simultaneously handling regular record production and film audio processing.

Columbia

The Columbia Graphophone Company recorded a dance orchestra performance by Ben Selvin and His Orchestra and The Columbia Photo Players on September 25, 1929. This suggests that the company was consistently supplying movie theme songs and urban popular dance music recordings in September.

OK

Okeh Phonograph Corporation recorded a jazz recording by The Little Chocolate Dandies on September 18, 1929, and on September 25, they had a lineup of recordings including theatrical pieces, a fiddle and guitar duo, and solo vocals including yodeling. September was a month in which Okeh broadly handled jazz, old-time music, theatrical performances, and recordings with a strong regional flavor all under one label.

Brunswick

The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company produced a series of radio transcriptions of the "Super Oil program" on September 25, 1929, indicating a growing connection between the record industry and radio program supply. Recordings of Spanish-language songs, regional blues, and popular song solos were also found on the same day, suggesting the company was handling both broadcast material and commercial recordings simultaneously.

Edison

Thomas A. Edison, Inc. recorded a dance band performance by the Assassinators and Phil Spitalny and His Music on September 25, 1929. While Edison's disc business was nearing its end that year, this recording confirms that the company was still producing new recordings for the masses as of September.

Jennette

Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company, was intensively recording regionally-flavored string instruments, primarily fiddle, guitar, and mandolin, on September 25, 1929. This shows that the Richmond-based company was supporting a regional market separate from urban dance music recordings that month.

ARC

American Record Corporation can be found in the September 25, 1929 list under the ARC column, and a recording of a male solo vocalist by Frank James Marvin (1904–1985) is recorded on the same day. Although the number of entries is not large, it is significant that the name of the company under the new reorganization structure established in 1929 already appears in the recording list for this month.

Gramophone

On September 25, 1929, The Gramophone Company, Limited recorded opera solos, the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra, orchestral recordings by the Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire, and Nordic instrumental recordings all on the same day. This clearly shows that the company was internationally organizing the European classical music market in September.

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