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Ben Selvin

Benjamin Bernard Selvin (March 5, 1898 – July 15, 1980) was an American musician, bandleader, and record producer. He was known as the Dean of Recorded Music.

Selvin was born in New York City, United States, the son of Jewish Russian immigrants. He started his professional life at age 15 as a fiddle player in New York City night clubs. Six years later, as leader of his own dance band, the Novelty Orchestra, he released what was later alleged to be the biggest-selling popular song in the first quarter-century of recorded music. "Dardanella" allegedly sold more than six million copies and an additional million pieces of sheet music—although in a joint interview with Gustave Haenschen, founding director of popular-music releases at Brunswick Records, Selvin described the alleged record-sales total as “nonsensical” and said the actual sales of “Dardanella” and other purported “million-sellers” in the 1920s was 150,000 discs. He was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that was presented to Selvin on his retirement on March 14, 1963.

According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Selvin recorded more musical sides (on 78-rpm discs) than any other person. One reason for this prolific output is that he recorded for dozens of different record labels during this productive time in the industry, using a different name for each label. His output has been estimated at 13,000 to 20,000 song titles.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 5, 1898 (New York City), Died July 15, 1980 (Manhasset)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, violin, vocalist, songwriter, composer, lyricist, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 401-425 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W147964 10-in. 2/13/1929 Broadway melody Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W147965 10-in. 2/13/1929 He, she, and me Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia [W]147976 10-in. 2/20/1929 Mean to me Gay Ellis and her Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band leader  
Columbia 148002 10-in. 2/27/1929 Fioretta The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148003 10-in. 2/27/1929 Dream boat Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148004 10-in. 2/27/1929 Some sweet day Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148039 10-in. 3/7/1929 Sweet Suzanne The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148040 10-in. 3/7/1929 Lady divine The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148070 10-in. 3/14/1929 I'll tell the world (You're all the world to me) Arthur Ross and his Westerners [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148071 10-in. 3/14/1929 On the Alamo Arthur Ross and his Westerners [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148072 10-in. 3/14/1929 The one that I love loves me Arthur Ross and his Westerners [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Irving Kaufman Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148111 10-in. 3/21/1929 Nobody's fault but your own The Knickerbockers ; Eddie Walters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148112 10-in. 3/21/1929 An eye-ful of you The Knickerbockers ; Eddie Walters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148153 10-in. 4/1/1929 Nobody's fault but your own Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Tom Frawley Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148154 10-in. 4/1/1929 I'll see you thru' Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Tom Frawley Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148155 10-in. 4/1/1929 I kiss your hand, Madame Irving Kaufman ; Perley Stevens and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148160 10-in. 4/2/1929 Coquette Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148161 10-in. 4/2/1929 Just an old love affair Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148162 10-in. 4/2/1929 Blue Hawaii Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Marvin Young [Irving Kaufman] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148166 10-in. 4/3/1929 Underneath the Russian moon The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W148167 10-in. 4/3/1929 Bye and bye, sweetheart The Cavaliers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148173 10-in. 4/4/1929 A garden in the rain Tom Frawley ; The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148174 10-in. 4/4/1929 Old fashioned lady Irving Kaufman ; Perley Stevens and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148175 10-in. 4/4/1929 I'm still caring Jim Andrews ; Jerry Mason and his Californians [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia 148190 10-in. 4/8/1929 After thinking it over Arthur Ross and his Westerners [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Marvin Young [Irving Kaufman] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
(Results 401-425 of 1016 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed May 17, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064

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