March 2002

March 28, 2002

Chant of the Jungle        
Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra
Frank Munn, vocal                                       1930
(Victor 22203-A)

That Wondeful Something        
Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra
Mark Kel's Happy-Go-Lucky Boys, vocal      1930
(Victor 22203-B)
 

Here are two songs that were performed by Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery in the 1929 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talking picture "Untamed."  Presumably, in order to get additional revenue from theaters that had not yet installed sound equipment, M-G-M also released a somewhat shorter silent version of the film.

March 14, 2002

I Don't Want To Dream         
The High Hatters
Frank Luther, vocal                                 1930
(Victor 22533-A)

I had originally announced that this week's update would feature Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing.  Unfortunately, that will have to be postponed.  The recording is on a rather noisy late 1930s Decca record and I had a bit of trouble getting it to sound right with my new noise reduction software.  So far, my best results have been with late 1920s Victor records.  Since I am rather pressed for time this week, I set the Whiteman record aside for another day.

I do have a request for assistance from any visitors who might be familiar with sound restoration.  The users' manual that came with my DCart software provided the original equalization settings for only a small handful of vintage record labels.  I inquired about some of the other labels on the company's user group but all I was told was that they plan to include that information in a future software update.  That doesn't do me much good in the meantime.  Does anyone know what the correct equalization settings are for any of the following labels: Cameo, Romeo, Hit of the Week, Regal, Perfect, Banner, Madison, Superior, Conqueror?  Would it be safe to assume that late 1920's Vocalions would have the same settings as Brunswick and Okeh the same as Columbia? Once all the various 1920s labels were absorbed into the American Record Corporation in the early 1930s, would they have all used the same settings?  If so, what was it?  The software's user manual lists the turnover frequency for Brunswick as being 500 Hz.  Can anyone verify that this is correct, and, if so, was it for all years between  1925 and 1938?  So far, whenever I use that setting on late 1920s Brunswicks, it sounds somewhat high pitched.  I would be extremely grateful for any assistance that anyone might be able to provide in this area.
 

March 7, 2002
 
 

Out Where The Moonbeams Are Born       
George Olsen and His Music
George Olsen, vocal                                 1929
(Victor 22063-A)

The subject of George Olsen came up recently on this website's message board and reminded me of this rather charming recording that  I have been meaning to feature.  It is somewhat unusual in that it has an opening announcement by Olsen stating that it is a Victor recording - a throwback to a once standard practice that the recording industry pretty much abandoned around 1904.  It is also the only recording I have ever come across where Olsen does the vocal.

Though largely forgotten today, the Olsen band was extremely popular during the mid to late 1920s.  I recently acquired a copy of the first broadcast of the long running Jack Benny Show from 1932.  The Olsen band was featured as was its vocalist, Ethel Shutta, who was also Mrs. George Olsen.  During the mid-1930s, Olsen took over the Orville Knapp band and adopted a format that he billed as "The Music of Tomorrow."  He retired from bandleading in 1951.  He later opened a restaurant in Paramus, New Jersey where his old recordings served as background music.  Olsen died in 1971.