"Let It Rain.." First Victor dance band recorded with a microphone, 1925, featuring Billy Murray

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Oct 22, 2018.

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  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I've been crazy about this 93 year old record since I found a copy for a dime when I was in college. I usually avoided "Batwing" (label) Victors because they were acoustically recorded (singing into a horn, before microphones were invented) but my 78 collecting buddy, the late Richard Hite of Canned Heat fame, told me that this was the first electric recording of a dance band. In other words, a Western Electric microphone was used instead of the horn for the first time on a "pop" record of that day (March 26, 1925).

    Hearing the great (and totally forgotten) Billy Murray on the vocal really means something to me because all of my countless Billy Murray (born 1877, died 1954) records are either on acoustic Edison cylinders (She's A Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle Boy, etc.) or acoustic Victor/Columbia, etc. Hearing Billy electrically recorded makes me happy and also sad because, ironically, the invention of the microphone spelled the END of singers like Billy Murray who could shout into a horn and be understood on a squeaky old Edison machine. The microphone enabled the new crooners like Big Crosby to just cozy up to the microphone and sing quietly. Billy Murray was suddenly old news. So, it's a treat hearing him singing in to a microphone but also the beginning of the end of his long, great career.. billy.jpg



    I woke up with "Let It Rain, Let It Pour" in my head this morning. Try it on the guitar: I think it's (4/4) 1 - 5 - 4 -3-7th -2m held for 8 beats -5 -1.

    Yes, I really love the melody, chord structure, Billy and the historic importance of the recording. A winner for a dime!
     
    Steve Hoffman, Oct 22, 2018
    #1
    I Love Music, altaeria, mtvgeneration and 29 others like this.
  2. lennonfan1

    lennonfan1 Senior Member

    Location:
    baltimore maryland
    I have a bunch of his 78s, I think an Edison cylinder as well..he was usually comic novelty songs, no?
     
    lennonfan1, Oct 22, 2018
    #2
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    My buddy Dr. Demento told me this about the record:

    "Steve, I got my first "Let It Rain..." for free, on one of my very first thrift shop visits in 1953 when I was 12, because it had a rim flake. Shortly after that I read about the record in Roland Gelatt's book "The Fabulous Phonograph." Got a nicer copy later and have always revered it."
     
    Steve Hoffman, Oct 22, 2018
    #3
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  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Mostly. Patriotic as well.
     
    Steve Hoffman, Oct 22, 2018
    #4
    lennonfan1 likes this.
  5. adad

    adad Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego
    I like learning about the history of recorded music. I enjoyed the song. I would love to hear an acoustically recorded song from the same label same period of time and hear how they compare.

    I enjoyed reading your post about Richard Hite from this old thread
    The legacy of The Hite Bros. and CANNED HEAT
     
    adad, Oct 22, 2018
    #5
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  6. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    My great grandfather bought most of his "hillbilly" records in the mid 1920's when the switch from acoustic to electric was occurring. Last year I did needle drops of several favorite titles. The difference is pretty stark!
     
    seed_drill, Oct 22, 2018
    #6
  7. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    That's a great thread, thanks for getting it opened again. Forgot all about it.
     
    Steve Hoffman, Oct 22, 2018
    #7
    John Grimes and adad like this.
  8. Anthology123

    Anthology123 Senior Member

    Location:
    Palo Alto, California
    As much dubious like or dislike people have for Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories book. If were not for this book, I would have not have discovered who Billy Murray was or most anyone else in the acoustic age of recorded music, save for Enrico Caruso.
     
    Anthology123, Oct 22, 2018
    #8
  9. Propinquity

    Propinquity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gravel Switch, KY
    What is the best sounding Billy Murray CD? I have the Living Era disc. I see the Archeophone comp was remastered in 2018. Are they a reputable label? I need more Billy in my collection.
     
    Propinquity, Oct 22, 2018
    #9
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  10. MrSka57

    MrSka57 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, New York
    I have a complete Archeophone collection and all their CDs are first rate.
    Great booklets and the transfers are superb.
    'Casey Jones' was always my favorite.
    Billy Murray, Anthology: The Denver Nightingale
     
    MrSka57, Oct 22, 2018
    #10
  11. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Location:
    Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
    Let It Rain, Let It Pour is not on the Archeophone disc nor is it on the ASV disc.

    BTW, the ASV disc is a rare collectible that goes for hundreds of dollars now.
     
    BradOlson, Oct 22, 2018
    #11
  12. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Location:
    Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
    Keep the ASV disc as it is a rare collectible.
     
    BradOlson, Oct 22, 2018
    #12
  13. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Location:
    Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
    BradOlson, Oct 22, 2018
    #13
  14. Hamhead

    Hamhead The Bear From Delaware

    Location:
    Wilmington, Delaware
    I collect old 78's and notice on all the victors including the "bat wings" that the electrical recordings have VE in a oval in the dead wax.
     
    Hamhead, Oct 22, 2018
    #14
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  15. smoke

    smoke Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Fun song. I picked up the guitar but was drawn to the tuba line: 1---Maj7 (3rd of 5)---6 (3rd of 4)---#5 (3rd of 7th) seems odd but I think that's what it does. Not that odd, really, now that I think of some descending rock basslines. I hear something harmonic in the 2m section but can't place it. I don't have a great ear, but I enjoy this tune. Thank you.
     
    smoke, Oct 22, 2018
    #15
  16. jeddy

    jeddy Forum Resident

    Buddies with Dr. Demento?

    Do tell...
     
    jeddy, Oct 22, 2018
    #16
  17. Walter H

    Walter H Santa's Helper

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Walter H, Oct 22, 2018
    #17
  18. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I'd rather know if Steve was buddies with Wild Man Fischer and what Larry was really like?

    Regarding the song of this thread, that was just GREAT. I'm now looking for a copy of it to put next to King Oliver's "Too Late", in my Seeburg M100a jukebox, where it will sound amazing!
     
    Chris C, Oct 23, 2018
    #18
  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Catchy tune, must have been a popular flapper dance favorite in its day.
     
    alexpop, Oct 23, 2018
    #19
  20. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Update to my post #18 above ...

    I just found a VG+ copy of this 78 rpm online for $14.95, including shipping and it will hopefully be heading my way soon! Not the same 10 cents deal that Steve found back in his college days, but considering inflation and the many years since Steve found his copy, I think I did pretty good!
     
    Chris C, Oct 23, 2018
    #20
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  21. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    Dan C, Oct 23, 2018
    #21
    Chris C likes this.
  22. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Chris C, Oct 23, 2018
    #22
    Steve Hoffman likes this.
  23. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    By the way, "Let It Rain, Let It Pour" was an early composition by the great Walter Donaldson, who also brought us ...

    Makin' Whoopee
    My Blue Heaven (Fats Domino, among many others)
    My Mammy (Al Jolson)
    My Baby Cares For Me (Nina Simone)
    and
    Yes Sir, That's My Baby, (I love this "alternate take" of this song by Frank Sinatra, with Frank in full on, "super serious" Frank mode!)

     
    Chris C, Oct 23, 2018
    #23
    Walter H likes this.
  24. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Here's one for you Dan, where he is a voice of the little guy and he is the narrator just before the he sings one of his most famous songs ...

     
    Chris C, Oct 23, 2018
    #24
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  25. frummox

    frummox Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    More tuba! Always interesting to hear how band orchestration has evolved over the years. Guessing there is a banjo playing rhythm deep in the mix. Wonder how easy it would be to clean up the groove noise on a record like this.
     
    frummox, Oct 23, 2018
    #25
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