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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 476-500 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W149051 10-in. 9/25/1929 I came to you The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149052 10-in. 9/25/1929 Dance away the night The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149079 10-in. 10/1/1929 From now on The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149080 10-in. 10/2/1929 My love parade The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149081 10-in. 10/2/1929 Dream lover The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149082 10-in. 10/2/1929 You've made me happy today The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149120 10-in. 10/10/1929 I'm a dreamer, aren't we all? Jim Andrews ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149121 10-in. 10/10/1929 Should I? Tom Frawley ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149122 10-in. 10/10/1929 Love is a dreamer Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149126 10-in. 10/10/1929 If I can't have you (If you can't have me) Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149127 10-in. 10/10/1929 Lady luck Tom Frawley ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 149128 10-in. 10/10/1929 Until the end Jerry Mason and his Californians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Arthur Seelig Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149151 10-in. 10/18/1929 Na lei o Hawaii Moana Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with whistling leader  
Columbia W149155 10-in. 10/18/1929 Imi au ia oe Moana Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with whistling leader  
Columbia W149175 10-in. 10/23/1929 Only love is real Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149176 10-in. 10/23/1929 The woman in the shoe Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149185 10-in. 10/26/1929 Don't ever leave me! Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149188 10-in. 10/26/1929 Here am I Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149189 10-in. 10/26/1929 Painting the clouds with sunshine The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W149434 10-in. 11/18/1929 Take everything but you The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149435 10-in. 11/18/1929 Love made a gypsy out of me The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia [W]149457 10-in. 11/1/1929 I may be wrong, but I think you're wonderful! The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Kate Smith Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W149459 10-in. 11/1/1929 A flower lei Moana Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149460 10-in. 11/1/1929 That aloha waltz Moana Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W149466 10-in. 11/2/1929 What is life without love? The Columbia Photo Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
(Results 476-500 of 1016 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064

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