by John Bieling, S.H. Dudley, and the Haydn Quartet
Few songs have become so identified with the era from which they came as this chestnut from 1903 written by Richard H. Gerard (also co-wrote "The Crowd on McNally's Back Stoop" and "In the Autumn Time My Sweet Elaine") and
Harry Armstrong (co-wrote "Nellie Dean," "Baby Doll," and "Follow the Crowd on a Sunday"). The first recording was done for Victor a year after the song's publication, on July 12 of 1904, and again two years later on May 7 of
1906. Since they were all issued with the same catalog number, and there's no handwritten matrix on this disc, it's hard to tell which recording this is. I am informed (thank you Luis) that the first version was without
orchestra, so this must be the 1906 recording. Since John Bieling and S.H. Dudley were both members of the Haydn Quartet from 1898 on (according to
"Wikipedia"), the other two being Harry MacDonough and William F. Hooley, there are four voices on this record and not six as one might think.
It's such a tight blend that it could pass for six voices. Despite the groove hiss on this particular copy, a consistent problem with early Victor pressings, the quality of the singing is wonderous - they make it sound easy.
Noise reduction helped to bring the music out from behind the groove hiss.
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