HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Alberta Hunter Fore & Aft the Inception of Electrical Recording

Alberta Hunter

Born on 1 April 1895 in Memphis, jazz vocalist, Alberta Hunter, began her career as a ballroom singer before touring Europe in 1917, the same year she began appearing at the Dreamland in Chicago for the next five years. Hunter was a lesbian whose marriage to Willard Townsend in 1919 was a brief one, as she had already met her life companion, Lottie Tyler, in Chicago at the Panama Café a couple years earlier. Among Hunter's first releases were 'How Long Sweet Daddy, How Long' and 'Bring Back the Joys' (Black Swan 2008) from a couple sessions thought be have been in May 1921. Ida Cox later issued the similarly titled 'How Long Daddy, How Long' in 1926 on Paramount 12325, that with music by W. H. Jackson and lyrics by Cox.

'How Long Sweet Daddy, How Long' Alberta Hunter

Backed by Fletcher Henderson's Novelty Orchestra

Recorded c May 1921 Matrix P-121-2,3 Black Swan 2008

Trumpet: Howard Scott Trombone: Chink Johnson Piano: Henderson

Composition: Jones / Taylor

'Bring Back the Joys' Alberta Hunter

Backed by Fletcher Henderson's Novelty Orchestra

Recorded c May 1921 Matrix P-124-2,3 Black Swan 2008

Piano: Henderson

Composition: Rose

Hunter was behind the blues standard, 'Down Hearted Blues' composed with Lovie Austin for release in the summer of 1923 by Bessie Smith (Columbia 3844). Royalties on that amounted to $368. The next year in November Art Gillham recorded multiple takes of 'You May Be Lonesome' which went unissued because Columbia was transitioning to electrical recording. Electrical recording was the result of several years of work by engineers, H. C. Harrison and Joseph P. Maxfield, at Western Electric which announced its system in 1924 consisting of microphone, amplifier and electromagnetic cutting head. Western Electric licensed its recording equipment to Columbia and Victor the next year. This development in recording saw the record industry boom as, frankly, though loads of acoustic recordings had been sold since the inception of acoustic recording some 35 years ago, nobody thought they sounded real good. Now they did and the market swallowed who didn't buy records before. Electrical recording had major affect on popular and classical music in particular. Of note in early popular music is all the forced voice. This changed upon the entrance of music's first crooner, Art Gillham (the Whispering Pianist). Bing Crosby is a far more famous early crooner, that is, singer in a softer more natural voice than the loud shouting encouraged by acoustic recording. But Gilham was the first to lay tracks in an electrically equipped studio for Columbia on 25-27 February 1925. The first track on 25 February was 'You May Be Lonesome' issued on Columbia 328-D. Columbia's Viva-tonal label was conceived in 1925 to feature its new line of electrical recordings.

Victor's first electrical recordings arrived on 26 February toward the album, 'Miniature Concert', by Eight Popular Victor Artists including such as Frank Banta, Billy Murray and the Peerless Quartet, that released on 78 rpm shellac per Victor 35753. That was followed in March per 'Joan of Arkansas' by the Mask and Wig Glee Chorus toward issue on Victor 19626. As for classical music, though composers or orchestras were in the practice of paying homage to acoustic technology, many preferred to keep that minimal, far better to perform in live venues than studios because acoustic recording simply didn't deliver real sound. Souza was one who wouldn't go near an acoustic recording studio because fidelity was too poor. That changed when Victor electrically recorded Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra on 29 April 1925 in a performance of 'Danse macabre' by Camille Saint-Saëns. Stokowski hadn't been shy to make numerous acoustic recordings, but the release of his first electrical on Victrola 6505-A was a big step toward making classical artists less hesitant to record, not to mention audience expansion which made it more lucrative. Victor released its Orthophonic Victrola in 1925 specifically to play electrical recordings. Recordings by Hunter for Victor after the preceding would be electrical. The initial electrical sessions below don't necessarily correspond to the order in which they were issued.

'You May Be Lonesome' Art Gillam First electrical by Columbia

Recorded 25 Feb 1925 in NYC Columbia 328-D

Composition: Billy Smythe / Art Gillham

'A Miniature Concert' Eight Popular Victor Artists First electrical by Victor

Recorded 26 Feb 1925 in Camden NJ Victor 35753

'Joan of Arkansas' Electrical by Victor

Mask and Wig Glee Chorus led by Nathaniel Shilkret

Recorded 16 March 1925 in Camden NJ Matrix BVE-32160 Victor 19626

Composition: Charles Gilpin

'Danse macabre' First electrical classical by Victor

Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra

Recorded 29 April 1925 in NYC Columbia 328-D

Composition: Camille Saint-Saëns

'Sugar' Alberta Hunter w organ by Fats Waller

Recorded 20 May 1927 in Camden NJ Matrix 38045-2 Victor 20771

Music: Maceo Pinkard Lyrics: Sidney Mitchell / Edna Alexander

'Beale Street Blues' Alberta Hunter w organ by Fats Waller

Recorded 20 May 1927 in Camden NJ Matrix 38046-2 Victor 20771

Composition: W.C. Handy 1917

Hunter's most popular issue at #16 on charts

IBDB has Hunter performing on Broadway for the first time in 'Change Your Luck' in June of 1930. Continuing to tour both sides of the Atlantic into the thirties, she worked with Louis Armstrong at Connie's Inn in NYC in 1936, then hosted her own radio show in 1938-40. She played Dolly in 'Mamba's Daughters' on Broadway from January into May of 1939, again from March to April of 1940.

'You Can't Tell the Difference After Dark' Alberta Hunter

Recorded 20 March 1935 in NYC

Issued on 'Classic Alberta Hunter: The Thirties' Stash ST115 / 1978

Composition: Maceo Pinkard

'Downhearted Blues' Alberta Hunter

Recorded 15 Aug 1939 in NYC Matrix 66105-A Decca 7727

Trumpet: Charlie Shavers Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Piano: Lil Armstrong String bass: Wellman Braud

Music: Lovie Austin Lyrics: Hunter

'Someday, Sweetheart' Alberta Hunter

Recorded 15 Aug 1939 in NYC Matrix 66109-A Decca 7727

Trumpet: Charlie Shavers Clarinet: Buster Bailey

Piano: Lil Armstrong String bass: Wellman Braud

Composition: John C. Spikes / Reb Spikes

Hunter entertained troops during both World War II and the Korean conflict, then invented a high school diploma and studied to become a nurse. She was working at the Goldwater Memorial Hospital in NYC when she began recording again in 1961, to issue the album, 'Songs We Taught Your Mother' shared with Lucille Hegamin and Victoria Spivey.

'You Gotta Reap What You Sow' Alberta Hunter

Recorded 16 Aug 1961 in Englewood Cliffs NJ

Album: 'Songs We Taught Your Mother' Prestige Bluesville BVLP 1052 / 1962

Composition: Hunter

Upon retiring from nursing in 1977 Hunter, now more than eighty years old, revived her music career. Her last studio album, 'Look for the Silver Lining', was released in 1983.