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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 826-850 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W351101 10-in. 9/9/1931 Blue Kentucky moon Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351102 10-in. 9/17/1931 Can't you see (How I love you?) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351103 10-in. 9/17/1931 Kiss me goodnight, not goodbye Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351104 10-in. 9/22/1931 Was it wrong? Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351105 10-in. 9/22/1931 When it's sleepy time down South Phil Hughes and his High Hatters [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351106 10-in. 10/2/1931 Goodnight sweetheart Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351107 10-in. 10/2/1931 Waitin' for a call from you Roy Carroll and his Sands Point Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351108 10-in. 10/8/1931 It's the darndest thing Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W351109 10-in. 10/8/1931 Who am I? Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W351110 10-in. 10/8/1931 Call me darling Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W351111 10-in. 10/8/1931 Little Mary Brown Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio leader  
Columbia W351112 10-in. 10/13/1931 Time on my hands (You in my arms) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351113 10-in. 10/13/1931 Charlie cadet Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet leader  
Columbia W351114 10-in. 10/16/1931 A faded summer love Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351115 10-in. 10/21/1931 Lucille Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351116 10-in. 10/22/1931 It's love Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351118 10-in. 10/22/1931 I'm for you a hundred per cent Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351119 10-in. 10/22/1931 Lies Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351121 10-in. 11/2/1931 You try somebody else Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal chorus leader  
Columbia W351122 10-in. 11/2/1931 Tell me with a love song Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351127 10-in. 11/10/1931 In a dream D'Orsay Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351128 10-in. 11/10/1931 Where the blue of the night meets the gold of the day Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351131 10-in. 11/16/1931 When I wore my daddy's brown derby Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351132 10-in. 11/16/1931 You were my salvation Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Columbia W351133 10-in. 11/16/1931 Home Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
(Results 826-850 of 1016 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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