HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Henry Burr

Photo: Ryan Barna Collection

Born Harry Haley McClaskey on 15 January 1882 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, tenor balladeer, Henry Burr, recorded under a long list of aliases as well: Irving Gillette, Henry Gillette, Alfred Alexander, Ralph Brainard, Harry Haley, Robert Rice, Carl Ely, Harry Barr, Frank Knapp, Al King and Harry McClaskey. Among the superstars of early American popular music, Burr made more than 12,000 recordings during his career. DAHR lists nearly 3000 of them. He'd begun singing in public at age five. At thirteen he performed with an ensemble called the Artillery Band. At about age nineteen in 1901, he invaded the United States upon a trip of 500 miles or so to New York City toward employment at the Metropolitan Opera. He was there discovered by opera baritone, Giuseppe Campanari, who encouraged him to move to New York City and pursue vocal training. Which he did while singing in the choir of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, during which time he met organist, Kate Stella Burr, to assume her last name.

Burr was the first major musical conquistador of the United States from out of the Commonwealth of Nations with the exception of close rival, Harry Macdonough, who was also Canadian. Contemporaries like Richard Jose and Ada Jones had been born in England, J.W. Myers in Wales. Elise Stevenson had been suspiciously born in Liverpool. George Gaskin had been conceived in Ireland, the latter a member of the Commonwealth at the time. The century had only begun and the Commonwealth was already in the pie of popular music in the United States. The States retaliated by sending the Original Dixieland Jazz Band to Great Britain in 1919, to be chased out by shotgun in 1920 [Day]. Jug band music and R&B would find their way to Great Britain as well, only to foment the British Invasion of the sixties in which not a few Canadians were involved and openly admit it. Even Australians would find the United States ripe for picking at guitars. The U.S. was key to the careers of musicians from all about the Western hemisphere because that's where record companies and the film industry set the bar and could make one famous across the globe. Canada and Great Britain, however, figure especially large in musical dialogue with the United States during the 20th century, perhaps followed by Germany in terms of involvement in the industry and later musicians. From the very beginning of the 20th century Canadians made themselves busy warping the consciousness of American citizens with songs about trees and such. All thanks to Macdonough (: 'By the Sycamore Tree' 1903) and Henry Burr who traipsed about as please in the U.S., Burr stealthily making his first recordings for Columbia perhaps as early as 1902.

Going by Tim Gracyk [refs below], Burr's earliest session is traced to 'My Dreams' in 1903 per Columbia 1351. His first track as a solo vocalist to chart per Music VF was 'The Rosary' in June of 1904 at #3. 'Come Down, Ma Ev'ning Star' went up instead to #1 in July. Burr is a poster boy of early superstardom, 97 of his titles consistently reaching the Top Ten to as late as 'Are You Lonesome To-night?' at #10 in 1927, twelve more alighting in the Top Twenty. After 'Come Down, Ma Ev'ning Star' Burr placed 13 more songs at the #1 tier:

   Come Down, Ma Ev'ning Star
      7/1904
   Love Me and the World is Mine
      11/1906
   To the End of the World with You
      5/1909
   I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
      9/1909
   When I Lost You
      4/1913
   Last Night Was the End of the World
      8/1913
   The Song That Stole My Heart Away
      5/1914
   M-O-T-H-E-R
      2/1916
   Good-Bye, Good Luck, God Bless You
   6/1916
   Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight
      4/1918
   I'm Sorry I Made You Cry
      6/1918
   Beautiful Ohio
      5/1919
   Oh! What a Pal was Mary
      10/1919
   My Buddy
      11/1922

'The Holy City' Henry Burr

Columbia 60 probably 1903

Composition: Stephen Adams

'Blue Bell' Henry Burr

Columbia 1813 if to chart at #4 in July 1904

Music: Theodore F. Morse Lyrics: Edward Madden

Burr had hooked up w the Columbia Quartet(te) or variation thereat in 1903. Members at that time were first tenor, Albert Campbell, baritone, Joe Belmont, and bass, Joe Majors. Rotating personnel came to Burr, Campbell, baritone, Steve Porter, and bass, Frank C. Stanley (if not Tom Daniels) when the Columbia Quartette placed its first title on the charts in November 1904 with 'Sweet Adeline' (Columbia cylinder 32584) at #1 [grouped as the Peerless Quartette at Music VF]. The Columbia Quartet(te) also recorded as the Columbia Male Quartette and the Climax Quartet, the latter for Columbia's launch into flat disc recording via its Climax label.

Burr began recording for Edison Records as Irving Gillette in 1904. Recording extensively with Victor as well, his first tracks for that label went down on January 4 of 1905 for 'Loch Lomond' (B2108) and 'Daddy' (B2109).

'Oh Promise Me' Henry Burr as Irving Gillette

Edison Gold Moulded 8929 recorded Nov 1904 #7 April 1905

Composition: Reginald De Koven / Clement Scott

'In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree' Henry Burr as Irving Gillette

Edison Gold Moulded 8958 recorded Nov 1904 #1 April 1905

Also recorded by Burr on 7 April 1905 toward Victor 4338 & Montgomery Ward 8128

Composition: Egbert Van Alstyne / Harry Williams

''Neath the Spreading Chestnut Tree' Henry Burr as Irving Gillette

Edison 9206 recorded Oct 1905 in NYC #1 April 1905

The Columbia Quartet(te) became the Peerless Quartet in 1906. DAHR has them recording 'Where Is My Wandering Boy To-Night' on an unknown date prior to Feb of 1907 when it was issued on Zonophone 673. They followed numerous releases on Zonophone with Victor in 1908. DAHR traces them with Victor to February of that year on 'Women!', 'Moonlight on the Lake' and 'The New Parson at Darktown Church'. 'Rah! Rah! Rah!' and ''Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming' saw session in April. Stanley led the Peerless Quartet until his death in 1910, whence Burr succeeded him.

Another important member of the Peerless Quartet was Arthur Collins. Having been with the Columbia Quartette, he replaced Porter circa 1908/09. Stanley was replaced upon his death of pleurisy in 1910 by John H. Meyer. The Peerless Quartet was among the most profitable ensembles of the period, veritably the first super group, excepting the Haydn Quartet of Macdonough fame, making hundreds of recordings. The third major quartet of the period was the American Quartet surrounding Billy Murray. The Peerless Quartet consistently charted in the Top Ten on above ninety releases to as late as 1926 when they dismantled. Four of their titles topped the charts at #1 from 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' (Nov '11) and 'The Lights of My Home Town' (March '16) to 'Over There' (Oct '17) and 'I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm on My Way' (Jan '18).

'My Old Kentucky Home' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Indestructible cylinder 694 issued Jan 1908

Charted earlier at #5 in March 1905 for the Columbia Quartet on Columbia 3055

Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Coleman Goetz

'Rah! Rah! Rah!' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Victor 5460 recorded 21 April 1908 in Camden NJ #10 Oct 1908

Music: C. M. Chapel Lyrics: Cecil Lean

Before Stanley's death in 1910 he and Burr had recorded numerous duets. Discogs has them issuing 'The Holy City' b/w 'Crucifix' (Columbia A5034) and 'Iola' (Columbia 3571) as early as 1906. Music VF has the duo charting at #2 in September of 1907 with 'Red Wing'. Eleven more Top Ten titles followed to 'The Moonlight, the Rose and You' at #8 in April of 1911 (released posthumously per Stanley's death in '10).

'Shine on, Harvest Moon' Henry Burr w Frank Stanley

Indestructible cylinder 1075 #2 June 1909

Composition: Nora Bayes / Jack Norworth

'Let's Go Back to Baby Days' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Victor 16341 recorded 28 June 1609 in Camden NJ #2 June 1909

Music: George W. Meyer Lyrics: Jack Drislane

'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Columbia 1057 #1 Nov 1911

Composition: Leo Friedman / Beth Slater Whitson

Also among Burr's major partners was Albert Campbell. Performing together since the Columbia Quartet, Burr and Campbell recorded countless duets between 1911 and 1925. A super duo, they released above forty Top Ten titles from 'On Mobile Bay' in April 1911 at #3 to 'I'm Sitting Pretty in a Pretty Little City' at #6 in Feb 1925, that followed by 'At the End of the Road' at #11 in April '25. Five of their duets topped the charts at #1: 'When I Was Twenty-One and You Were Sweet Sixteen' (May '12), 'Close to My Heart' (Sep '15), 'Lookout Mountain' (July '17), 'Till We Meet Again' (Feb '19) and 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles' (May '19).

'When I Was Twenty-One and You Were Sweet Sixteen' Henry Burr w Albert Campbell

Columbia 1138 #1 May 1912

Composition: Egbert Van Alstyne / Harry Williams

'My Little Persian Rose' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Columbia 1247 recorded 4 Nov 1912 in NYC #7 Feb 1913

Music: Anatol Friedland Lyrics: Edgar Allan Woolf

'The Song That Stole My Heart Away' Henry Burr

Columbia 1512 recorded 18 Feb 1914 in NYC #1 May 1914

Music: Harry Von Tilzer Lyrics: Andrew B. Sterling

'Way Down on Tampa Bay' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Victor 17708 recorded 23 Dec 1914 in Camden NJ

Music: Egbert Van Alstyne Lyrics: A. Seymour Brown

'M-O-T-H-E-R' Henry Burr

Victor 17913 recorded 17 Nov 1915 in NYC #1 Feb 1916

Music: Theodore F. Morse Lyrics: Howard E. Johnson

'On Honolulu Bay' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Victor 18212 recorded 11 Dec 1916 in NYC

Music: Ted Barron / George Cobb Lyrics: Jack Yellen

'Over There' Henry Burr w the Peerless Quartet

Columbia 2306 recorded 13 June 1917 in NYC #1 Oct 1917

Composition: George M. Cohan

'Beautiful Ohio' Henry Burr

Columbia 2701 recorded 20 Nov 1918 in NYC #1 May 1919

Music: Robert King / Mary Earl Lyrics: Ballard MacDonald Adopted State Song 1969

'My Buddy' Henry Burr

Victor 18930 recorded 18 July 1922 in Camden NJ #1 Nov 1922

Music: Walter Donaldson Lyrics: Gus Kahn

'Faded Love Letters' Henry Burr

Victor 19015 recorded 8 Dec 1922 in Camden NJ #3 May 1923

Music: Luella Lockwood Moore / Will E. Dulmage Lyrics: Richard W. Pascoe

Burr's first radio broadcast had been from Denver in 1920, using a wood bowl rigged with an inverted telephone transmitter for a microphone. On 10 February 1925 Columbia made the first electric (versus acoustic) recording which was Helen Clark performing a piece by Josef Pasternack at piano, though that wasn't issued. That was followed on the 11th with a duet by Olive Kline and Elsie Baker, also unreleased. On 26 February of 1925 Burr participated in the first electrical recordings to see issue together with others like Albert Campbell and Billy Murray. This was 'A Miniature Concert' consisting of several titles issued in June on Victor 35753. The first electrical recordings issued went down later on March 16 and 20, released in April on Victor 19626 consisting of 'Joan of Arkansas' by the Mask and Wig Glee Chorus and 'Buenos Aires' by the International Novelty Orchestra. On 21 March classical pianist, Alfred Cortot, also recorded electrical titles to issue for Victor.

'A Miniature Concert' including 'When You and I Were Young, Maggie' by Henry Burr

Victor 35753 recorded 26 Feb 1925 in Camden NJ Matrices CVE-31874 / CVE-31875

First electrical recordings to see commercial issue June 1925

'Joan of Arkansas' by the Mask and Wig Glee Chorus (not Burr)

Victor 19626-A recorded 16 March 1925 Matrix BVE-32160

First electrical recording issued April 1925

'Buenos-Aires' by the International Novelty Orchestra (not Burr)

Victor 19626-B recorded 20 March 1925 Matrix BVE-32170

Second electrical recording issued April 1925

Tom Lord's jazzography has Burr backed by Roger Wolfe Kahn on several titles in 1926 and 1927, listing him in eight jazz-relevant sessions in all. In 1928 Burr founded Henry Burr, Inc. and began producing radio programs. In 1935 he started performing for WLS Chicago 'National Barn Dance', where he stayed the next five years.