Very early recordings & records

[DuranDuran]

Thomas Edison invented the prototype of the phonograph in 1877 which he recorded his voice with which was his reciting Mary Had A Little Lamb. The invention was 1st used as a dictation machine in offices. In the 1890s is when 'photograph parlors' came into being. These were set up in public places and had a short recording of music which people paid 5 cents to listen to.

Thomas Edison in 1877 with his phonograph

Phonograph parlor

 

[DuranDuran]

Edward M Favor

This is a recording made in 1894 called Daisy Bell by Edward M. Favor.

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

These are awesome! Thanks Duran. Little note though - while Edison usually recieves credit for all the inventions he pattented he did have a large workshop of engineers under him who often came up with some of the most ingenious aspects of his work (such as the majority of work on the motion picture camera) unfortunately we will probably never know how much of Edisons genious was truyl him.

For novelty sake here is the first recorded piece of "music" Its Thomas Edison in 1877 reading (singing?) the song Mary had a Little Lamb.

 

[DuranDuran]

Vess L. Ossman

Here's a tune from 1899 by Vess L. Ossman called Whistling Rufus.

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

I was digging around and found this from the late 19th century:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slhhg8sI6Ds&feature=related

Its pretty remarkable as the sining is castrato and the singer is a eunuch (a male cstrated before peberty). The practice of castration before puberty to produce that kind of singing voice used to be very prevalent in both western and eastern court music. However as time went on the process was seen as barbaric (a view im sure all modern people endorse), Moreschi was born in 1858 and castrated as a boy - hes the only castrato singer to become well known in the early days of sound recording as soon people were even more repulsed by the notion. However all the considered his voice really does have an etheral quality.

 

[MJsBollywoodGirl7]

I find this stuff so fascinating. Especially when I think about the 2 pretty old record players that my mother's husband have. I found this on you tube a recording from 1860. It is of a lady singing a French folk song called Au Clair de la Lune. This is thought to be one of the most oldest sound recordings in the world.

 

[DuranDuran]

I was digging around and found this from the late 19th century:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slhhg8sI6Ds&feature=related

Its pretty remarkable as the sining is castrato and the singer is a eunuch (a male cstrated before peberty). The practice of castration before puberty to produce that kind of singing voice used to be very prevalent in both western and eastern court music. However as time went on the process was seen as barbaric (a view im sure all modern people endorse), Moreschi was born in 1858 and castrated as a boy - hes the only castrato singer to become well known in the early days of sound recording as soon people were even more repulsed by the notion. However all the considered his voice really does have an etheral quality.

Eunuch's are still common in India, but it's not usually done for singing purposes. They're kinda seen as outcasts by the general public though, just like the Dalits are.

 

[SolidStateSurvivor]

Eunuch's are still common in India, but it's not usually done for singing purposes. They're kinda seen as outcasts by the general public though, just like the Dalits are.

The term they use in india Hijra is usually translated into english as "eunuch" but thats not really a good translation. Its more acuaretly probably corresponds to the english word "transgender" and is made up of a range of people from men with chemical immbalances and ambiguous gentialia to the more common effeminate cross-dressers. It used to be common practice for people of this group to willingly undergo castration which is why the term was translated as eunuch but in contemporary times the castration element is very rare.

 

[DuranDuran]

Ada Jones

Ada Jones made her 1st recordings in the 1893 as "Little Ada Jones". She became the 1st female recording star in the early 1900's.

1916

1909

 

[TarinJade]

I find this stuff so fascinating. Especially when I think about the 2 pretty old record players that my mother's husband have. I found this on you tube a recording from 1860. It is of a lady singing a French folk song called Au Clair de la Lune. This is thought to be one of the most oldest sound recordings in the world.

I remember listening to that when it was first discovered. Very creepy. It is actually THE oldest known recording to date.

 

[DuranDuran]

George W. Johnson

George W. Johnson is the 1st Black recording star.

1891

1898

 

[DuranDuran]

Chibese Opera ~ Assembly On A Sand Bank (1903)

This is Edison Black Wax Gold Moulded 2 minute Cylinder 12760. In 1902 Edison dispatched his recording engineer, Walter Miller to San Francisco to record for the first time, Chinese Songs and music on Edison Cylinder records. This particular cylinder is Part 5 of a six part series for the Chinese Song "Assembly on a Sand Bank". Edison's Chinese Cylinders included Songs, Chinese Operas and band Music. The Edison Phonograph is a 1909 Edison Fireside Model A with a #10 Cygnet Horn.