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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 501-525 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 3325 10-in. ca. 1905-Feb. 1906 Fritz and Louisa Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Columbia 3340 10-in. between 1905 and February 1906 The original Cohens Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic scene, with female-male vocal duet performer, composer  
Columbia 3373 10-in. between January and April 1906 Panhandle Pete's patrol Len Spencer Comic monologue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3374 10-in. ca. 1905-Apr. 1906 The merry mail man George W. Johnson ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3403 10-in. ca. Jan.-May 1906 Maggie Clancy's new piano Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with piano speaker, author  
Columbia 3433 10-in. ca. Jan.-June 1906 The happy German twins Len Spencer ; George P. Watson Male vocal duet, with orchestra author, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3441 10-in. between January and July 1906 Coming home from Coney Island Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra and female vocal solo speaker, author  
Columbia 3442 10-in. ca. Jan.-July 1906 Hans and Gretchen Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra and female vocal solo author, speaker  
Columbia 3446 10-in. Jan.-Apr. 1906 Seeing New York Prince's Orchestra Orchestra, with talk speaker  
Columbia 3467 10-in. ca. Jan.-Aug. 1906 A Darktown courtship Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal, composer  
Columbia 3468 10-in. between January and September 1906 Peaches and cream Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra author, performer  
Columbia 3470 10-in. between January and August 1906 A barnyard serenade Al S. Holt ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with animal imitations author, speaker  
Columbia 3471 10-in. Jan.-Sept. 1906 Punch and Judy Alf Holt ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with animal imitations speaker  
Columbia 3545 10-in. ca. 1906 Jealous Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3566 10-in. ca. 1906-Jan. 1907 Cherry Hill Jerry Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3619 10-in. ca. Jan.-Apr. 1907 How mat got the mitten Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3620 10-in. between January and April 1907 Pedro, the hand organ man Steve Porter ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, author  
Columbia 3640 10-in. between January and May 1907 Uncle Josh at the dentist's Len Spencer ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue, unaccompanied speaker  
Columbia 3664 10-in. ca. Jan.-June 1907 Becky and Izzy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Columbia 3665 10-in. between January and June 1907 Meet me down at the corner Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue and vocal, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3666 10-in. ca. Jan.-June 1907 Blondy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue and female-male vocal duet, with orchestra performer  
Columbia 3690 10-in. ca. Jan.-Aug. 1907 Herman and Minnie Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue and female-male vocal duet, with orchestra performer, author  
Columbia 3719 10-in. ca. Jan.-Oct. 1907 You've got to love me a lot Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia 3734 10-in. between January and November 1907 Bronco Bob and his little Cheyenne Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
Columbia 3736 10-in. between January and November 1907 The vagabonds Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with animal imitations speaker  
(Results 501-525 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed May 16, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 16, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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