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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 476-500 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 1730 10-in. ca. 1903-Feb. 1904 Reuben Haskins' trip 'round the world in his airship "Luna" Len Spencer Monologue, with flute speaker, author  
Columbia 1731 10-in. ca. 1903-Feb. 1904 Auction sale of a musical instruments store Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with instrumental ensemble speaker  
Columbia 1783 10-in. Jan.-Mar. 1904 Flogging scene Len Spencer Recitation, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 1825 10-in. ca. Jan.-July 1904 Con Clancey and the whistling newsboy Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue speaker, author  
Columbia 1826 10-in. ca. Jan.-July 1904 Hickory Bill Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Dialogue, with banjo speaker, author  
Columbia 1869 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1904 Pompernickel's silver wedding Len Spencer Comic monologue, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 1870 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1904 Our national airs Len Spencer Recitation, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 1905 10-in. ca. 1904 The night before Christmas Len Spencer Recitation, with chimes and sleigh bell effect speaker  
Columbia 1908 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1904 The transformation scene Len Spencer Monologue, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 3020 7-in. ca. 1904 Reuben Haskins' trip through the New York subway Harry Spencer ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue speaker  
Columbia 3049 10-in. ca. 1904-Jan. 1905 Down the pike at the St. Louis Exposition Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3050 10-in. between 1904 and January 1905 The hand of fate Ada Jones ; Harry Spencer ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3056 10-in. between 1904 and February 1905 Oh! What a night! Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue speaker, author  
Columbia 3078 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1905 Krausmeyer and his dog Schneider Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue speaker, author  
Columbia 3106 10-in. between January and April 1905 The professor and the musical tramp Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3107 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1905 The musical congress of nations Parke Hunter ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker  
Columbia 3108 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1905 Mr. and Mrs. Murphy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with female-male vocal duet and orchestra performer, author  
Columbia 3111 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1905 Parson Pinkney discourses on Adam and Eve Columbia Quintette Male vocal quintet, unaccompanied composer  
Columbia 3148 10-in. ca. Jan.-May 1905 Pals Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Columbia 3173 10-in. ca. Jan.-May 1905 The hobo band Prince's Military Band ; Len Spencer Band, with recitation speaker, author  
Columbia 3190 10-in. ca. Jan.-June 1905 Ev'ry little bit helps Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3198 10-in. between January and June 1905 Roosevelt's inaugural parade Prince's Military Band ; Len Spencer Monologue, with band vocalist, baritone vocal, author  
Columbia 3206 10-in. between January and September 1905 Heinie Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3276 10-in. ca. Jan.-Nov. 1905 The courtship of Barney and Eileen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3314 10-in. ca. 1905-Jan. 1906 The golden wedding Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 476-500 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed May 21, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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