[78-L] Bass Drum on record

[David Harvey]

I have listened to all of Columbia's recordings of Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Orchestra, which date from 1917-1919. This group was not a studio group, but the house band at Rector's restaurant and ballroom in New York City.

The drummer on these records plays snare drum and woodblock, with no bass drum or cymbals. Of course, snare drum and woodblock were standard features of a drummer's trap kit. I suspect that in the live dance hall, that drummer probably was keeping time with the bass drum using a foot peddle, and also playing the snare drum and woodblock parts, as well as cymbals, with his hands. In fact, the recorded snare and woodblock parts almost do not make musical sense without the bass drum providing the 1st & 3rd beats in each measure.

Photos of dance bands from the late acoustic recording period do often show drum kits. I think that society work by the end of WWI generally meant that drummer's were in fact part of the rhythm section, rather than percussionists as they had been in military and concert bands. Musical fashions were evolving rapidly in those years due to phonograph recordings that spread musical styles and tastes across the United States basically instantaneously.

The similar observation can be made regarding the use of pianos in acoustic recordings. The lower register of pianos was notoriously muddy and difficult to discern. The All Star Trio made dozens of acoustic sides for Victor from 1919-1922. Victor obviously represents state of the art in acoustic recording technology during that era. Victor Arden's left hand is almost non-existent on those sides, while the treble register make it through very slightly better. I mention the All Star Trio, because in a trio situation one who think that the piano has an excellent chance of being heard, but sadly this is not the case. I really would like to hear those trio performances with the full piano sound, but it simply wasn't captured by the cutting styli of those years.

I would venture to estimate that the lack of bass drum and cymbals in acoustic and early electric recordings was due to recording difficulties, and does not accurately reflect what was going on in live performance of society hot dance music.

David Harvey



> On 01/19/2021 10:55 AM Ron L'Herault <lherault at verizon.net.invalid> wrote:
> 
>  
> There's an interesting article by R. S. Baker in the Jan. 2021 edition of
> "The Syncopated Times,"  wondering about Bass Drums on records.   The author
> notes that very early records had great bass drums on them, and that they
> were well recorded but that the practice faded out.     She mentions one
> reason that I suspect is the main one, that of excessive wear from the large
> excursions of cutter and playback stylus due to the energy recorded by the
> drums.    I have some early Columbia 12" disks that have amazing drums,
> including bass drums recorded on them.  The disks sound spectacular and look
> shiny and well cared for.  I've got others, not so lucky in their care that
> do not sound great at all.  
> 
>  
> 
> Ron L
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l