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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 301-325 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-3189 12-in. 3/16/1906 Maggie Clancey's grand piano Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with piano author, speaker  
Victor C-3192 12-in. 3/21/1906 The happy German twins Len Spencer ; George P. Watson Male vocal solo (yodeling), with orchestra author, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor E-3192 8-in. 3/21/1906 The happy German twins Len Spencer ; George P. Watson Male vocal solo (yodeling) author, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor B-3193 10-in. 3/21/1906 A matrimonial chat Len Spencer Monologue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-3249 12-in. 4/5/1906 The jokesmiths Billy Murray ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-3250 12-in. 4/5/1906 Pat and Mike Magee Billy Murray ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-3319 12-in. 4/19/1906 Bashful Henry and lovin' Lucy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor E-3320 8-in. 2/28/1907 Hans and Gretchen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra and female vocal solo speaker, author  
Victor C-3320 12-in. 4/19/1906 Hans and Gretchen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra and female vocal solo author, speaker  
Victor E-3382 8-in. 5/11/1906 Peaches and cream Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor B-3382 10-in. 5/11/1906 Peaches and cream Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra author, performer  
Victor B-3383 10-in. 5/11/1906 Flannigan's St. Patrick's Day Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-3384 10-in. 5/11/1906 Flannigan's night off Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor B-3391 10-in. 5/16/1906 Old Mother Hubbard and Mother Goose rhymes Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Recitation, with animal imitations speaker  
Victor E-3391 8-in. 5/16/1906 Mother Goose rhymes Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Recitation, with animal imitations speaker  
Victor B-3392 10-in. 5/16/1906 The dog fight Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker  
Victor B-3440 10-in. 6/5/1906 Travel on Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal performer, author  
Victor B-3441 10-in. 6/5/1906 Let me see you smile Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor E-3441 8-in. 6/5/1906 Let me see you smile Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor B-3442 10-in. 6/5/1906 Coming home from Coney Isle Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor E-3442 8-in. 6/5/1906 Coming home from Coney Isle Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor E-3785 8-in. 9/11/1906 Jimmie and Maggie at the ball game Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-3785 10-in. 9/11/1906 Jimmie and Maggie at the ball game Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor C-3786 12-in. 9/11/1906 Down on the farm Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-3910 10-in. 10/18/1906 Italian specialty Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
(Results 301-325 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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