[78-L] Electric guitar before 1939

[Cary Ginell]

I recently acquired Decca 332 by Eddie Bush & His Biltmore Trio ("Object of My Affection"/Talkin' to Myself") which features electric guitar, played Hawaiian style. It was recorded November 1, 1934, which is nearly three months before Bob Dunn's initial recordings with Milton Brown (1/28/35). Hawaiian recordings were the first to feature electric guitar. If I'm not mistaken, the earliest were by the Noelani Hawaiian Orchestra, recorded for Victor on 9/14/33, but a nagging voice in my head tells me someone did it even earlier than that. 

Cary Ginell



On Dec 27, 2013, at 10:19 AM, Joe Scott <joenscott at mail.com> wrote:

> Thirties periodicals tend to identify the electric guitar with radio and with dance bands a lot. A 1938 article called radio performer Andy Sannella "one of the best of the electric guitar performers." Sammy Kaye's recording "When Twilight Comes" from 1938 reportedly has an electric guitar solo by Lloyd Gillion. This all ties in with how radio listener T-Bone Walker could have had his first encounter with electric guitar on a Fred Waring show.
> Len Fillis recorded "Mood Ruby" unaccompanied on an electric Spanish (i.e., "regular") guitar on 4/17/36.
> 
> The publication Mills Hawaiian And Electric Guitar Method was copyrighted on 1/15/38.
> 
> Joseph Scott
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>