Williams & Walker "The Lost Recording" - Good Afternoon Mr. Jenkins - 1901 Victor Monarch Record

[Themaddprof]

Say Victrolaman, you mentioned that other Bert Williams records have surfaced recently. Which ones are they if you know? I'm a big Bert Williams fanatic.

[robchalfen]

piano is likely Victor house accompanist C.H.H. Booth

[karlsalz]

great recording

thanks for uploading it

[gmmix]

Not only is this a rare disc, it survives in wonderful condition. So many of the records from this early period are all but worn out. Like some men years ago who would brag how many shaves they could get from a single razor blade, there were people who took much pride in the fact they listened to records all afternoon using one steel needle!

[EmmetEarwax]

I have many shellac oldies, and I play them on a modern stereo. I have an older phonograph, but the speaker went bummy on me. Jack wires went crazy and I almost just tore them out ! The oldest ones may date to 1908 orf before, but I have very few dates. "Archives.org" was very parsimonious with dates. "Honey Lou " by Lemonier with the singer shooting himself ! May the oldest. A doubledisk 1907-8 demo may be the oldest Columbia disk.

[brodnerart]

Victrolaman:

Thank you so much for this. A "new" piece by these guys is an bright discovery. I am a serious fan. I hear in them the stirring of defiant and proud beating of the drum of ragtime; a black form, to white Broadway. Not what most people see in blackface, but there you are. Grazie.

[magiclard]

I believe they hit Broadway and were accepted there. Im a jonah man? another song?

[tayloreh]

Walker never recorded again after those sessions cos he was so ashamed of how tinny and pathetic he sounded. But Williams kept giving it a shot.

[stratocat9999]

Wow, that is a great find! But if this record is indeed an extant example, you may want to contact a professional to have this record properly archived into digital, unless you are so equipped. Playing it with the fiber stylus was a perfect solution for the video.

Archeophone had released 3 CD's of Bert Williams, covering the then known complete catalog , with a few Williams and Walker sides, even though Bert Williams was a minor contributor. Again, Great Find! Thanks for sharing! Cheers!

[victrolaman]

@stratocat9999 Yes, thank you for the suggestion. This record is in fact one of the "Lost Recordings" which according to Archeophone, as stated in the "Liner Notes" from Bert Williams the Early Years, had not yet been found in any collections, and therefore was not included in any of the 3 CD's you mentioned. This "lost" Williams and Walker" will be included in a planned 4th CD release by Archeophone of other W & W recordings that have subsequently surfaced.

Victrolaman

[stratocat9999]

@victrolaman That is great news! I look forward to that release! Thanks!

[canonet17]

great find! Where did you find this record? Also, where did you find the fiber needles for the reproducer? i have a 1912 Victrola, floor model in a mahogany cabinet I inherited fro my great uncle.

[victrolaman]

I actually acquired this rare Williams & Walker in a trade with a fellow record collector. He received from me a Mississippi Black Blues record he had been looking for, for many years, knew that I had, and was willing to trade to get it. He is more into blues and Jazz, then the old historic stuff like myself. I was happy, he was happy. Just the kind of trade you like. As for the fiber needles, I had picked up some new old stock fiber needles a few years ago, and used one of them for this video

[husbondensrost]

How many record sides can you play with a fiber needle before it is worn down?

[magiclard]

@husbondensrost I was told anything from one to ten....one if you want to preserve your record---they came in boxes of up to 100 or more

[MusicBoxBoy]

This record is an incredible find! You are so fortunate to own it. And, as a bonus, it is in wonderfully preserved condition! Thanks for sharing it.

[Themaddprof]

As a Bert Williams fanatic, I thank you for this. This song is NOT on the Bert Williams CD set from archeophone that I treasure so. This is considered one of the lost recordings.

[mazzone1]

how amazing

[Rollich]

This is wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing. One question, however. Didn't the high-toned darky *wine* and dine the lady rather than "whine and dine" her? It may be a pun, of course. ...

He Whined and dined her on the best at Ca-fe Grand,

[victrolaman]

Maybe he did whine a bit and that is why he didn't get to go home with her!! heh, heh, . That was a typo of course which I will correct. Thanks for the heads up and glad you enjoyed this rare historic record by two of the great early African-American stars of Broadway.

[maroongem]

Marvelous early pre-dog Victor record, not to mention the rare content!! If I may comment, I believe this was pressed in 1902 due to the record stating "Victor Talking Machine Co" rather than "Eldridge R. Johnson, Camden N.J."

[victrolaman]

you are correct Mr. Maroongem, even though this record was recorded in October of 1901, the fact that the record label says Victor Talking Machine Co. and not Eldridge R. Johnson, would date the actually pressing as after Jan. of 1902.

[SIMPFANN]

Yes, but the Complete Bert Williams does include Walker's other two solo records, "Her Name's Miss Dinah Fair" and "Junie". The liner notes mention "Good Afternoon, Mister Jenkins", saying that it would have been included on the CD except for the fact that they couldn't find a copy of it anywhere because it is indeed so rare.

[victrolaman]

Thanks for that info, I did not have access to the liner notes. That is interesting.

[victrolaman]

I just posted the complete lyrics for the first Verse & chorus contained on the record. So if you click on more info in the upper right you will see them at the end of the description. Thanks for your comments.

[Moooperator]

The modern rappers think they invented the term "homeboy" and here it is used in 1901. (at 3.20) ! Thanks for this video.

[SIMPFANN]

The line is "risk my HOME FOR you"- nothing to do with the term "homeboy".

[victrolaman]

You are quite correct, as I said, I have posted the verse and lyrics in the description section in the upper right. The words can be pretty hard to follow on some of these early records.