Ben Selvin
Benjamin Bernard Selvin (March 5, 1898 – July 15, 1980) was an American musician, bandleader, and record producer. He was known as the Dean of Recorded Music. Selvin was born in New York City, United States, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants. He started his professional life at age 15 as a fiddle player in New York City night clubs. Six years later, as leader of his own dance band, the Novelty Orchestra, he released what was later alleged to be the biggest-selling popular song in the first quarter-century of recorded music. "Dardanella" allegedly sold more than six million copies and an additional million pieces of sheet music—although in a joint interview with Gustave Haenschen, founding director of popular-music releases at Brunswick Records, Selvin described the alleged record-sales total as “nonsensical” and said the actual sales of “Dardanella” and other purported “million-sellers” in the 1920s was 150,000 discs. He was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that was presented to Selvin on his retirement on March 14, 1963. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Selvin recorded more musical sides (on 78-rpm discs) than any other person. One reason for this prolific output is that he recorded for dozens of different record labels during this productive time in the industry, using a different name for each label. His output has been estimated at 13,000 to 20,000 song titles. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 5, 1898 (New York City), Died July 15, 1980 (Manhasset)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, violin, vocalist, songwriter, composer, lyricist, arranger
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 451-475 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | 148791 | 10-in. | 7/6/1929 | Ain't misbehavin' | Jerry Mason and his Californians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 148792 | 10-in. | 7/6/1929 | Ich liebe dich | Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; George Kay | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]148806 | 10-in. | 7/12/1929 | He's a good man to have around | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | [W]148807 | 10-in. | 7/12/1929 | Maybe—who knows? | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W148852 | 10-in. | 7/25/1929 | Recollections | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148853 | 10-in. | 7/25/1929 | Sleepy Valley | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148865 | 10-in. | 8/12/1929 | Song of Siberia | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148866 | 10-in. | 8/12/1929 | Song of the blues | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148869 | 10-in. | 8/13/1929 | I've waited a lifetime for you | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148870 | 10-in. | 8/13/1929 | How am I to know? | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 148883 | 10-in. | 8/15/1929 | Bashful baby | Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Dick Burnett | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 148884 | 10-in. | 8/15/1929 | The album of my dreams | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Marvin Young [Irving Kaufman] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 148885 | 10-in. | 8/15/1929 | Gypsy dream rose | Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Dick Burnett | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 148893 | 10-in. | 8/19/1929 | Waiting at the end of the road | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Marvin Young [Irving Kaufman] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]148937 | 10-in. | 8/27/1929 | Moanin' low | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | [W]148938 | 10-in. | 8/27/1929 | Waiting at the end of the road | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W148950 | 10-in. | 8/29/1929 | Selections from "Hollywood revue of 1929" | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W148951 | 10-in. | 8/29/1929 | Selections from "The Broadway melody" | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W148984 | 10-in. | 9/7/1929 | The web of love | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W148987 | 10-in. | 9/7/1929 | I'm in love with you | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 149023 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Somebody mighty like you | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 149024 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Love (Your spell is everywhere) | Arthur Fields ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 149025 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Love me | Arthur Fields ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149049 | 10-in. | 9/25/1929 | Sunny side up | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149050 | 10-in. | 9/25/1929 | Love (Your spell is everywhere) | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Selvin, Ben, 1898-1980 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98080176
Wikidata: Ben Selvin - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q304517
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/54338200
MusicBrainz: Ben Selvin - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/84733717-7fa8-43da-a6aa-259fa1f36eb0
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