Berliner Disc Records 1889-1900
Spin the black circle. That tradition goes back over a hundred years, even from the time that Pearl Jam recorded that song. Thomas Edison's cylindrical tinfoil phonograph was the first to speak to the world in 1877. However, Edison also gave passing thoughts to disc recordings in those early patents before moving on to lighting up the world in 1879. Others took up the cause in the 1880's like Chichester Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter in their Volta Laboratory. Emile Berliner was another, and he was the first to bring discs to the commercial market in 1889 in Germany. These were five inches in diameter and ran hardly more than a minute. They were a toy, a curiosity at most. In 1892, their manufacture came to an end and Berliner turned his attention to the American market. In 1894, his United States Gramophone Company offered a seven-inch disc with a little over two minutes recording time, similar to wax cylinders that Edison Records and the Columbia company were offering in that decade. The entertainment was much better too. The somewhat standard speed was 71 RPM, though the same speed for every recording would be hard for record companies to maintain until reliable electric motors came decades later. Mechanically-driven turntables were thus used. This incarnation lasted for six years and sold just under two million records. Frank Seaman, the company's sales agent, soon manufactured his own products, causing Berliner to cease honoring their contract together. Seaman used this and joined in the patent war occuring in the whole industry to shut Berliner down in 1900. Berliner moved his operations to Canada for a new start there but Eldridge R. Johnson, the man contracted to manufacture his phonographs, established a company of his own in the States in 1901. It was the Victor Talking Machine Company; you might recognize their logo, you know, Nipper looking into the horn? But that was a new century. Have a listen now to the old. Let me correct that. No, not the 20th Century since this is the 21st. Listen to the final calls of the 19th Century, a time now at least over 122 years ago.
Encoded Speed: 192 Kbps

Rabbit Hash

Billy Golden

Berliner 635W

Take 2 (of 4)

October 24, 1895

Recording Location Unknown (New York, Philadelphia, or Washington D. C.)

Note: Standard 78RPM Stylus Version Here's a version played with a more basic stylus. The voice is a bit louder and more natural. Golden's laughs however can get quite loud and distorted, especially on such early records. This stylus gets pinched in the groove at those passages moreso than with the elliptical stylus used above. Standard 78RPM Stylus Version 2 Here's a similar stylus with a bit more surface noise but less distortion at the laughs. 4.0 Elliptical Stylus Non-Filtered Version This one uses a slightly wider stylus than the image-linked version. It picks up more surface noise too which then makes it sound very distorted when filtered. So, here it is non-filtered and non-EQed.

Morning on the Farm (w/ Cat and Dog Fight)

N. R. Wood

Berliner 401X

Take 2 (of 2 that day), 7 total

February 15, 1896

Washington D. C.

Announcements: "Mr. N. R. Wood of Washington, D. C. will now give you the Morning on the Farm."; "I now give you the cat and the dog fight."; "Goodnight." Quote from a 1897 National Gramophone Company Record Catalog: "A realistic farm yard scene illustrating all the different sounds attending the early morning rising of the farm inhabitants. This reproduction clearly and accurately brings out the bleating of the sheep, the lowing of the cattle, the crowing of the cock, the cackle of the hens, squeal of the guinea hen and gobble of the turkey, all being answered and accompanied by the cries of the neighboring hawk, crow and various other birds. So real is the arrangement and so exact the imitation that it requires but a slight stretch of the imagination to place one's self in that delightful position, the result of which is the drinking in of copious drafts of fresh air and numerous other pleasures attainable only on the farm."

Colored Preacher

George Graham

Berliner 620Z

Take 2 (of 3)

May 15, 1896

Recording Location Unknown (New York, Philadelphia, or Washington D. C.)

Note: It's not your sound system. The record really does sound like this. Note the speed problem the engineer had at 0:44. It may also sound better (if you can call it that) without the final EQ: No-Equalization Version

Street Fakir

George Graham

Berliner 638

Take Unknown

May 23, 1896

Recording Location Unknown (but probably Washington D. C.)

Talk on Money

George Graham

Berliner 645Y

Take 3 (of 3)

September 24, 1896

Recording Location Unknown (New York, Philadelphia, or Washington D. C.)

TRANSCRIPT "Talk on Money" by George Graham. Fellow Citizens, we have congregated here this evening to find out what we know. Now there is one thing I am glad of, that in this country every man is entitled to his say. And the women will have their say whether they are entitled to it or not. Now I wish to say something about money. Simply in the theoretical sense or in a practical way the subject is entirely foreign to me. Where is all the money going to, who's got it? I'm sure I haven't got it and I know that women can't get ahold of all of it. They can get away with four-thirds of it and we get what's left. Some say one party get it, some say another. Now what is money? Ahhh, my friends if a man saves money, he is a miser. And if he spends it, he is a spendthrift. And if he loans it, he is a fool. Now what are you going to do about it? Money is the cause of all the misery in this world and yet every man you meet is ready and willing to borrow misery. Now the financial situation of this country at the present time is something frightful. We don't know whether we will have the gold standard or the silver standard. We don't know whether a dollar will be worth fifty cents, seventy cents or sixty cents tomorrow or not. The way that I get rid of that difficulty is every dollar I get ahold of I spend, I take no chances. The government can bust tomorrow and it don't owe me a cent. Now the Democratic Party said the Republican Party are all thieves. And the Republican Party said the Democratic Party are all thieves. Well they know each other, there is no sense in argument there. Now if you want to end this contention and strife make me President of these United States and I will do it cheaper than the man that's in there. And if I was President with one hand I would grasp the American Flag, the immortal Stars and Stripes, and in the other hand I'd have (a) three pounds of Limburger Cheese. I would climb to the highest mountain, there standing upon the highest pinnacle of success I would shout: "Downtrodden (one word?) people(s?), your hour of deliverance has come. (Light ham?), liver and onions (???) to five cents per pound."

Jane

George J. Gaskin

Berliner 1615

Take 1 (of 1)

November 16, 1896

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Note: The recording starts on the very first thread and ends on the last. Therefore, a few seconds on each side were left so it wouldn't sound so abrupt. Also extremely worn.

Die Nachtigall

Vroni Eidner

Berliner 388

Take 1?

June 24, 1897

New York, New York

Note: Quote in the September 1897 issue of the National Gramophone Company's Record Catalog: "The reproduction of this record gives a high C clear and full, with no blast or rattle. Have you ever heard this note in a soprano record?" Something said in-studio before song starts? Softer/Weaker but More Natural Version

William Tell Overture

Sousa's Band (Henry Higgins, conductor)

Berliner 7W

Take 1(W) of 3

August 1897

New York, New York

Note: Played at 75 RPM.

Viva il Vino (Cavalleria Rusticanna)

Sig. Ferruccio A. Giannini

Berliner 932X

Take 3 (of 4)

May 31, 1898

New York, New York

Note: Something said in-studio after the song?

A Hot Time Medley March

Sousa's Band

Berliner 139[a]

Take ?

September 2, 1898

New York, New York

Note: No-Equalization Version Large bands were harder to record in this early period. This one may sound better.

Lincoln's Speech at Gettysburg

Mr. William F. Hooley

Berliner 6012

Take ?

September 21, 1898

New York, New York

Note: No-Equalization Version This one may sound better. 3.5 Elliptical Stylus Version The highs may be less distorted here but at the expense of overall brilliance. 3.5 Elliptical Stylus No-Equalization Version Even softer.

Yankee Doodle

Mr. Thomas Clark

Berliner 239W

Take 3 (of 3, previous two 1/12/1897 and 8/24/1897 with other artists)

October 20, 1898

Recording Location Unknown (New York, Philadelphia, or Washington D. C.)

Note: Very worn at start.

Kathleen Mavourneen

John Terrell

Berliner 962Z

Take 2 (of 2)

Before April 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY, PA, or DC)

Note: The first several grooves are extremely worn out. The rest is not far behind. "7th sui. dupl."(?) to right of spindle hole

Drill Ye Tarriers, Drill

Mr. George J. Gaskin

Berliner 064 (A-11-I)

Take Unknown

April 5, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Note: Speed problems on master, especially at start. Listen to a (somewhat) corrected introduction here.

My Wild Irish Rose

Mr. Albert C. Campbell

Berliner 0139 (I) (E-17-)

Take Unknown

March 22, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Note: Worn with several skips corrected.

Hot Time In The Old Town

Sousa's Band

Berliner 0201 (A) (g/15)

Take Unknown

June 8, 1899

New York, New York

Note: Label stamped into final grooves but inaudible. Here's it played at 70 RPM, which may sound better.

Narcissus

Sousa's Band

Berliner 0220 (A) (g/15, �)

Take Unknown

June 10, 1899

New York, New York

Turkey in De Straw

Billy Golden

Berliner 0541 (V) (R/11)

Take Unknown

September 27, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

At Sunrise

Arthur Pryor's Orchestra

Berliner 0700 (B) (P 10/10)

Take 2

November 4, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Note: One of five selections recorded by the Pryor Orchestra that day in its very first studio session. The first half of this disc is more worn than the second. Here's an overall softer version that may prove more pleasant but at the expense of some highs. Speed problem on master 0:27-0:28. After the song ends, there's also something spoken that has yet to be deciphered.

Continuous Performances From 'The Ameer'

S. H. Dudley

Berliner 0747

Take 1 (of 1)

November 18, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY, PA, or DC)

Note the correction in spelling of the song title.

Lo, The Day Of Rest Declineth

The Original Lyric Trio William F. Hooley, Mgr.

Berliner 0770

Take Unknown

November 29, 1899

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Many Years Ago

Harry Macdonough

Berliner 01037 (I)

Take Unknown

February 28, 1900

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Minstrel 1st Part, No. 4

The Gramophone Minstrels S. H. Dudley & William F. Hooley

Berliner 01137 (V)

Take Unknown

March 28, 1900

Recording Location Unknown (NY or PA)

Note: Top of label erased: A Berliner pirated by Zonophone.

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