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Posted by: Library of Congress
The following post is by David Sager of the Library of Congress’ Recorded Sound Division. During the early 1900s, the act of making a phonograph record was an uncomfortable proposition. For one thing, efficient positioning before the recording horn required as much attention as the performance itself. Performers had the additional concern of needing to …
Posted in: Comedy, Recorded Sound
Posted by: Library of Congress
They Start the Victrola by Billy Murray This post was written by Recorded Sound Reference Specialist David Sager Recorded dance music needs no introduction, it has been a staple of the recording industry for decades. Whether techno, disco, rockabilly, or ballroom – records are for dancing! When Billy Murray described the dancers on the recording …
Posted in: Jukebox, Recorded Sound
Posted by: Matthew Barton
This post originally appeared on this blog in May of 2020. As detailed in the previous blog post, VE Day – Take One, Monday, May 7, 1945, was a day of confusion and restrained celebration for CBS Radio and the news media in general. Tuesday, May 8, however, brought clarity and all out jubilation. Speaking …
Posted in: Recorded Sound, World War II
Posted by: Matthew Barton
The following post originally appeared on this blog in May of 2020. The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and other radio networks all covered the last hours of World War II in Europe in depth, and these recordings are preserved in the Library of Congress, where they are available for listening in the Recorded Sound Research Center …
Posted in: Recorded Sound, World War II
Posted by: Matthew Barton
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Collection is the largest and most used collection in the holdings of the Recorded Sound Section of the Library of Congress. In it are more than 40,000 hours of NBC radio broadcasting programs beginning in 1934, nearly all of it aimed at audiences in the United States. But a small, …
Posted in: NBC Radio Collection, Recorded Sound
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
Ninety-five years ago today–February 4, 1927–Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke headed into the studio to lay down their classic “Singin’ the Blues.” “Blues” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2005. In the essay below, the Library’s own David Sager recounts the making of a legendary recording. “Singin’ …
Posted in: National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
For many, it has become as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and dressing. Arlo Guthrie’s immortal recording “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2017. Not long after, music journalist Hank Reineke kindly wrote about it for the Library. In honor of this holiday, we share …
Posted in: National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
Like most people, we were very saddened to hear of the passing of the great Mort Sahl last week at the age of 94. About 10 years ago, Sahl’s landmark comedy album, “At Sunset” (1955), was added to the Library’s National Recording Registry. In 2017, the Library was able to sit down with Sahl to …
Posted in: National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound, Uncategorized
Posted by: Cary O’Dell
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BOSS! In honor of Bruce Springsteen’s birthday today, author Tyler Hayes pays tribute to Springsteen’s legendary album “Born to Run,” added to the National Registry in 2003. Two albums into his career, Bruce Springsteen’s music trajectory was not set to contain notoriety. He was on a path that would soon see …
Posted in: National Recording Registry, Recorded Sound