Music recorded in April 1914

This article can be read in about 5 minutes.
Sponsored Links

Music recorded in April 1914

April 1914 was a month marked by simultaneous political tension, social movements, and the expansion of popular entertainment. The United States landed in Veracruz, Mexico, on April 21, and Mexico announced the severance of diplomatic relations the following day, April 22. Domestically, the Ludlow Massacre on April 20 made the seriousness of labor disputes visible, and in the women's suffrage movement, Alice Paul (1885–1977) and Lucy Burns (1879–1966) founded a new organization focused on lobbying Congress. In terms of popular entertainment, Weeghman Park (later Wrigley Field) opened in Chicago on April 23, signaling the expansion of urban leisure culture. This month, marked by the coexistence of military, labor, political reform, and entertainment consumption, also marked a time when the recording industry saw growing demand for new danceable records and home entertainment devices.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information on recordings made in April 1914

A look at contemporary documents on the recording industry in April 1914 shows that that month saw growing demand for dance, monthly announcements of new releases, and sales promotions for home playback devices all progressing in tandem. From the available documents, the movements of that month can be tracked relatively clearly for Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Victor Talking Machine Company, and Columbia Graphophone Company.

Edison

As of April 1914, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. was clearly developing a dual presence in both cylinder and disc sales. Edison Phonograph Monthly already announced the April release of Blue Amberol, and the industry journal Talking Machine World's April new releases section featured both standard and concert listings. The April issue also promoted the new Diamond Disc series, particularly popular dance music, stating that "demand for dance records has greatly exceeded supply over the past month," and even included instructions on how to use the stylus and the distribution of dance record pamphlets. It appears that Edison, in April, not only released new records, but also strengthened its sales point-of-sale materials and machine support in response to the growing demand for dance music.

Victor

The Victor Talking Machine Company's new releases for April 1914 can be found in Talking Machine World, which listed band works featuring popular dances as well as high-quality recordings by Enrico Caruso (1873–1921), Nellie Melba (1861–1931), Frieda Hempel (1885–1955), Alma Gluck (1884–1938), and Titta Ruffo (1877–1953) in the same monthly slot. Additionally, industry papers from the same period reported that Victor had sent out in-store hangers related to Richard Strauss (1864–1949) and new folders displaying all Victrola models to retailers, indicating that Victor was promoting both the supply of new releases and in-store sales promotions in April.

Columbia

The Columbia Graphophone Company's activities in April 1914 can also be traced quite specifically through contemporary documents. The April releases section includes a mix of opera singer recordings, band recordings, and popular songs, demonstrating that Columbia was simultaneously promoting high-end vocal music and new releases for the masses that month. In terms of sales, there were reports of a flood of orders in Buffalo immediately after the announcement of dance records, and the April 15th issue also includes an announcement that the Columbia release date would be moved up to the 20th instead of the usual 25th. The same issue also includes an article about the company's 25th anniversary celebration under Edward D. Easton (1856–1915). This suggests that in April 1914, Columbia was simultaneously marking its anniversary, adjusting its sales system, and responding to dance demand.

March 1914
1914 TOP
May 1914
Sponsored Links