[78-L] Electric guitar before 1939

[Malcolm Rockwell]

The first electric guitar recording was "Dreams Of Aloha," Vi V-92, by 
Noi Lane Hawaiian Orch. (sic), rec. NYC 02/22/34.

The steel player is unknown.
I know of none earlier.
As to Eddie Bush, et al, his first recording featuring electric steel 
guitar was actually recorded 9 months earlier than the example you give 
on Feb. 8, 1934. It was Victor 24602-B, "My Little Grass Shack in 
Kealakekua, Hawaii". The flip was recorded Feb. 13,1934. It was Victor 
24602-A, "Song Of The Islands". Oddly enough the -A side has a lower 
matrix number than the -B side, even though recorded later. They were 
recorded in two different studios, thus the discrepancy.
Malcolm

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On 12/27/2013 8:37 AM, Cary Ginell wrote:
> 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
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