American Quartet

The American Quartet was a four-member vocal group that recorded for various companies in the United States between 1899 and 1925. The membership varied over the years, but the most famous line-up — comprising John Bieling (first tenor), Billy Murray (second tenor), Steve Porter (baritone), and William F. Hooley (bass) — recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company from 1909 to 1913. The same group of singers also recorded for Edison Records as the Premier Quartet (or Quartette), and for that and other labels as the Premier American Quartet. From 1912 to 1914 the quartet also recorded with countertenor Will Oakland as the Heidelberg Quintet.

Birth and Death Data: Born Founded 1909, Died Ceased 1922

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1900 - 1926

Roles Represented in DAHR: Vocal group

Notes: Listed on some disc labels as American Quartette.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 251-275 of 364 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-25528 10-in. 8/22/1921 Strut Miss Lizzie American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-25745 10-in. 11/4/1921 Mandy 'n' me American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-25921 10-in. 12/23/1921 Down in midnight town American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-25922 10-in. 12/23/1921 I'll be glad to get back to my home town American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26189 10-in. 3/31/1922 Little red school house American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26449 10-in. 5/3/1922 High brown blues American Quartet ; Billy Murray Male vocal quartet and soloist, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26450 10-in. 5/3/1922 Some sunny day American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26852 10-in. 8/31/1922 Martha (Just a plain old-fashioned name) American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26853 10-in. 8/31/1922 Childhood days American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-26897 10-in. 9/28/1922 Nellie Kelly, I love you American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-27356 10-in. 12/28/1922 Carolina in the morning American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-27357 10-in. 12/28/1922 Toot, Toot, Tootsie (goo' bye) American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-28529 10-in. 9/4/1923 Last night on the back porch (I loved her best of all) Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet Vocal group  
Victor B-28679 10-in. 10/22/1923 No no Nora American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-28813 10-in. 10/30/1923 Kiwanis American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-28814 10-in. 10/30/1923 What do you do Sunday, Mary? American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-28816 10-in. 10/30/1923 Old MacDonald had a farm American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-29245 10-in. 1/2/1924 The green grass grew all around American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-29441 10-in. 2/6/1924 Mickey Donohue American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-29881 10-in. 4/15/1924 Monkey doodle American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-29882 10-in. 4/15/1924 Polly put the kettle on American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor B-32646 10-in. 5/20/1925 Alabamy bound American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor BVE-33773 10-in. 11/10/1925 Tomorrow mornin' American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor BVE-33774 10-in. 11/10/1925 That certain party American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
Victor BVE-36856 10-in. 10/22/1926 Bring back those minstrel days American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra Vocal group  
(Results 251-275 of 364 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "American Quartet," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552.

American Quartet. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552.

"American Quartet." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106552

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.