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 76-100 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W141761 | 10-in. | 3/4/1926 | Sympathy waltz | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141797 | 10-in. | 3/13/1926 | I wish I had my old gal back again | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141798 | 10-in. | 3/13/1926 | I'd climb the highest mountain if I knew I'd find you | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141799 | 10-in. | 3/13/1926 | Chérie, I love you | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141867 | 10-in. | 3/26/1926 | I wish I had my old gal back again | Franklyn Baur ; The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W141868 | 10-in. | 3/26/1926 | Waltzing the blues away | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141929 | 10-in. | 4/7/1926 | Lonesome and sorry | Arthur Hall ; Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141930 | 10-in. | 4/7/1926 | Betty | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 141931 | 10-in. | 4/7/1926 | You've got those "wanna go back again" blues | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W141938 | 10-in. | 4/9/1926 | Nothing else to do | The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W141939 | 10-in. | 4/9/1926 | What good is "good morning"? | Lewis James ; The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141965 | 10-in. | 4/14/1926 | I wonder what's become of Joe? | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Jack Wilson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141966 | 10-in. | 4/14/1926 | Tie me to your apron strings again | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 141967 | 10-in. | 4/14/1926 | Talkin' to the moon | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W142185 | 10-in. | 5/10/1926 | To-night's my night with baby | Robert Benjamin ; The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | W142186 | 10-in. | 5/10/1926 | Hi-ho the merrio | Arthur Fields ; The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 142256 | 10-in. | 5/27/1926 | That's why I love you | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 142257 | 10-in. | 5/27/1926 | Lay my head beneath a rose | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 142258 | 10-in. | 5/27/1926 | Where'd you get those eyes? | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 142341 | 10-in. | 6/24/1926 | Lucky day | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 142342 | 10-in. | 6/24/1926 | La paloma | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | 142343 | 10-in. | 6/24/1926 | Tango amoroso | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Columbia | W142344 | 10-in. | 6/25/1926 | Lay my head beneath a rose | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W142345 | 10-in. | 6/25/1926 | Kentucky lullaby | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W142460 | 10-in. | 7/19/1926 | Put your arms where they belong | Franklyn Baur ; The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | 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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