Music recorded in July 1918

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Music recorded in July 1918

July 1918 was the month when the outcome of World War I began to become even clearer. On July 4, the Australian Corps, led by John Monash (1865–1931), achieved a combined arms attack at the Battle of Hamel, a victory symbolizing the Allied counteroffensive. On the same day, in the United States, 95 ships were launched under the name of the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, strongly indicating the expansion of wartime transport capabilities. On July 15, the Second Battle of the Marne began, and the German offensive began to lose momentum. On July 17, Tsar Nicholas II (1868–1918) and his family were assassinated in Yekaterinburg, marking the end of the Romanov dynasty. In Japan, the rice riots began in Toyama Prefecture in late July, and anxieties about living conditions under wartime economic conditions surfaced as a social movement.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information regarding the July 1918 recording.

In the recording industry in July 1918, industry magazines from that month confirm that new release announcements centered on wartime songs and popular stage music, in-store promotional materials, monthly booklets, performance materials, and distribution expansion strategies were all being pursued in parallel. While there are not many cases where the recording date itself can be definitively limited to July 1918, at least in primary sources and contemporary industry documents from that month, we can confirm the activities of Victor Talking Machine Company, Columbia Graphophone Company, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Pathé Frères Phonograph Company, Aeolian Co., Operaphone, and Sonora Phonograph Sales Co.

Victor

The Victor Talking Machine Company advertised promotional materials for retailers in the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" under the title "Helps for the Victor Dealer." Among the records released around the same time, Victor 18465, which contains Billy Murray's (1877–1954) "They were all out of step but Jim," can be found in the Discography of American Historical Recordings, indicating that the company focused its sales on wartime songs in the summer of 1918.

Columbia

Regarding the Columbia Graphophone Company, the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" features a new release listing including the name of Al Jolson (1886–1950) and the song "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody." The Discography of American Historical Recordings also confirms Columbia A2560 of the same song, indicating that the company was prominently featuring popular stage music as a sales tool for that month.

Edison

Regarding Thomas A. Edison, Inc., the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" lists "Le Nil" as Blue Amberole number 28287. The Discography of American Historical Recordings confirms this as a Blue Amberole cylinder recording sung by Odette Le Fontenay (dates of birth and death unknown), indicating that the company was still supplying new cylinder releases as of July 1918.

putty

The Pathé Frères Phonograph Company introduced a demonstration record as part of its advertising campaign to generate interest, as confirmed in the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World." Furthermore, according to the Library of Congress, William H. Penn (dates of birth and death unknown), head of the company's recording department, wrote a letter dated July 11, 1918, to John Philip Sousa (1854–1932) expressing his intention to release a recent march composition by the company on record and feature it in the monthly booklet. These documents confirm that the company was linking the expansion of its recording repertoire with promotional activities during that month.

Aeolian Vocalion

The July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" reported that Aeolian Co. had announced a new release from Aeolian-Vocalion Records "this week," which had attracted considerable attention. The same document also confirms that Aeolian-Vocalion had a window display in New York, indicating that the company was simultaneously promoting the new release and creating a store display.

Operaphone

In an advertisement in the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World," Operaphone promoted the fact that its new catalog contained 300 tracks. It also emphasized that Operaphone records could be played on universal tonearm machines, confirming that the company was trying to expand its sales channels that month through catalog updates and promoting compatibility.

Sonora

Regarding Sonora Phonograph Sales Co., the July 15, 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" states that arrangements had been made for Allan & Co. of Australia to handle all of Sonora's products. While it is not possible to definitively determine recording dates and new release numbers from the records of that month, it can be confirmed that the company was expanding its overseas sales network at least as of July 1918.

June 1918
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