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 501-525 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W149467 | 10-in. | 11/2/1929 | To be forgotten | The Columbia Photo Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149620 | 10-in. | 12/26/1929 | The rogue song | The Columbia Photo Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W149621 | 10-in. | 12/26/1929 | When I'm looking at you | The Columbia Photo Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W149626 | 10-in. | 12/28/1929 | Doughboy's lullaby | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149627 | 10-in. | 12/28/1929 | Romance | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]149651 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | Chant of the jungle | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | [W]149652 | 10-in. | 11/29/1929 | That wonderful something (Is love) | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W149697 | 10-in. | 12/7/1929 | The shepherd's serenade | Smith Ballew ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149698 | 10-in. | 12/7/1929 | Charming | Smith Ballew ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149699 | 10-in. | 12/9/1929 | Why? | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Walter Feldkamp ; Alan Moran | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and piano duet | leader | |
Columbia | W149700 | 10-in. | 12/9/1929 | Cross your fingers | Walter Feldkamp ; Alan Moran ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet and piano duet | leader | |
Columbia | W149701 | 10-in. | 12/9/1929 | My man is on the make | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149702 | 10-in. | 12/9/1929 | When I am house-keeping for you | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149711 | 10-in. | 12/11/1929 | Why do you suppose? | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149712 | 10-in. | 12/11/1929 | Do ya love me? (Just a tiny bit, do ya?) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149727 | 10-in. | 12/23/1929 | March of the old guard | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W149736 | 10-in. | 1/7/1930 | Funny, dear, what love can do | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149737 | 10-in. | 1/7/1930 | 'Tain't no sin (To dance around in your bones) | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149759 | 10-in. | 1/14/1930 | Sitting by the window | The Columbia Photo Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149760 | 10-in. | 1/14/1930 | Mona | The Columbia Photo Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149780 | 10-in. | 1/17/1930 | My Hawaiian isles | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149781 | 10-in. | 1/17/1930 | My Hawaiian souvenir | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149919 | 10-in. | 1/27/1930 | Good for you—bad for me | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149920 | 10-in. | 1/27/1930 | Thank your father | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W149923 | 10-in. | 1/28/1930 | For you a lei | Selvin’s 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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