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 876-900 of 1016 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W351161 | 10-in. | 2/29/1932 | (You only want me) When nobody else is around | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | S-7251 | 10-in. | Feb. 1920 | Desert dreams | Selvin's Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | S-7252 | 10-in. | Feb. 1920 | Afghanistan | Selvin's Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | S-7909 | 10-in. | May 1921 | Moonlight | Selvin's Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | S-7910 | 10-in. | May 1921 | Tea leaves | Selvin's Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | W80283 | 10-in. | 1/4/1927 | My little bunch of happiness | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W80284 | 10-in. | 1/4/1927 | I never see Maggie alone | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W80285 | 10-in. | 1/4/1927 | Here or there (As long as I'm with you) | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W80310 | 10-in. | 1/19/1927 | Sam, the old accordion man | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W80311 | 10-in. | 1/19/1927 | High-high-high up in the hills | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W80312 | 10-in. | 1/19/1927 | If I didn't know your husband (And you didn't know my wife) | Bar Harbor Society Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W404014 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | Down the river of golden dreams | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader | |
OKeh | W404015 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | The Rangers' song (We're all pals together) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble | leader | |
OKeh | W404016 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | Anchors aweigh | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal | leader | |
OKeh | W490069 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | Down the river of golden dreams | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | W490070 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | The Rangers' song (We're all pals together) | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
OKeh | W490071 | 10-in. | 5/14/1930 | Anchors aweigh | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | 6922 | 10-in. | approximately Dec. 1921 | Goodbye, pretty butterflies | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | 6925 | 10-in. | approximately Dec. 1921 | Smilin' | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | [7283a] | approximately Jan. 1922 | [Unknown title(s)] | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | ||
Brunswick | 7298 | 10-in. | approximately Jan. 1922 | Rosy posy | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | 7749 | 10-in. | approximately Mar. 1922 | Every day | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | [7750a] | approximately Mar. 1922 | [Unknown title(s)] | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | ||
Brunswick | 7902 | 10-in. | approximately Apr. 1922 | No use crying | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader | |
Brunswick | 6414-6416 | 10-in. | approximately Sept. 1921 | Love will find a way | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | leader |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.
Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod2.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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