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 651-675 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W151285 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | Ninety-nine out of a hundred wanna be loved | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Helen Rowland | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151286 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | I surrender, dear | Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra ; Helen Rowland | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151287 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | Love for sale | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W151307 | 10-in. | 2/13/1931 | I've got five dollars | Emerson Gill and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | leader | |
Columbia | W151308 | 10-in. | 2/13/1931 | We'll be the same | Emerson Gill and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | leader | |
Columbia | W151363 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | You said it | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Helen Rowland ; Paul Small | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W151364 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | Learn to croon | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Helen Rowland ; Paul Small | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W151365 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | Smile darn ya, smile | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Sunshine Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W151366 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | African lament | Enric Madriguera's Havana Casino Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151367 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | The one-man band | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Sunshine Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W151368 | 10-in. | 2/27/1931 | Mama Inez | Enric Madriguera's Havana Casino Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151423 | 10-in. | 3/16/1931 | If you should ever need me (You'll always find me here) | Lew Conrad ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151424 | 10-in. | 3/16/1931 | Oh, Donna Clara | Lew Conrad ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151425 | 10-in. | 3/16/1931 | You'll be mine in apple blossom time | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151426 | 10-in. | 3/16/1931 | I'm crazy 'bout my baby (And my baby's crazy 'bout me) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151451 | 10-in. | 3/21/1931 | Two hearts | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151452 | 10-in. | 3/21/1931 | Soldier on the shelf | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151453 | 10-in. | 3/21/1931 | The same as we used to do | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151485 | 10-in. | 4/6/1931 | Ev'rything that's nice belongs to you | Teddy Raph and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151486 | 10-in. | 4/6/1931 | Dream a little dream of me | Teddy Raph and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151487 | 10-in. | 4/6/1931 | When I take my sugar to tea | Teddy Raph and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151488 | 10-in. | 4/6/1931 | Please don't talk about me when I'm gone | Teddy Raph and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151547 | 10-in. | 5/7/1931 | Poor kid | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151548 | 10-in. | 5/7/1931 | Now you're in my arms | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151577 | 10-in. | 6/1/1931 | High and low (I've been looking for you) | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | 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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