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Ben Selvin

Benjamin Bernard Selvin (March 5, 1898 – July 15, 1980) was an American musician, bandleader, and record producer. He was known as the Dean of Recorded Music.

Selvin was born in New York City, United States, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants. He started his professional life at age 15 as a fiddle player in New York City night clubs. Six years later, as leader of his own dance band, the Novelty Orchestra, he released what was later alleged to be the biggest-selling popular song in the first quarter-century of recorded music. "Dardanella" allegedly sold more than six million copies and an additional million pieces of sheet music—although in a joint interview with Gustave Haenschen, founding director of popular-music releases at Brunswick Records, Selvin described the alleged record-sales total as “nonsensical” and said the actual sales of “Dardanella” and other purported “million-sellers” in the 1920s was 150,000 discs. He was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that was presented to Selvin on his retirement on March 14, 1963.

According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Selvin recorded more musical sides (on 78-rpm discs) than any other person. One reason for this prolific output is that he recorded for dozens of different record labels during this productive time in the industry, using a different name for each label. His output has been estimated at 13,000 to 20,000 song titles.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 5, 1898 (New York City), Died July 15, 1980 (Manhasset)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, violin, vocalist, songwriter, composer, lyricist, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W141140 10-in. 10/16/1925 You told me to go The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W141187 10-in. 10/24/1925 What a blue eyed baby you are The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141247 10-in. 11/5/1925 Dinah Harmony Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141248 10-in. 11/5/1925 Let us waltz as we say goodbye Harmony Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141249 10-in. 11/5/1925 Tweedle-dee tweedle-doo Harmony Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141278 10-in. 11/17/1925 Let me call you sweetheart Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 141279 10-in. 11/18/1925 Meet me to-night in Dreamland Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 141280 10-in. 11/18/1925 To-morrow mornin' The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141444 10-in. 12/30/1925 My castle in Spain The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141445 10-in. 12/30/1925 I want somebody to cheer me up The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141446 10-in. 12/30/1925 Sweet child Robert Benjamin ; Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, leader  
Columbia W141473 10-in. 1/11/1926 Looking for a boy The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W141474 10-in. 1/11/1926 Sweet and low-down The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141537 10-in. 1/22/1926 The prisoner's song The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 141538 10-in. 1/22/1926 Too many parties and too many pals Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141539 10-in. 1/22/1926 Roll 'em, girls Robert Benjamin ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist  
Columbia 141599 10-in. 2/3/1926 Thanks for the buggy ride The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Bob Sylvester Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist  
Columbia 141600 10-in. 2/3/1926 So does your old Mandarin The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Bob Sylvester Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist  
Columbia 141601 10-in. 2/3/1926 Tentin' down in Tennessee Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W141602 10-in. 2/4/1926 Too many parties and too many pals The Cavaliers ; Arthur Fields Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W141603 10-in. 2/4/1926 Someone to love The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 141633 10-in. 2/16/1926 Say it again The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Billy West Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 141634 10-in. 2/16/1926 Always Fred Jackson ; Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 141635 10-in. 2/16/1926 Drifting and dreaming The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia W141760 10-in. 3/4/1926 A night of love The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band leader  
(Results 51-75 of 1016 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed April 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064

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