Centuries of Sound - pre-jazz-era recorded music

way behind on the centuries of sound things, but the ones i've checked out have been amazing. great work.

Thanks for kind words, Tracer Hand & tylerw!

The Boston Public Library 78rpm Collection:
http://www.metafilter.com/180215/The%2DBoston%2DPublic%2DLibrary%2D78rpm%2DCollection

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, April 4, 2019 11:21 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes, have seen that, but the days of sorting through every mp3 available are now unavoidably behind me - 3000 tracks was the limit I couldn't really get past in a month - if someone wants to pick out some gens from there then please do! Otherwise it is another useful source for records I hear about elsewhere, so

I put up a new version of the first mix, previously called "1859-1860" but now called "1853-1860"
This is because
* Loads of new phonoautograms have emerged
* The blog post was inadequate and I hadn't figured out the formatting
* It is the most viewed page on the site and was the worst page on the site

Here's the new one: https://centuriesofsound.com/2019/04/17/1853-1860/

Also, I have been nominated for this thing

cool, i didn't know there were more phonoautograms!

Congrats on the nomination!

A (proof)reader’s note: There are two instances in the article where it says “1960” where 1860 is meant.

Thanks on both counts, fixed now.

I'm at home ill today and apparently have a fever, so not surprised there are typos, probably shouldn't be writing it now.

1913 is here and it is hot! as in hot! dancehall! ragtime!

https://centuriesofsound.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/1913-cover.jpg?w=497

https://centuriesofsound.com/2019/05/09/1913/

All listening options and blog post under the link.

"Too Much Mustard" is a delightfully cautious title for trying out this ragtime abandon.

https://centuriesofsound.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/1914-small.jpg

1914 features a bit of war, a lot more hot dance ragtime, some other things of interest.

All the usual stuff is under this link - https://centuriesofsound.com/2019/06/06/1914/

thank you for this !

as always i really appreciate the curation, the paragraphs providing commentary and contexts, the whole thing is just so good

Thanks, budo jeru.

I'm listening to 1926 right now and am really looking forward to getting onto this era, the increase in quality in a decade is astounding.

1915

https://centuriesofsound.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/1915.jpg

This one is odd, understandably there's been a huge downturn in music production, and this sort of novelty pop version (with sound effects!) of hot ragtime has come in to fill the void, so a really different mix, not the best one probably, but certainly nothing like either 1910 or 1920.

Probably a good job this isn't a one I want to promote particularly as this is the crazy time of the year for me at work, and I have to apply for my wife's residence extension, what spare time I have is spent making the things. 1917 will be big, of course.

Anyway, stream and download are here - https://centuriesofsound.com/2019/07/04/1915/ - patreon for bonus gubbins now.

Hey not a regular poster round these parts but just wanted to say on behalf of lurkers everywhere that this whole project is simply fantastic work and it's just as interesting to read about/listen to the "off" years as anything else, please keep the good stuff coming :)

^^^

Reading this at the moment, may be of interest to you. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rnr9i4%2BDL._SX351_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg Looking forward to the 1917 mix more than before with jazz arriving on the scene.

Ha, maybe needed a carriage return or two.

Thanks Windsor Davies (not THE Windor Davies, surely), I don't want to ever complain about doing this as it's a labour of love, but it is quite a bit of labour at the moment due to these work and family commitments, also the articles and interviews seem to have dried up now, not sure if it's because it's been covered already or people are waiting for the good stuff, but guess it's sort of the right time for a lull, will be going into the jazz age in September, which is luckily the time work gets less intensive.

These are the seven weeks of the year when my fairly leisurely job becomes a 60-plus-hours-per-week nightmare, so have had little time for this, however, thought I would share this on here:

I have put the spreadsheet I operate from on Google Docs for anyone to edit / add stuff. It's here, instructions on the first tab, other tabs for each year, I am working on 1928 right now, so this weekend is probably the last chance to change that one.

I'm sure you are well along into your 1917 mix, but "Groung (The Crane)" by Zabelle Panosian has become held me rapt since discovering it a few years ago:

https://canary-records.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-servant-of-your-voice-april-1917-june-1918

Yes, obsessed with that CD! And will be featuring two tracks when I get there (just finishing off 1916 right now)

yay!

Only taken me two years to read this thread but wow, what an amazing project. Absolutely fascinating stuff.
(I feel like the sleeping guy Colbert mentions at the beginning of your 2017 mix!).

Thanks NedX!

Here is 1916! A really quite important and exciting year it seems, half of the mix is so close to jazz you can taste it, and it builds up towards the end, so if you check out nothing else (don't advise this) please take note of last 5 mins or so.

https://centuriesofsound.com/2019/08/08/1916/

I am utterly shattered from my work which is much much more intense in the summer, so not sure how I managed to get this one together but wow do I need some sleep, may be a slightly feverish tone to the blog post for this reason.

Reading this at the moment, may be of interest to you. Looking forward to the 1917 mix more than before with jazz arriving on the scene.

― Dan Worsley, Friday, July 5, 2019 8:26 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

Got this now thanks, and eager to read in the few weeks off I now have, looks excellent.

Might have to start a new thread next month as we will actually be in the jazz age, any suggestions for a name?

Continued here - Between the Wars AKA The Jazz Age AKA Centuries of Sound Volume 2

I am trying to make films to match the sounds. Results so far are uh, mixed, should improve once I get to a time with more than 3 seconds of surviving film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVP_08-158

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUVDtmAgCV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm1eUlGViOk