A Singer Sang A Song - Eddie Morton (1908)
- hace 4 meses
"A Singer Sang A Song"
Eddie Morton
Victor 16021
1908
Edward Farren Morton was born on May 15, 1870, in Philadelphia to Charles H. and Mary Morton.
His father--an actor, playwright, and theater manager--was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but emigrated to America by the 1860s.
Eddie became a Philadelphia police officer from 1898 to 1906 or so and was known as "The Singing Policeman" while in the force and later when performing in vaudeville.
He made his recording debut with the Victor Talking Machine Company on July 25, 1907.
Titles cut on that day were "That's Gratitude" and "Just a Friend of the Family."
He returned to the studio a few days later to cut additional titles.
On record labels the comic singer is called "Edward Morton" (on the first Victor release), "Eddie Morton," and "Ed. Morton."
Announcing the release of "Mariuccia Dance Da-Hootch-a-ma-Kooch" (5220), composed by Harry Von Tilzer, as well as "That's Gratitude" (31661), Victor's October 1907 supplement states, "Eddie Morton is one of the best coon song singers in America, and during the past summer was a feature of the Madison Square Roof production, 'Maid and the Millionaire,' where he was obliged to respond to numerous encores. The Victor has secured the exclusive services of this popular singer and now offers two of his greatest successes."
His most popular record was "Oceana Roll," issued in September 1911 on Victor 16908.
For years it sold well, partly because the reverse side of the disc featured Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" as sung by Collins and Harlan. In the 1925 motion picture The Gold Rush, Charles Chaplin's character announces a performance of the "Oceana Roll" and then makes bread rolls dance after inserting forks into them.
Around early July 1908 his exclusive contact with Victor ended (though he continued to perform for that company) and he made his first record for Edison's National Phonograph Company in 1908. The August issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly characterized Morton as "a warm favorite at the New York roof gardens" and announced that his Edison debut was Von Tilzer's "Don't Take Me Home," issued on Standard 9949 in October 1908.
His one other Edison title, "A Singer Sang A Song," was issued on wax Amberol 29.
He recorded comic numbers for different companies, including Columbia, the U. S. Phonograph Company (maker of U-S Everlasting cylinders), and finally Emerson.
No doubt he was invited to make Emerson records by Victor Emerson himself, who had supervised Morton's Columbia sessions (Emerson left Columbia in 1916 to start his own company).
Throughout his years as a recording artist, Morton worked steadily in vaudeville, and his photograph was occasionally used for covers of sheet music.
His recording career was over by 1917.
Aside from "Oceana Roll," no Morton recordings sold especially well.
Eddie Morton
Victor 16021
1908
Edward Farren Morton was born on May 15, 1870, in Philadelphia to Charles H. and Mary Morton.
His father--an actor, playwright, and theater manager--was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but emigrated to America by the 1860s.
Eddie became a Philadelphia police officer from 1898 to 1906 or so and was known as "The Singing Policeman" while in the force and later when performing in vaudeville.
He made his recording debut with the Victor Talking Machine Company on July 25, 1907.
Titles cut on that day were "That's Gratitude" and "Just a Friend of the Family."
He returned to the studio a few days later to cut additional titles.
On record labels the comic singer is called "Edward Morton" (on the first Victor release), "Eddie Morton," and "Ed. Morton."
Announcing the release of "Mariuccia Dance Da-Hootch-a-ma-Kooch" (5220), composed by Harry Von Tilzer, as well as "That's Gratitude" (31661), Victor's October 1907 supplement states, "Eddie Morton is one of the best coon song singers in America, and during the past summer was a feature of the Madison Square Roof production, 'Maid and the Millionaire,' where he was obliged to respond to numerous encores. The Victor has secured the exclusive services of this popular singer and now offers two of his greatest successes."
His most popular record was "Oceana Roll," issued in September 1911 on Victor 16908.
For years it sold well, partly because the reverse side of the disc featured Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" as sung by Collins and Harlan. In the 1925 motion picture The Gold Rush, Charles Chaplin's character announces a performance of the "Oceana Roll" and then makes bread rolls dance after inserting forks into them.
Around early July 1908 his exclusive contact with Victor ended (though he continued to perform for that company) and he made his first record for Edison's National Phonograph Company in 1908. The August issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly characterized Morton as "a warm favorite at the New York roof gardens" and announced that his Edison debut was Von Tilzer's "Don't Take Me Home," issued on Standard 9949 in October 1908.
His one other Edison title, "A Singer Sang A Song," was issued on wax Amberol 29.
He recorded comic numbers for different companies, including Columbia, the U. S. Phonograph Company (maker of U-S Everlasting cylinders), and finally Emerson.
No doubt he was invited to make Emerson records by Victor Emerson himself, who had supervised Morton's Columbia sessions (Emerson left Columbia in 1916 to start his own company).
Throughout his years as a recording artist, Morton worked steadily in vaudeville, and his photograph was occasionally used for covers of sheet music.
His recording career was over by 1917.
Aside from "Oceana Roll," no Morton recordings sold especially well.