One of the few sad songs Billy Williams recorded. Same recording also issued on the 'Cinch' label, a budget Gramophone Company subsidiary belatedly launched in 1913 to push back cheap German imports. Their price made them sell well, but they were soon discontinued as WW1 halted such imports anyway. Nice collection of soundboxes you have. Is the octagonal one a Fletcher? I have one as an adapter to enable my Edison disc player to reproduce conventional records.
Great information ! Thank you for what you say - I think that the Octagonal one you refer to is called 'Common Wealth'. Quite a nice sound to it. I haven't heard of a 'Fletcher' Soundbox before. Interesting.
@@thegramophoneroom Here's a Commonwealth gramophone, though not sporting an octagonal soundbox: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZZHTz-wiIac.htmlsi=I-1QgAUZdgoQzVpm They did make many models, guessing this small portable would be an entry level model. My Fletcher soundbox has a baffle plate behind the diaphragm, with six tiny concentric holes. Surprisingly, this doesn't reduce the volume & its sound is excellent. Correction: It's hexagonal, not octagonal
Billy Williams recorded several versions for different labels. It appeared he did this for each new song, presumably to prevent cover versions. This version makes things clearer, re the policeman & the smoking issue: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-114BfwsGS5M.htmlsi=OH1OExmse0KjqjJe 'Willie had been smoking, against the latest act' alludes to the 1908 Children's Act' which barred under 16's from smoking. How many coppers back then would enjoy free smokes from such confiscations? Thanks for posting, not heard this version before.
@@thegramophoneroom I like him too & have posted several of his records. A highly prolific recorder in his sadly short life 1877-1915. There's a short Wikipedia article on him giving some bio info.
This and the flip side, "Bucktown Stomp," were recorded July 16, 1928 with Natty Dominique (cornet), Johnny Dodds (clarinet), Honoré Dutray (trombone), Charlie Alexander (piano), Bill Johnson (bass) and Johnny's brother Warren "Baby" Dodds (drums and washboard). I notice this British 78 reissue is dated 1951, well after both Johnny and Baby Dodds had died. Nice record, and surprisingly well recorded for the time.
The singers here are Jack Charman & his sister Nancy. Charman is to be found frequently on records of the ragtime era & beyond, but frequently under a pseud, as here.
I didn't know that he sang with his sister. Very interesting indeed. This is one of my favourite songs and I have a few different versions to find and upload in the future. Thank you once again for your comment.
@@thegramophoneroom Know nothing of Nancy Charman's stage career, other than that they made a handful of records together over a short period. I believe this duo was curtailed when Nancy married & went to live in France. Another example of them performing together: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lXfZOuDx0oo.htmlsi=hfVeHzGoP_ZpBx4Z
May I point out that some Winner records were recorded faster than 78, so this sounds a bit slow on playback. Great ballad & sung well. Have many Kirkby records & he can be relied upon to give a pleasing interpretation of any song.
Very interesting indeed ! I am glad that you mentioned the Winner record speed issue. Also, as you say, Stanley Kirkby is always good to listen to. Thank you very much for your comment.
@@thegramophoneroom You're welcome. As a general rule, records from the earliest times can be almost any speed, but many settled to be somewhere near 78 by the mid 1900's. Many Winners were around 78, but a significant minority are, in my observations fast. I posted a 'Jumbo' of C.1910 (Ring Down The Curtain by Arthur Blackwell), that recorded so fast that they needed to use an undersize label!
Tuesday night, east end of Glasgow, garden, great view, especially sky, started with Nina, ending with you. Just what I needed, thank you. 😎 Subbed as well. Nice.
You must have seen so many changes. Time flies, or so 'they' say. I must say that I haven't heard the phrase 'Gee Whiz' since I was a young boy. It is very good to hear it again. Thank you very much for leaving your comment.
