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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 401-425 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 652 7-in. ca. 1902 In front of the old cabin door Spencer Trio Male vocal trio; with piccolo solo (take 7) vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 652 10-in. ca. 1902 In front of the old cabin door Spencer Trio Male vocal trio vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 653 7-in. ca. 1902 The mocking bird medley Spencer Trio Male vocal trio, with whistling vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 653 10-in. ca. 1902 The mocking bird medley Spencer Trio Male vocal trio, with whistling vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 663 10-in. ca. 1902 Musical moke Artists vary Talk with xylophone, piccolo, fife, and drums speaker  
Columbia 663 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 Musical moke Artists vary Talk, with xylophone, piccolo, fife, and drums speaker  
Columbia 664 7-in. ca. 1902 The Twenty-Third Psalm Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Columbia 664 10-in. ca. 1902 Twenty-third psalm Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Columbia 743 10-in. ca. 1902 A trip to the circus Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Columbia 743 7-in. ca. 1902 A trip to the circus Len Spencer Descriptive scene speaker, author  
Columbia 746 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 The passing of the circus parade Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 746 10-in. ca. 1902 The passing of the circus parade Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 798 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 I've a longing in my heart for you, Louise Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
Columbia 798 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 I've a longing in my heart for you, Louise Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
Columbia 799 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 My heart loves you, too Artists vary Minstrels, with orchestra performer  
Columbia 799 10-in. between January and September 1902 My heart loves you, too Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal duet and orchestra performer  
Columbia 800 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 Mandy Lee Artists vary Minstrels, with orchestra performer  
Columbia 800 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 Mandy Lee Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
Columbia 801 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 My wild Irish rose Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal duet and orchestra performer  
Columbia 801 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 My wild Irish rose Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
Columbia 802 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 Tell me Artists vary Minstrels, with orchestra performer  
Columbia 802 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 Tell me Artists vary Minstrels, with orchestra performer  
Columbia 803 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 When the autumn leaves are falling Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
Columbia 803 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 When the autumn leaves are falling Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal duet and orchestra performer  
Columbia 804 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 The old folks at home Artists vary Minstrels, with male vocal solo and orchestra performer  
(Results 401-425 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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