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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 626-650 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W150972 | 10-in. | 11/24/1930 | On a little balcony in Spain | Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W150973 | 10-in. | 11/24/1930 | Hurt | Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151111 | 10-in. | 12/13/1930 | Gazing at the stars | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151112 | 10-in. | 12/13/1930 | You're the one I care for | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151113 | 10-in. | 12/13/1930 | To whom it may concern | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151114 | 10-in. | 12/13/1930 | There's something missing in your eyes | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151117 | 10-in. | 12/12/1930 | I miss a little miss (Who misses me in sunny Tennessee) | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | leader | |
Columbia | W151118 | 10-in. | 12/12/1930 | Cheerful little earful | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151161 | 10-in. | 12/8/1930 | You're driving me crazy (What did I do?) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151162 | 10-in. | 12/8/1930 | Under the spell of your kiss | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151163 | 10-in. | 12/8/1930 | Hurt | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | [W]151164 | 10-in. | 12/8/1930 | I hate myself (For falling in love with you) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151169 | 10-in. | 12/19/1930 | Tears | Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | leader | |
Columbia | W151177 | 10-in. | 12/26/1930 | Yours and mine | Smith Ballew ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151178 | 10-in. | 12/26/1930 | On a little balcony in Spain | Smith Ballew ; Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151179 | 10-in. | 12/26/1930 | Lady, play your mandolin | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Paul Small | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151180 | 10-in. | 12/26/1930 | Little Spanish dancer | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Al Shayne | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151207 | 10-in. | 1/15/1931 | He's not worth your tears | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151211 | 10-in. | 1/14/1931 | Don't forget me in your dreams | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151212 | 10-in. | 1/14/1931 | Little sweetheart of the prairie | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151217 | 10-in. | 1/15/1931 | Would you like to take a walk? | Ben Selvin and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151218 | 10-in. | 1/15/1931 | Personally I love you | Johnny Walker and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
Columbia | W151282 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | Wabash moon | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | leader | |
Columbia | W151283 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | When your hair has turned to silver | The Cavaliers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | leader | |
Columbia | W151284 | 10-in. | 2/6/1931 | Sing song girl (Little yella Cinderella) | Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed August 22, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 August 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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