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 926-950 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brunswick | E2935-E2937 | 10-in. | 4/28/1926 | Tonight’s my night with baby | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E2954-E2956 | 10-in. | 4/30/1926 | I found a round-a-bout way to heaven | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E2957-E2959 | 10-in. | 4/30/1926 | Tell me you love me | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Brunswick | E3102-E3104 | 10-in. | 5/24/1926 | Here I am | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E3119-E3121 | 10-in. | 5/26/1926 | Only you and lonely me | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E3289-E3291 | 10-in. | 6/25/1926 | Leave me something to remember | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E3292-E3294 | 10-in. | 6/25/1926 | My little nest of heavenly blue | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E3408-E3411 | 10-in. | 7/14/1926 | Would ja? | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E3412-E3414 | 10-in. | 7/14/1926 | Calling me home | Kensington Serenaders | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, violin, leader | |
Brunswick | E3656-E3657 | 10-in. | 8/31/1926 | Meet me in the moonlight | Kensington Serenaders ; Vaudeville Trio | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E3658-E3659 | 10-in. | 8/31/1926 | Lay me down to sleep in Carolina | Kensington Serenaders ; Vaudeville Trio | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E17960-E17962 | 10-in. | 2/12/1926 | Everything’s gonna be all right | Orchestre Chez Fysher | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Brunswick | E17963-E17965 | 10-in. | 2/12/1926 | Always | Orchestre Chez Fysher | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Brunswick | E18197-E18199 | 10-in. | 3/5/1926 | Under the ukulele tree | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E18200-E18202 | 10-in. | 3/5/1926 | If I knew I’d find you | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Frank Munn | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E18554-E18556 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | So does your old Mandarin | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E18557-E18559 | 10-in. | 3/25/1926 | What good is good morning | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E18760-E18762 | 10-in. | 4/15/1926 | Betty | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E18763-E18765 | 10-in. | 4/15/1926 | Valencia | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E19352-E19354 | 10-in. | 5/24/1926 | Hoodle-dee-doo-dee-doodoo | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E19361-E19363 | 10-in. | 5/26/1926 | When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E19424-E19426 | 10-in. | 6/2/1926 | Hoodle dee doo dee doo doo | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E19427-E19430 | 10-in. | 6/2/1926 | When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Keller Sisters and Lynch | Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio | leader, instrumentalist, violin | |
Brunswick | E19710-E19712 | 10-in. | 7/9/1926 | Baby face | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist | |
Brunswick | E19713-E19715 | 10-in. | 7/9/1926 | Who wouldn’t | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 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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