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 151-175 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W144498 | 10-in. | 7/25/1927 | Roam on, my little gypsy sweetheart | Irving Kaufman ; The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144503 | 10-in. | 7/26/1927 | Bye-bye pretty baby | Broadway Nitelites ; Bob Carroll | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144504 | 10-in. | 7/26/1927 | Just another day wasted away (Waiting for you) | Broadway Nitelites ; Bob Carroll | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144694 | 10-in. | 9/20/1927 | Lucky in love | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144695 | 10-in. | 9/20/1927 | Where is my Meyer? | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144696 | 10-in. | 9/20/1927 | Everybody loves my girl | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | W144792 | 10-in. | 9/23/1927 | Wherever you are | Franklyn Baur ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Lewis James ; Elliott Shaw | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | leader | |
Columbia | W144793 | 10-in. | 9/23/1927 | Playground in the sky | Franklyn Baur ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Lewis James | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | leader | |
Columbia | W144794 | 10-in. | 9/24/1927 | Marvelous | Frank Harris ; The Knickerbockers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144795 | 10-in. | 9/24/1927 | After I've called you sweetheart (How can I call you friend) | The Cavaliers ; Frank Harris | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144818 | 10-in. | 10/1/1927 | Molly Malone | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144819 | 10-in. | 10/1/1927 | Like the wandering minstrel | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144835 | 10-in. | 10/7/1927 | Are you lonesome to-night? | Newport Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144836 | 10-in. | 10/7/1927 | Sailin' on | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144837 | 10-in. | 10/7/1927 | I'm walkin' on air | Robert Benjamin ; Newport Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
Columbia | W144899 | 10-in. | 10/24/1927 | Among my souvenirs | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Cyril Pitts | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144900 | 10-in. | 10/24/1927 | Two loving arms | The Cavaliers ; Cyril Pitts | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144903 | 10-in. | 10/25/1927 | Kiss and make up | Newport Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144904 | 10-in. | 10/25/1927 | Thinking of you | Franklyn Baur ; Broadway Nitelites | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144905 | 10-in. | 10/25/1927 | Up in the clouds | Franklyn Baur ; Broadway Nitelites | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144924 | 10-in. | 10/29/1927 | Blue baby (Why are you blue) | Newport Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144925 | 10-in. | 10/29/1927 | My New York | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | 144926 | 10-in. | 10/29/1927 | I told them all about you | The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144960 | 10-in. | 11/7/1927 | My heart stood still | Franklyn Baur ; Broadway Nitelites | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W144961 | 10-in. | 11/7/1927 | Thou swell | Franklyn Baur ; Broadway Nitelites | 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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