[78-L] Did vocals help sell records? [was Can Anyone Identifythis Singer]

[Michael Biel]

Taylor Bowie wrote:
> My understanding is that even in the era of really big record sales (early 
> 20s,  pre radio's effect) the major money was from sheet music sales.  So 
> the publishers wanted to make sure that people could get the words on 
> records as well as the tune.
>   

Even poor people in tenements had a piano and the kids took lessons.  
The Gershwin story was very typical, and parallels my mother's story in 
Brooklyn.   And player piano rolls, of course, many of which were word 
rolls for family and party sing-alongs. 
> SB is again correct that there are way fewer vocal choruses on acoustic 
> dance records.  Was that due to technical issues or just different taste?
>
> Taylor
>   

Also note that a lot of dance records were 12-inch and were medleys in 
the immediate post-war years.  They didn't have to be changed as often.  
There were fewer vocalists in bands playing at dances.  Many times there 
were vocals sung during the time-out breaks after a long stretch of 
continual dancing.  This was discussed during an illustrated talk about 
dance styles that was presented a few years ago at the Great American 
Brass Band Festival symposium.  But technologically, in those days 
before amplification, a singer didn't stand a chance over the din of a 
hundred couples dancing to a loud band.  Many dances evolved from march 
tempo of marching bands, and many bands at dances were these marching 
bands.   Tastes started to change during the flapper era of the 
Charleston in the 20s, and then the vocal records became something that 
could be danced to. 

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steven C. Barr" <stevenc at interlinks.net>
>
>   
>> I'd have to look at bunches of records to verify this...but IIRC vocals 
>> were
>> NOT all that common on dance records in the "pre-electric" era! Companies
>> DID, however, issue vocal versions of hit tunrs...!
>>
>> Steven C. Barr