Music recorded in March 1922

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Music recorded in March 1922

March 1922 was a month marked by both political and social unrest and the spread of a new popular culture. In South Africa, the Witwatersrand mining dispute escalated into an armed rebellion, which was suppressed by March 18. In British India, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) was arrested on March 10 and sentenced to six years in prison on March 18. In foreign policy, the United States Senate ratified the treaties signed at the Washington Conference at the end of March, solidifying the post-war reorganization of the Pacific order. In military technology, the USS Langley (CV-1) of the U.S. Navy was recommissioned on March 20, becoming the country's first aircraft carrier. Culturally, the German film "Nosferatu" premiered in Berlin on March 4. In the telecommunications sector, the broadcasting network expanded remarkably. In the United States, 67 stations were confirmed as of March 10th, and 98 stations as of March 23rd, indicating that radio was rapidly becoming an integral part of daily life.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information regarding the recording from March 1922

In the recording industry in March 1922, it can be seen that record companies and phonograph companies were stimulating demand not only through price competition, but also through a combination of sales meetings, the introduction of new models, expansion of regional sales channels, newspaper advertisements, and in-store displays. The same month saw a sharp increase in the number of radio broadcasting stations, indicating that the environment for music reception was beginning to change, while the industry itself was strengthening its support for retailers and regional sales efforts. Based on primary sources from March, we can track the activities of Aeolian's Vocalion, General Phonograph's OK Records, Sonora Phonograph, Star's Gennett Records, Columbia Graphophone, the Thomas A. Edison Company's sales network, the Victor Talking Machine Company's sales network, and Black Swan Records.

Vocalion

The Aeolian Company's Vocalion was reported in the March 11, 1922 issue of an industry magazine to have added three new console models. The added models were in the Early American, Queen Anne, and Jacobean styles, and the company also announced a price reduction for its existing Period style models, effective March 6. This indicates that the company was simultaneously introducing new models and adjusting prices that month.

OK

Okeh Records, a division of General Phonograph Corp., was giving demonstrations of records and explaining the recording process at a sales conference for dealers in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Furthermore, the March 25th issue announced that the company had signed an exclusive contract with a popular vaudeville singer, confirming that they were already working on both dealer training and strengthening their exclusive artist roster as of March.

Sonora

Sonora Phonograph Co., through Yahr & Lange Drug Co., held dealer meetings in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to study and discuss various models. The March 25th issue also reported that the advertising department had prepared small screens featuring Adam-style machines, which were being used in dealer window displays, indicating that the company was conducting wholesale meetings and in-store promotions concurrently that month.

Jennette

Gennett Records, a subsidiary of Starr Piano Co., was expanding its distribution network through The Duning Co. in Des Moines, Iowa. An article dated March 6, 1922, reports that the company's service area had expanded to much of Iowa and Nebraska, and that new distributors had been added in Webster City and Ames, confirming the expansion of its regional distribution network as part of its business activities in March.

Columbia

In its March 11, 1922 issue, Columbia Graphophone Co. announced that it would soon release a new collection of foreign-language records recorded in various parts of Europe. The March 25 issue reported that record sales at its Detroit branch had increased over the past month, and that sales of Grafonola records had also grown thanks to newspaper advertisements. This indicates that the company was simultaneously expanding its international recordings and revitalizing its regional sales during that month.

Edison

The sales network for Thomas A. Edison, Inc. reveals activity related to The Phonograph Co. in Chicago. An article dated March 6, 1922, reports that the company was planning to move its wholesale Edison business to a new location and close its retail division on South Wabash Street, suggesting that a restructuring of its sales system was underway. However, since the article itself is in the form of a news report and details have not been confirmed with the company's general manager, the full extent of the restructuring cannot be definitively determined.

Victor

Regarding the sales activities of the Victor Talking Machine Co., the activities of the Van Wickle Piano Co. in Washington, D.C., were reported on March 18th. The company was targeting diplomats and travelers gathering in the capital and was prominently featuring the export sale of portable Victrolas and Victor records, indicating that as early as March 1922, Victor products were being marketed as items that could meet the demand for international export.

Black Swan

Black Swan Records placed an advertisement in the March 1922 issue of The Crisis magazine titled "A List of Sacred and High Class Black Swan Records." This advertisement confirms that the label was promoting religious music and high-end repertoire, continuously appealing to phonograph owners with catalog sales that month.

February 1922
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