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Len Spencer

Leonard Garfield Spencer (February 12, 1867 – December 15, 1914) was an early American recording artist. He began recording for the Columbia Phonograph Company, in 1889 or 1890. Between 1892 and 1897 he recorded extensively for the New Jersey Phonograph Company and its successor the United States Phonograph Company. He specialized in vaudeville sketches and comic songs, but also sang sentimental ballads popular at the time. He returned to Columbia in 1898 for an exclusive contract then began recording for Berliner Gramophone (disc) records in 1899 and continued with Victor and Columbia as discs became the dominant format in the early 1900s.

He began performing with banjoist Vess L. Ossman in 1901 and with Ada Jones in 1905. He is best remembered today for his vaudeville-style comic sketches, such as "The Arkansaw Traveler" (1902), combining clever turns of phrase, ironic elocutionary delivery, sound effects and music to create colorful dialogues featuring itinerant Southerners, auctioneers, circus barkers, and Irish, Jewish or Black Americans. Many of his roles were performed in either blackface or brownface. Spencer's output was eclectic. He imitated animal sounds in "A Barnyard Serenade" (1906) and released another record titled "The Transformation Scene from 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'," but also popularized songs still known today such as "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom De-ay" and "A Hot Time in the Old Town." Music historian Bob Stanley deems it "probable" that Spencer's comedic "Arkansaw Traveler" routine was the first record to sell one million copies, though official documentation is lacking.

As the popularity of Len's style of humor waned in the latter part of the decade, he opened a booking agency called "Len Spencer's Lyceum" in New York. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage while working at the Lyceum on December 15, 1914.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 12, 1867 (Washington, D.C.), Died December 15, 1914 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1925

Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker, author, baritone vocal, performer, composer, adapter

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

Recordings (Results 276-300 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-2585 12-in. 5/31/1905 An evening with the minstrels, no. 4 Victor Minstrel Company Minstrels, with orchestra performer  
Victor B-2586 10-in. 5/31/1905 The professor and the musical tramp Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with banjo speaker, author  
Victor C-2586 12-in. 5/31/1905 The professor and the musical tramp Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with banjo and orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-2587 10-in. 5/31/1905 Old barn dance in Dixie Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with banjo and orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-2676 10-in. 6/27/1905 Katrina's valentine Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-2677 10-in. 6/27/1905 Louis and Lena Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-2678 10-in. 6/27/1905 Every little bit helps Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female-male vocal duet author, performer  
Victor E-2678 8-in. 12/6/1906 Every little bit helps Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female-male vocal duet performer, author  
Victor B-2679 10-in. 6/27/1905 At the vaudeville smoker Len Spencer Recitation, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-2762 12-in. 9/20/1905 The musical Yankee Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-2764 12-in. 9/20/1905 Courtship of Barney and Eileen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-2764 10-in. 9/20/1905 The courtship of Barney and Eileen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-2765 10-in. 9/20/1905 The fair fisher and her catch Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-2864 10-in. 11/3/1905 The golden wedding Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female-male vocal duet and orchestra performer, author  
Victor E-2866 8-in. 11/3/1905 Fritz and Louisa Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female vocal solo and orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-2866 10-in. 11/3/1905 Fritz and Louisa Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female vocal solo and orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-2883 10-in. 11/14/1905 Punch and Judy Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Recitation, with imitations speaker  
Victor E-2883 8-in. 5/16/1906 Punch and Judy Len Spencer Recitation, with imitations speaker  
Victor B-2884 10-in. 11/14/1905 Auction sale of a toy store Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Victor B-2885 10-in. 11/14/1905 A barnyard serenade Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Victor B-2958 10-in. 12/15/1905 The original Cohens Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic scene, with female-male vocal duet and orchestra performer, author  
Victor C-2959 12-in. 12/15/1905 Chimmie and Maggie at the Hippodrome Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-2961 10-in. 12/19/1905 An evening with the minstrels, no. 8 Minstrels [Victor Records group] Minstrels performer  
Victor B-3188 10-in. 3/16/1906 Mandy and her man Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor E-3188 8-in. 3/16/1906 Mandy and her man Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
(Results 276-300 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed April 17, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197

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