Jul 29, 2020
In the studio my guest is a Decca XL Portable wind up record player. So many of these lovely machines were taken to the front in world War One that they were known as the 'Trench gramophone.' 'Mic'd' up it plays us three records. It needs a bit of TLC. You will hear me mention its running a little fast. I've made adjustments in editing, hopefully sounds better. Via the Decca we have Enrico Caruso singing Lolita, from 1908. He was one of the first big recording stars of the 20th century. Mr Evan Williams, born in the US of Welsh parents, he had a successful career both sides of the Atlantic. Sadly we don't get a lot of his version of My Ain Folk(1914). Lastly, Scottish Superstar Harry Lauder with 'Ta ta my bonnie Maggie Darling(1914). The interloper is a 1934 Eclipse record from Master Wilfred Eaton but it is called 'Songs from long ago.' Master Wilfred also sang under the name Master Joe Petersen. Such a vogue for boy sopranos in the 1930s. When a record company(Rex?) decided they wanted some of the action they employed Mary O'Rourke to masquerade as their boy soprano. Mary was still performing as Joe when she was 50. Otherwise we have Charles Penrose singing one of 'laughing' song(1922), Miss Elsie Southgate and her sister Dorothy(1915), perform 'Ave Maria.' George Robey sings the very cheeky 'And that's that' in 1915. In the comic monologue towards the end of the record he mentions the humiliation of having go into the studio to shout into a pipe to record the song! Lastly from 1913 Billy Williams. Another big music hall star, born in Australia, he gives us the rather saucy 'The worst of it is I like it.'