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 51-75 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W141140 | 10-in. | 10/16/1925 | You told me to go | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141187 | 10-in. | 10/24/1925 | What a blue eyed baby you are | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141247 | 10-in. | 11/5/1925 | Dinah | Harmony Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141248 | 10-in. | 11/5/1925 | Let us waltz as we say goodbye | Harmony Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141249 | 10-in. | 11/5/1925 | Tweedle-dee tweedle-doo | Harmony Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141278 | 10-in. | 11/17/1925 | Let me call you sweetheart | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141279 | 10-in. | 11/18/1925 | Meet me to-night in Dreamland | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141280 | 10-in. | 11/18/1925 | To-morrow mornin' | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141444 | 10-in. | 12/30/1925 | My castle in Spain | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141445 | 10-in. | 12/30/1925 | I want somebody to cheer me up | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141446 | 10-in. | 12/30/1925 | Sweet child | Robert Benjamin ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | W141473 | 10-in. | 1/11/1926 | Looking for a boy | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141474 | 10-in. | 1/11/1926 | Sweet and low-down | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141537 | 10-in. | 1/22/1926 | The prisoner's song | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141538 | 10-in. | 1/22/1926 | Too many parties and too many pals | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141539 | 10-in. | 1/22/1926 | Roll 'em, girls | Robert Benjamin ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | 141599 | 10-in. | 2/3/1926 | Thanks for the buggy ride | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Bob Sylvester | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | 141600 | 10-in. | 2/3/1926 | So does your old Mandarin | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Bob Sylvester | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | 141601 | 10-in. | 2/3/1926 | Tentin' down in Tennessee | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141602 | 10-in. | 2/4/1926 | Too many parties and too many pals | The Cavaliers ; Arthur Fields | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W141603 | 10-in. | 2/4/1926 | Someone to love | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141633 | 10-in. | 2/16/1926 | Say it again | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Billy West | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141634 | 10-in. | 2/16/1926 | Always | Fred Jackson ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141635 | 10-in. | 2/16/1926 | Drifting and dreaming | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141760 | 10-in. | 3/4/1926 | A night of love | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 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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