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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 901-925 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick 6417-6419 10-in. approximately Sept. 1921 One kiss Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 6643-6645 10-in. approximately Oct. 1921 Sal-o-may Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 6647-6649 10-in. approximately Oct. 1921 Canadian capers Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 7213-7215 10-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Angel child Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 7216-7218 10-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Lola Lo Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 7898-7899 10-in. approximately Apr. 1922 Romany love Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E1609-E1611 10-in. 11/9/1925 Whoopee!! Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, leader  
Brunswick E1612-E1614 10-in. 11/9/1925 Sleepy time gal Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E1738-E1740 10-in. 11/17/1925 Keep on croonin' a tune Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E1741-E1743 10-in. 11/17/1925 Someone's stolen my sweet, sweet baby Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E1797-E1799 10-in. 11/23/1925 Sleepy time gal Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E1800-E1802 10-in. 11/23/1925 Whoopee!! Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, leader  
Brunswick E1979-E1981 10-in. 12/24/1925 Then I’ll be happy Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet leader  
Brunswick E1982-E1984 10-in. 12/24/1925 I wonder where my baby is tonight Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist  
Brunswick E2016-E2018 10-in. 12/31/1925 Poor little rich girl Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick E2019-E2021 10-in. 12/31/1925 A cup of coffee, a sandwich and you Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist  
Brunswick E2153-E2154 10-in. 1/14/1926 I wish’t I was in Peoria Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick E2155-E2158 10-in. 1/14/1926 Sweet child Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick E2303-E2305 10-in. 1/30/1926 Tentin’ down in Tennessee Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2306-E2308 10-in. 1/30/1926 After I say I’m sorry Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2489-E2491 10-in. 2/18/1926 Tamiami Trail Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick E2492-E2494 10-in. 2/18/1926 Poor Papa Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, leader  
Brunswick E2515-E2517 10-in. 2/19/1926 Just a cottage small (By a waterfall) Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2518-E2520 10-in. 2/19/1926 Drifting and dreaming Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with guitar duet (Hawaiian) leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E2932-E2934 10-in. 4/28/1926 Show that fellow the door Kensington Serenaders Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
(Results 901-925 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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