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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 976-1000 of 1016 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E22607-E22609 10-in. 4/23/1927 Just a little cuter (Than the rest) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E22610-E22612 10-in. 4/23/1927 Marianette Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E23953-E23956 10-in. 7/12/1927 Dew-dew-dewy day Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E23956) leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E23957-E23960 10-in. 7/12/1927 Oh, Doris! Where do you live? Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E23960) vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E24262-E24265 10-in. 8/22/1927 Cheerie-beerie-be (From sunny Italy) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24265) instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Brunswick E24266-E24269 10-in. 8/22/1927 I could waltz on forever (With you, sweetheart) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24269) leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E24278-E24281 10-in. 8/23/1927 Yes she do Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take E24281) leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E24282-E24285 10-in. 8/23/1927 I call you Sugar Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24285) leader, instrumentalist, violin, vocalist  
Brunswick E24305-E24307 10-in. 8/25/1927 Ooh! Maybe it’s you Franklyn Baur ; Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24307) leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E24308-E24311 10-in. 8/25/1927 Shaking the blues away Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24311) leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E24320-E24323 10-in. 8/26/1927 Good news Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24323) leader, instrumentalist, violin  
Brunswick E24324-E24326 10-in. 8/26/1927 Lucky in love Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24326) instrumentalist, violin, leader  
Brunswick 206W-208W 10-in. 1/13/1925 In Shadowland Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 209W-211W 10-in. 1/13/1925 Deep in my heart, dear Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 219W-221W 10-in. 1/14/1925 Alabamy bound Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 222W-225W 10-in. 1/14/1925 I can’t realize Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 366W-369W 10-in. 2/14/1925 Swanee butterfly Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 370W-372W 10-in. 2/14/1925 Will you remember me? Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 470W-472W 10-in. 2/26/1925 Peter Pan (I love you) Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 473W-475W 10-in. 2/26/1925 Does my sweetie do, and how Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 558W-560W 10-in. 3/17/1925 Don’t bring Lulu Irving Kaufman ; Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo leader  
Brunswick 561W-563W 10-in. 3/17/1925 Let it rain, let it pour Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 631W-632W 10-in. 4/1/1925 In a little love boat Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 633W-634W 10-in. 4/1/1925 Suite 16 Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
Brunswick 786W-788W 10-in. 5/13/1925 Steppin' in society Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band leader  
(Results 976-1000 of 1016 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Selvin, Ben," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

Selvin, Ben. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111064.

"Selvin, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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