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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 351-375 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor E-4842 8-in. 9/27/1907 Roger and I Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Recitation, with vocal effects and orchestra speaker  
Victor B-4843 10-in. 9/27/1907 Old dog Sport Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Victor E-4843 8-in. 9/27/1907 Old dog Sport Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Victor B-4845 10-in. 10/1/1907 Broncho Bob and his Little Cheyenne Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker  
Victor E-4845 8-in. 10/1/1907 Broncho Bob and his Little Cheyenne Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker  
Victor B-4847 10-in. 10/1/1907 The stranded circus Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Victor E-4847 8-in. 10/1/1907 The stranded circus Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Victor B-5001 10-in. 1/8/1908 Si and Sis Ada Jones ; Mozarto ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer  
Victor B-5002 10-in. 1/8/1908 Sim and Sam Mozarto ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and novelty instrumentals, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-5003 10-in. 1/8/1908 Krausmeyer's birthday party Mozarto ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Victor B-5049 10-in. 1/31/1907 Schoolday frolics Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal solo, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-5050 10-in. 1/31/1908 Muggsy's dream Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-5051 10-in. 1/31/1908 Jimmie and Maggie at the Merry Widow Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-6070 10-in. 3/31/1908 Santiago Flynn Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra and mandolin vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor B-6071 10-in. 3/31/1908 The frisky farmer and the modest manicure Ada Jones ; Billy Murray ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Victor B-6188 10-in. 5/12/1908 23rd Psalm Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor B-6189 10-in. 5/12/1908 Talmage on infidelity Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor B-6192 10-in. 5/12/1908 Fun at the music counter Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-6289 10-in. 7/3/1908 Henny and Hilda at the Schützenfest Len Spencer ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor B-6291 10-in. 7/3/1908 House-cleaning time Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-6354 10-in. 8/18/1908 The widow Dooley Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, unaccompanied speaker  
Victor B-6475 10-in. 9/28/1908 Jim Jackson's affinity Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor C-6477 12-in. 9/28/1908 A picture of long ago Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor B-6592 10-in. 11/10/1908 Pauline, Otto, and Fido Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor B-6857 10-in. 3/4/1909 Si Perkins' barn dance Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
(Results 351-375 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed May 1, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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