Another way for the public to hear the new music was through the Berliner Gramophone. This machine, invented by Emile Berliner of Washington, D. C., played music from flat discs. Berliner first registered the trademark of a dog listening to a horned gramophone, which was later used by the Victor Talking Machine Company. The founder of Victor, Eldridge L. Johnson, had worked for Berliner before starting his own firm. Other recording instruments available were Thomas Edison's Phonograph, and the Bell-Tainter Graphophone. These machines recorded on cylinders rather than disks.
Many of the artists of the day
recorded music for these machines. The popular band of John
Philip Sousa recorded some of his marches on the Berliner discs,
although Sousa would let one of his leading musicians conduct the band
for these sessions because he did not believe in recorded music! It was
during this era that New York's "Tin Pan Alley" evolved. This was an
area in the city where song writers worked. Ragtime, a forefather of
Jazz, was becoming popular in the late '90s. Among the early Ragtime
artists were Vess Ossman and Scott Joplin.
Some of the most popular songs of the era were:
"(There'll be) A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" (probably written by Joe Hayden and Theodore A. Metz) - This famous song was actually written for use in minstrel shows, as is obvious from the style. It was very popular during the Spanish American War and was a favorite of Roosevelt's Rough Riders. The Spanish and Cubans heard this song so often some thought it was the American National Anthem!
"After the Ball" (Charles K. Harris, from the 1892 musical extravanga "A Trip to Chinatown") - Sousa played this tune daily at the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893. It is considered one of the most successful songs of all time.
"El Capitan March" (John Philip Sousa) - This song was played by the USFS OLYMPIA Brass Band as the Asiatic Squadron steamed out of Mirs Bay, headed for Manila Bay and destiny. Click here for a 25 Kb recording.
"The Laughing Song" - The Laughing Song was actually entitled,"I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough". The popular name evolved because the chorus consisted only of very infectious laughter. Sung by several different artists, probably the most popular version was by George W. Johnson.
"My Wild Irish Rose" (Chaucey Olcott) - Olcott was a matinee idol who introduced this song in his show "A Romance of Athlone." Click here for a 12 Kb recording.
"On the Banks of the Wabash" (Paul Dresser)
"Stars & Stripes Forever" (John Philip Sousa) - Stars and Stripes Forever was first played in concert by the Sousa Band in Philadelphia on May, 14 1897. Click here for a 45 Kb recording.
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady"
"Washington Post March" (John Philip Sousa)- When written by Sousa in 1889, this song started an international dance craze! Click here for a 38 Kb recording.
Listed below are some of the songs known to have been played and\or sung aboard the US Flagship OLYMPIA. The OLYMPIA's Brass Band was under the direction of Band Master Michele Valifuoco.
Admiral's March ||| American (A march by Ripley) ||| Amorita
Auld Lang Syne (click to hear -4
Kb) ||| Columbia Gem of the Ocean
Dancing in the Barn ||| El Capitan (click to hear - 25 Kb)||| God Save the
Queen
Home Sweet Home ||| Independence March ||| Indian War ||| La Fiesta
La Paloma (click to hear -91Kb) |||
La Souveraine
Liberty Bell March (click to hear -29Kb)
||| Ma Voisine Polka
Nancy Lee ||| On the Beautiful Rhine ||| On the Bowery ||| Papa's
Baby Boy Waltz |||
Plantation Songs ||| Quanto io T'amo ||| Remembrance of Naples
||| Robin Hood
Salvation Army ||| Star Spangled Banner (click
to
hear -14Kb)
Suwanee River ||| There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
Ugo Conte do Parigi ||| Under the Double Eagle March
Visions of Paradise ||| War Songs of the Boys in Blue
Washington Post March (click here to
hear- 38 Kb) ||| Yankee Doodle
Agay, Denes, Best Loved Songs of American People. (New York: Doubleday, 1975).
Dewey, Adelbert, The Life and Letters of Admiral Dewey. (New York: The Woolfall Co., 1899).
Gracyk, Tim, "Berliners: The Earliest Discs, 1882-1900"(website)
Holloway, A., Hero Tales of the American Soldier and Sailor. (Philadelphia: Elliott Publishing Co., 1899).
Sternlicht, Sanford, McKinley's Bulldog, the Battleship Oregon. (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Inc., 1977).
West, Richard S, Jr., Admirals of American empire.., New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1948.
Wozniak, Steve A.,"Popular Songs 1895-1939" (website)
Young, Louis Stanley, (editor). Bounding Billow. August - September 1898 issue. Ship's newspaper, USFS OLYMPIA.