Music recorded in May 1919
May 1919 was a month of simultaneous progress in the reorganization of the postwar order, social movements, and scientific observation. On the 4th, the May Fourth Movement began in China, and protests against the Shandong issue at the Paris Peace Conference spread throughout the country. On the 7th, peace terms were presented to the German representatives, and negotiations toward the Treaty of Versailles began to take shape. On the 15th, a large-scale general strike began in Winnipeg, Canada, and on the same day, Greek troops landed in Smyrna, escalating tensions in Asia Minor. On the 21st, the United States House of Representatives passed an amendment granting women the right to vote, and on the 27th, a United States Navy Curtiss NC-4 flying boat completed its transatlantic flight. The total solar eclipse on the 29th provided an opportunity to test the predictions of Albert Einstein's (1879–1955) general theory of relativity.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the May 1919 recording.
Regarding recordings in May 1919, the activities of Victor Talking Machine Co., Columbia Graphophone Co., Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co.'s Okeh Records, Pathé Frères Phonograph Company, The Aeolian Company's Vocalion, and Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company can be confirmed. Since some companies can be traced to specific recording dates within the month, while others can only be traced through advertising and sales activities for that month, the following is a company-by-company summary of only the facts directly related to May 1919 materials.
Victor
At Victor Talking Machine Co., a matrix with specific recording dates for May 1919 can be found, including "Polka Adaminka" on May 8th, "Oriental Fox Trot" on May 12th, and "Beautiful Ohio" on May 21st. Instrumental recordings, exemplified by the Six Brown Brothers, and popular song recordings continued throughout this month.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse/1919-05-21
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/110219/Six_Brown_Brothers
Columbia
Columbia Graphophone Co. has records of the Russian Balalaika Orchestra performing "Hay Harvest" and "Peace and Liberty: Waltz" dating back to around May 1919. During this period, Columbia Graphophone Co. was commercializing not only popular English songs but also Russian instrumental repertoire.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/objects/detail/222407/Columbia-E4440
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/refer/2000110696
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse?Matrix_sort=Description&date=1919-05-31
Edison
Thomas A. Edison, Inc. recorded "Fiddle and I" and "I Know Where I'm Goin'" on May 21, 1919. In May 1919, the company continued recording popular songs for home use and vocal repertoire, continuing its production activities that led to both cylinder and disc releases.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse/1919-05-21
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse?Matrix_sort=Description&date=1919-05-31
OK
Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co.'s Okeh Records label has records from around May 1919 that include "Daa dee dum" by the Kaufman Brothers, "One and two and three and four" by the Green Brothers' Xylophone Orchestra, and "Chong (he come from Hong Kong)" by the Van Eps Quartet. In May 1919, the label was expanding its lineup to prominently feature popular songs, novelty music, and dance music.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/refer/2000199187
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/objects/detail/260386
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse?Matrix_sort=Description&date=1919-05-31
putty
Pathé Frères Phonograph Company advertised its new releases for the month in an advertisement dated May 9, 1919. Furthermore, the Pathé recording of the 369th Infantry Regiment Band, led by James Reese Europe (1881–1919), was positioned as a key release for the spring of 1919, confirming that the company was handling military music and highly publicized recordings by Black orchestras in the May 1919 market.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19190509-01.1.14
- https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/descriptions-and-essays/african-americans-on-the-recording-registry/
- https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-james-reese-europe/selected-articles
Vocalion
The Aeolian Company's Vocalion was advertised on May 4, 1919, as a machine capable of playing records from other companies. Furthermore, in a sales advertisement dated May 22, the Aeolian Company's Vocalion was listed as one of their main models and was included in demonstration sales, indicating that it had a significant presence in the machine sales market as of May 1919.
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1919-05-04/ed-2/?sp=15&st=text
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19190522-01.1.36
Brunswick
In an advertisement dated May 13, 1919, the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company highlighted the ability of its Ultona to play various types of records. The same feature was repeated in another advertisement dated May 16, indicating that in May 1919, the company was expanding its market by emphasizing machine compatibility and its positioning as a high-end product.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=LCT19190513.1.11
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19190516.1.9
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19190516-01.1.24
