HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Billy Murray

Born William Thomas Murray on 25 May 1877 in Philadelphia, Billy Murray was raised since age five in Denver before taking off with a traveling vaudeville troupe in 1893. He also performed in minstrel shows before making his first recording in 1897 for one Peter Bacigalupi, a distributor for Edison Records in San Francisco. Those cylinders aren't thought to have survived. Releases, if any, aren't known. Ryan Bama [refs below] has his initial track per 'The Lass from the County Mayo' with yodeler, Matt Keefe.

In 1902 Murray signed on with Al G. Field's Greater Minstrels. He left the next year for New York City where he made his first cylinders to known issue, 'I'm Thinkin' of You All of de While' (Edison 8452) and 'Alec Busby, Don't Go Away' (Edison 8453) released in 1903 [Gracyk].

Murray wasn't a "popular" singer in this article until this paragraph, well to mention since he was among the superstars of his time, placing nearly 120 titles in the Top Ten (my contrived term) of the charts from 'Tessie (You are the Only, Only)' at #4 in April of 1903 to 'Don't Bring Lulu' at #5 in August of 1925. His initial #1 title was 'Bedelia' subtitled 'Irish Coon Song Serenade'. 'Bedelia' was a variation of the coon song that was highly popular around the turn of the century, an avenue of entertainment via the caricaturizing of black folk, such as "coon" for the whites of the eyes pronounced amidst a dark background, like the raccoon. As people come in all varieties, coon songs and their like ranged from probably friendly to probably downright ugly. Though intended in the style of a coon song, in 'Bedalia' it is the Irish who get the comic treatment. Comedy was among the greater aspects of Murray's career to come, witnessed in the lyrics of much of his repertoire which includes popular coon songs. In the meantime, as the popular genre was conceived in the concept of popularity, which recording labels made their business, followed by advertising and sales charts, it fits to follow that practice with a list of Murray's fifteen most popular titles which topped the charts at #1:

   Bedelia
      Jan 1904
   Navajo
      March 1904
   Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis
      July 1904
   Alexander
      Sep 1904
   Come Take a Trip in My Air-Ship
      Jan 1905
   Yankee Doodle Boy
      Feb 1905
   Give My Regards to Broadway
      June 1905
   In My Merry Oldsmobile
      Oct 1905
   Everybody Works But Father
      Dec 1905
   The Grand Old Rag
      Oct 1907
   Harrigan
      Jan 1908
   Under Any Old Flag at All
      Feb 1908
   Carrie (Carrie Marry Harry)
      Jan 1910
   I Love a Piano
      April 1916
   Pretty Baby
      Oct 1916

'Tessie (You Are the Only, Only, Only)' Billy Murray

Columbia shellac 1163 probably recorded in NYC 1903 #3 April 1903

Composition: Will R. Anderson

'Bedelia' ('Irish Coon Song Serenade') Billy Murray

Edison cylinder 8550 probably recorded in NYC 1903 #1 Jan 1904

Music: Jean Schwartz Lyrics: William Jerome

'Under the Anheuser Bush' Billy Murray

Edison cylinder 8575 possibly recorded in NYC 1904 #2 Feb 1904

Music: Harry Von Tilzer Lyrics: Andrew B. Sterling

'Give My Regards to Broadway' Billy Murray

Columbia shellac 3165 recorded in NYC sometime Jan-May 1905 #1 June 1905

Composition: George M. Cohan

'You're a Grand Old Flag' Billy Murray

Edison cylinder 9256 recorded 1906

Composition: George M. Cohan

This title as well as 'The Grand Old Rag' recorded on multiple occasions

Murray had joined the Haydn Quartet (Edison Quartet until 1901) circa 1905 in time to appear on 'Just a Little Rocking Chair and You' charting at #4 in Jan of 1906. Murray hung w the Haydn through numerous Top Ten titles to as late as 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' at #1 in April 1910.

'Rainbow' Billy Murray leading the Haydn Quartet

Victor 5571 recorded 2 Sep 1908 in Camden NJ #7 Nov 1908

Music: Percy Wenrich Lyrics: William Jerome / Jack Mahoney

Murray issued titles with the Edison Male Quartette in 1906 and 1907. But it was upon signing up with the Victor Talking Machine Company that Murray picked up "The Denver Nightingale" for a sobriquet [Gracyk]. With Victor pumping the pistons, Murray kept the charts fueled with top-selling titles even while continuing to record cylinders for Victor's rival, Edison, though it was around that time that flat discs began to erupt in popularity, to leave Edison Records to its old-fashioned proprietary ways. Joining Victor as major rival to Edison was Columbia which had been selling cylinders since 1891 and entered the flat disc industry in 1901 with its Climax label, that rivaling Victor's dive into flat discs with Monarch upon merging with Berliner in 1901. Berliner flat discs had been Edison Records' main headscratcher during both their first decades in the nineties. Once the merger with Victor came about it spelled Edison's doom. By the time Edison Records entered the flat disc market with its Diamond Discs in 1912 it was an old mare having trouble keeping up in the dust of Columbia and Victor, the latter having seen the popularity of discs over cylinders coming as the Edison operation stubbornly tried to improve what was technologically a dead horse in the end. Edison Records could own the whole cylinder market for all that most other record companies cared. Its demise in October 1929, issuing both its last cylinder and final Diamond Disc that year, had been getting written on the wall for the last twenty to thirty years.

'I Wish I Had a Girl' Billy Murray

Victor 16291 recorded 30 Dec 1908 in Camden NJ #2 May 1909

Music: Grace Le Boy Lyrics: Gus Kahn

'A Good Old Dollar Bill' Billy Murray

Victor 16311 recorded 11 Jan 1909 in Camden NJ

Music: Theodore F. Morse Lyrics: Jack Mahoney

'Foolish Questions' Billy Murray

Edison 10273 Session unknown Issued Nov 1909

Music: A. Baldwin Sloane Lyrics: William Lee

'I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now' Billy Murray

Victor 16425 recorded 28 Oct 1909 in Camden NJ #1 Jan 1910

Music: Harold Orlob / Joseph Howard Lyrics: Frank Adams / Will Hough

'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' Billy Murray leading the Haydn Quartet

Victor 16460 recorded 22 Dec 1909 in Camden NJ

Music: Gus Edwards Lyrics: Edward Madden

'Sweet Italian Love' Billy Murray

Edison Standard 10427 Session unknown 1910

Composition: Irving Berlin

'The Whistling Coon' Billy Murray & SH Dudley

Victor 16821 recorded 3 Oct 1910 in Camden NJ

Composition: Sam Devere

It was with Victor that Murray had gotten matched with the American Quartet in 1909. The American Quartet had been formed in 1899 to become the Haydn Quartet which also recorded as the Edison Quartet (cylinders). The American Quartet manifested variously until its most famous configuration with Murray at lead. The American Quartet also recorded for the enemy, Edison Records, as the Premier Quartet and wouldn't vaporize until 1925, meaning a towering list of Top Ten releases from 1910 to 1924. The AQ broke apart just prior to Victor's dive into electronic recording in 1925, thus rather cap the acoustic period for that label.

'Play that Barber Shop Chord' Billy Murray leading the American Quartet

Victor 5799 recorded 8 Sep 1910 in Camden NJ #2 Dec 1910

Composition: Lewis F. Muir

Among Murray's major recording partners with whom he documented numerous duets was Ada Jones, such as 'Come, Josephine, in My Flying Machine' which reached #1 in May of 1911:

'Come, Josephine, in My Flying Machine' Billy Murray & Ada Jones w the American Quartet

Victor 16844 recorded 22 Nov 1910 in Camden NJ #1 May 1911

Composition: Alfred Bryan / Fred Fisher

'Oh You Beautiful Doll' Billy Murray leading the American Quartet

Victor 16979 3 masters recorded 21 Oct, 31 Oct & 15 Dec 1911 in Camden NJ #1 Dec 1911

Music: Nat D. Ayer Lyrics: A. Seymour Brown

'Rainbow' Billy Murray & Ada Jones

Edison Blue Amberol cylinder 1884 recorded 19 July 1911 Issued Sep 1913

Music: Percy Wenrich Lyrics: William Jerome / Jack Mahoney

'If It Wasn't for the Irish and the Jews' Billy Murray & Ada Jones

Victor 17054 recorded 12 Feb 1912 in Camden NJ #1 Dec 1911

Composition: William Jerome / Jean Schwartz

'The Eskimo Rag' Billy Murray

Victor 17166 recorded 17 June 1912 in Camden NJ

Music: George Botsford Lyrics: Jean Havez

The American Quartet also recorded as the Heidelberg Quintette from 1912 to 1914, Will Oakland's high countertenor distinctive in that barbershop group:

'Tennessee Moon' Billy Murray leading the Heidelberg Quintette

Victor 17207 recorded 26 July 1912 in Camden NJ

Other members: John Bieling / Steve Porter / William F. Hooley / Will Oakland

Composition: Percy Wenrich

'The Wedding Glide' Billy Murray & Ada Jones

Victor 17170 recorded 3 Sep 1912 in Camden NJ

Already charting at #4 in Jan 1912 per TsorT - possibly per Edison cylinder 1557?

Composition: Louis A. Hirsch

'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' Billy Murray leading the American Quartet

Victor 17639 recorded 15 Sep 1914 in Camden NJ

Composition: Harry Williams / Jack Judge

'Poor Pauline' Billy Murray

Victor 17655 recorded 20 Oct 1914 in Camden NJ

Music: Raymond Walker Lyrics: Charles McCarron

'Hello, Hawaii, How Are You?' Billy Murray

Victor 17944 recorded 5 Jan 1916 in Camden NJ #2 April 1916

Composition: Jean Schwartz / Bert Kalmar / Edgar Leslie

'Pretty Baby' Billy Murray

Victor 18102 recorded 22 June 1916 in Camden NJ #1 Oct 1916

Composition: Tony Jackson

'K-K-K-Katy' Billy Murray

Victor 18455 recorded 8 March 1918 in Camden NJ #3 June 1918

Composition: Geoffrey O'Hara 1917

'Indianola' Billy Murray

Victor 18474 recorded 31 May 1918 in Camden NJ

Composition: D. Onivas / S. R. Henry / Frank H. Warren

Another major duet partner was Ed Smalle w whom Murray charted at #9 in Nov 1920 per 'Dardanella Blues'. They topped the charts in September of 1923 w 'That Old Gang of Mine'.

'Dardanella Blues' Billy Murray & Ed Smalle

Victor 18688 recorded 21 July 1920 in Camden NJ #9 Nov 1920

Music: Johnny S. Black Lyrics: Fred Fisher

Murray had partnered w Billy Jones for 'O-Hi-O' in 1921, that reaching #2 in March that year:

'Down by the O-hi-o' Billy Murray & Billy Jones

Victor 18723 recorded 19 Dec 1920 in Camden NJ #2 March 1921

Music: Abe Olman Lyrics: Jack Yellen

'Pucker Up and Whistle' Billy Murray

Victor 18750 recorded 29 April 1921 in Camden NJ #2 March 1921

Composition: Blanche Franklyn / Nat Vincent

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, that also unreleased. On 26 February of 1925 Murray participated in the first electrical recordings to see issue together with Henry Burr, Albert Campbell, et al. This was 'A Miniature Concert' consisting of several titles issued in June on Victor 35753 [DAHR]. The first electrical recordings issued went down later on March 16 and 20, released in April on Victor 19626. Those were 'Joan of Arkansas' by the Mask and Wig Glee Chorus and 'Buenos Aires' by the International Novelty Orchestra [DAHR]. On 21 March classical pianist, Alfred Cortot, also recorded electrical titles to issue for Victor.

'A Miniature Concert' including 'Casey Jones' by Billy Murray

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 Murray)

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

Side A of first electrical recording issued April 1925

'Don't Bring Lulu' Billy Murray

Victor 19628 of three takes on 19 March 1925 in NYC (acoustic) #5 Aug 1925

Composition: Lew Brown / Billy Rose / Ray Henderson

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

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

Side B of first electrical recording issued April 1925

Though Murray was more a ragtime than jazz vocalist, he ventured the latter direction during the twenties via dance bands like those of Paul Whiteman and Jean Goldkette. The Lord jazz sessionography begins a list of 35 sessions on 30 October 1919 in New York City with the Louisiana Five. ('You Can't Get Lovin' Where There Ain't Any Love' on Columbia A-2857). Murray recorded with the Virginians frequently from 1922 into the summer of 1924. Lord has Murray leading his Seven Blue Babies in 1928 and his Melody Men in 1929 before titles with Irving Mills' Musical Clowns circa April and Majestic Dance Orchestra in May of 1929 including two takes of 'Am I Blue?'. I don't know, Bill, if you are, were, blue or not. But maybe we should quit while we're ahead, since if we teeter much further here of Prohibition alcohol we'll lose grip and land on our backs in a room reeling with swing:

'Am I Blue?' Billy Murray backed by the Majestic Dance Orchestra

Pathe Perfect 15185 recorded c 31 May 1929 in NYC

Music: Harry Akst Lyrics: Grant Clarke

As it happens, Murray played the voice of Bimbo in thirty-five 'Betty Boop' animated television shorts from the first in 1930 to 1933. Bimbo had appeared in earlier Fleischer Talkartoons in 1929, though not voiced by Murray. Below are the first two 'Betty Boop' cartoons which are the first by Murray as Bimbo:

'Dizzy Dishes' Billy Murray voicing Bimbo Betty Boop: Margie Hines

Debut 'Betty Boop' television cartoon Aired 9 Aug 1930

Directed by Max Fleischer

'Barnacle Bill' Billy Murray voicing Bimbo the Sailor Betty Boop: Ann Little

Second 'Betty Boop' television cartoon Aired 1930

Directed by Max Fleischer

Bama has Murray making his final recordings on 11 Feb of 1943 per two parts of the comedy dialogue, 'Casey and Cohen in the Army', with Monroe Silver:

'Casey and Cohen In the Army Part 1' Billy Murray & Monroe Silver

Beacon 2001 recorded 11 Feb 1943

'Casey and Cohen In the Army Part 2' Billy Murray & Monroe Silver

Beacon 2001 recorded 11 Feb 1943

Murray retired from the music profession in 1944. He died of heart attack a decade later on 17 August 1954 in James Beach, New York. Others unmentioned with whom he recorded include Harry Macdonough and Aileen Stanley.

Sources & References for Billy Murray:

Ryan Bama (Denver Nightingale)

Gracyk & Hoffman (Popular American Recording Pioneers 1895-1925 / Routledge 2008)

Frank Hoffmann (Chronology of American Popular Music 1900-2000 / Routledge 2008)

Syncopated Times

William Ruhlmann (All Music)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

American Quartet:

DAHR Discogs Tim Gracyk Alex Henderson Wikipedia

Audio of Billy Murray:

Bedelia (1903)