LouieB Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I may be one of the few people here interested in this kind of stuff, but Archeophone Records, out of Champaign, IL, is set to release a two CD set that looks facinating, particularly if you are a history or military history buff. Dedicated to pre-electric recordings, Archeophone releases early recordings of long dead artists or types of music. In a few days they are releasing this set of songs and other recordings that reflect on the meaning and subtexts of "the Great War". The recording industry was new at this time and much material was released around the time of the war and spoke to the reasons for, the hopes for and people's attitudes about the war. They have a nice website that gives an overview of the project. It seems to me this may be a good resource for teachers who have to try and get students to understand an historical period, which is beginning to seem like ancient history. (Heck the Vietnam War is beginning to seem like ancient historty to kids of today.) Anyway, I just figured I would put this out there in case someone else may be interested. Archeophone is up for a couple Grammy's for its Lost Sounds package, also a great set. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yea, I know this is in the wrong thread...I asked for it to be moved. Sorry. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JUDE Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 World War II recordings > World War I recordings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OOO Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 This sounds like something Wilco would steal from without crediting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Yea, I know this is in the wrong thread...I asked for it to be moved. Sorry. LouieBGotcha, Lou. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 [quote name='JUDE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Twisted Acres Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Wow! This is gonna be fun to listen to. Thanks lou! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 cool, i'd like to check this out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I'm holding out for the expanded edition with early demos and alternate takes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 Wow! This is gonna be fun to listen to. Thanks lou!I know I am a nut case, corresponding regularly with the owners of this label and actually arranging to meet them on one of my trips through town (hopefully one day I can actually see their collection of disks and cylanders...). I also highly recommend Lost Sounds, a very well put together overview of early recording by African Americans. This is the one up for the Grammy. The three CD set of Bert Williams is pretty amazing too, but it won't be to most people's taste. If you order it, find a way to let them know you heard about it through me, I think that would be okay. These types of recordings are not for everyone, because you really have to use your imagination. The King Oliver set, which they are distributing and did the packaging for is abolutely astounding as far as I am concerned. Much of the rest of the material just isn't of interest to me personally, but I have a copy of Stomp and Swerve and the Minstral disk, which was how I got interested in these guys in the first place; there was an article in The Reader about them. I have to say the Minstral material is a bit hard to take at times. There are only so many tunes that are racially derogitory that one can listen to in a row without getting a bit freaked out. These are important historical documents of a type of entertainment that in some ways is long long gone, but in others bubbles just below the surface of much of popular music even today. I'm holding out for the expanded edition with early demos and alternate takes.Best post ever..... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 The two decades between the wars saw remarkable advances in technology. There is not even a way to compare it. Electric recording didn't even exist until nearly the mid-1920s. I guess I just don't see your point. Also styles of music were significantly different by the 1940s as well, so there is no comparison between the types of music represented in the 19 teens and the 1940s. Even attitudes toward war were different. The world radically changed after the first world war. I mean people actually believed this was going to be the end of this type of thing. Needless to say, with the rise of facism, it didn't. (WWII music also swung a whole lot harder as well.....maybe that is your point....not sure still.)Think that one was a joke, Lou. I'm looking forward to checking this one out, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 Okay...be the first one on your block to order this....just in case you forgot..... You might also want to order the Grammy Nominated Lost Sounds, which is excellent too. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Hey, that song they sang in the last episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is on there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 Kill, kill, kill for peaceKill, kill, kill for peaceNear or middle or very far eastFar or near or very middle eastKill, kill, kill for peaceKill, kill, kill for peaceAh the Fugs.......great stuff. Hey, that song they sang in the last episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is on there!Which song? LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Which song?It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 You might also want to order the Grammy Nominated Lost Sounds, which is excellent too. LouieBGeorge W. Johnson has songs on that compilation titled: The Whistling GirlThe Whistling CoonThe Laughing CoonThe Laughing Song Brother needs to diversify. Still looking forward to hearing this stuff, and will check it out when I get the chance... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Nice plug, Lou. I dunno if I'll buy this, but would love to hear it if the local library can get their hands on a copy. I think you're right that stuff like this could make for a fantastic classroom tool. Putting an era into a cultural context is a great way to get people "into" the subject matter, I would think. As for this comment:(Heck the Vietnam War is beginning to seem like ancient historty to kids of today.)I was born at the tail-end of that particular conflict and my history classes avoided the subject altogether when I was in school. (too new? too controversial?) I dunno how it is handled in schools nowadays, but if they ever make a Vietnam-era set like this, I am totally going to borrow it from my kids when they get to that point in school and I will play it constantly! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 George W. Johnson has songs on that compilation titled: The Whistling GirlThe Whistling CoonThe Laughing CoonThe Laughing Song Brother needs to diversify.This is some fascinating stuff actually. I recently ordered the book that this comp is based on and the story of George W. Johnson alone is worth checking out. Not only did this guy (the first black recording star) have to do the same handful of songs over and over again, he literally had to do them over and over, because early recordings were direct to disk, since they had no way to make a master and then stamp out copies until years later. So this poor guy (along with every other recording artist in the late 1800's and early 1900s) had to sing or play into a recording machine over and over again (they could do several disks at once, but not more than four or so), during any recording session. This was not only grueling, but it did provide some income to the artists, who were paid by the session. If a song, such as these, sold well, then the person came back time and again to rerecord more copies. Once records could be stamped from a master, the artists such as George W, actually weren't paid as much, since they didn't get a part of each disk sold, only a flat fee for a session. Needless to say, as these songs were immensely popular (mostly not sold for home use, but you could listen on a machine that played them on the street, kind of like a juke box), not only did George rerecord them hundreds of times, but other artists, covered the same song (later on, they were covered by white artists). George W. Johnson was the son of slaves and ultimately died in poverty, despite his success. But talk about getting sick of singing the same old song, and ones that were fairly demeaning at that.....but during the turn of that century, laughing and whistling songs were all the rage. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share Posted February 7, 2007 I was born at the tail-end of that particular conflict and my history classes avoided the subject altogether when I was in school. (too new? too controversial?) I dunno how it is handled in schools nowadays, but if they ever make a Vietnam-era set like this, I am totally going to borrow it from my kids when they get to that point in school and I will play it constantly! yea, it would pretty wild to see an infomercial for a set like that, not unlike the "malt shop" compilation that is hawked late at night on the off channels. There are a number of great songs that could be included: Eve of DestructionThe Ballad of the Greem BeretsThe War Drags OnOhioetc.etc. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Basil II Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Thanks for this..Louie!! any Vietnam soundtrack should have the "Dawn of Correction" ......forgot by who but it was a response to "Eve of destruction" -Robert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Thanks for this..Louie!!any Vietnam soundtrack should have the "Dawn of Correction" ......forgot by who but it was a response to "Eve of destruction"-Robert.I remember that song, but until you brought it up again I had forgotten.... Add Country Joe and the Fish....and their take on the Muscrat Ramble that starts with the Fish cheer. Incidentally, I did order a copy of this CD set, just as the Archeophone folks were on their way to LA for the Grammys. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airtaco Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 This sounds awesome, you know, for wierdos like us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 This sounds awesome, you know, for wierdos like us.Weirdos of the world unite.....If you decide to actually order it, tell them I sent you. It won't get you a discount or anything (or me either...they are a very small company), but I am sure they don't sell tons of CDs and I know they like feedback. I just think it is so funny they are headed to the Grammys. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 And Lost Sounds DID win a Grammy...sweet.. and well deserved. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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