Playlists
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shaggylock's Channel
75
Videos
This Channel is dedicated to Old Vintage Public Domain Video.
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Mamie Smith and Bessie Smith the Empress
29
Videos
Mamie Smith made music history on February 14, 1920, when she became the first black woman to make a phonograph record. She was also the African American to make a commercial recording of the blues. A vaudevillian who performed primarily in the north, Smith is reputed to have begun her travels with a white touring company at age 10. She married in 1912, and would marry twice more during her life. By the time she was thirty she had moved to New York and aligned with Perry Bradford, starring in his play Maid in Harlem in 1918.
In February, 1920 she recorded Perry Bradford's That Thing Called Love and the B-side, You Can't Keep a Good Man Down for Okeh records. Okeh executives refused to release the test recording, but the record leaked to record dealers and spread like wildfire. The popularity of That Thing Called Love proved that there existed a market in African American records; in August, Okeh agreed to allow Smith to record another record, Crazy Blues, with the B-side, It's Right Here for You (If You Don't Get It, 'Tain't No Fault of Mine). Crazy Blues smashed records for music sales, making it difficult for Okeh to press enough records to keep pace with demand. It is estimated that the record sold nearly a million copies in one year. Smith continued to record for Okeh throughout the 1920s, making twenty three more records during the decade. Although considered blues at the time, Mamie Smith's style is considered closer to jazz than blues, as she was accompanied by a small band with wind instruments. Still, she is considered one of the first blues women, and was believed by her contemporaries to be responsible for their opportunities. Alberta Hunter, co-writer of Bessie Smith's Down-Hearted Blues, remarked "There was Sara Martins, Ida Cox, Chippie Hill, Victoria Spivie, Trixie Smith and Clara Smith, and Mamie Smith, who made it possible for all of us with her recording of Crazy Blues, the first blues record. "Within two years record companies scrambled for a piece of this "new" market, and began to sell "race records" at the rate of more than five million copies annually. The records were targeted at an exclusively black market and were given special labels or recording numbers including Victor's Bluebird label, Columbia's 16000 series, Decca's 7000 and 8000 series, and Paramount's race record series. By the mid-1920s, Smith commanded between $2,500 and $3,000 dollars per performance; by the end of the decade she had appeared in nine variety shows. While Smith's popularity ebbed in the early 1930s as other blues singers gained fame, her career blossomed again in the late 1930s. In 1936, she toured Europe and began to make films including Paradise in Harlem in 1939, Mystery in Swing in 1940, Murder on Lenox Avenue in 1941, Sunday Sinners also in 1941, and Because I Love You in 1943. Smith's place in history is widely celebrated; she is widely regarded as the woman who literally created a blues recording industry and a popular recording industry in black music. She is renowned for paving the way for blues legends including Bessie Smith. Ironically, her musical legacy has been ill-served by the music industry, which is marked by a dearth of re-issues of her music. |
Videos
(93)
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Old Hohner Radio Ad
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Old Hohner Radio Ad
Nothing much. A few pictures of Hohner Harmonicas with an old time radio ad they o...
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Superman (1941)
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Superman (1941)
You can find more information regarding this film on its IMDb page.
This item i...
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Hobo, Part 1 (1981)
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Hobo, Part 1 (1981)
Hobo Excerpt from documentary exploring the quickly vanishing hobo culture. We spe...
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Tom Turkey & His Harmonica Humdi...
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Tom Turkey & His Harmonica Humdingers
Tom Turkey & His Harmonica Humdingers
1940 Hugh Harman's Cartoon.
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Donald Duck Sells Cheerios - Vin...
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Donald Duck Sells Cheerios - Vintage Cartoon Ad Reel
Donald Duck Sells Cheerios in this old commercial.
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Chex Party Mix Ad from 1992 - Ho...
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Chex Party Mix Ad from 1992 - Honking Voice
Peanuts (Charlie Brown) Commercial from the early 90's. It features that honking ...
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Lassie Episode with Fox Chase
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Lassie Episode with Fox Chase
Lassie and the Fox Scene. Old Color classic.
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Popeye: Fright To The Finish (1954)
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Popeye: Fright To The Finish (1954)
Popeye the Sailor and his arch enemy Bluto fight over Olive Oyl on Halloween. Anim...
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Popeye: Taxi-Turvy (1954)
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Popeye: Taxi-Turvy (1954)
Popeye and Bluto both run a taxi service. Bluto bullies Popeye and gets him to tur...
Favorites
(498)
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Liquor Store - Uncle Lucius ♪♫
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Liquor Store - Uncle Lucius ♪♫
PLEASE READ this background information before passing judgment on this production...
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Ronnie Shellist - Playing Harp
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Ronnie Shellist - Playing Harp
Ronnie was asked to play something by one of the attendees of a Harmonica Workshop...
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Duke Blues Blueberry Seydel Lull...
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Duke Blues Blueberry Seydel Lullabye
This is take one (Minimalist Lo-fi unplugged) of a collab. Duke looked cute. I h...
Channel Comments
(15)
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alprincenofl
(3 months ago)
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alprincenofl
(3 months ago)
I do not mean to insult
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alprincenofl
(3 months ago)
iam so sorry man
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LilyTails
(4 months ago)
neat channel
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Anarion18
(8 months ago)
nice username! i never thought that it would exist!
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harpfelt
(11 months ago)
hi,thanks for the sub,you have a nice collection of paul lamb,i got to know him quite well after seeing him a lot localy,we even had a good sesion together in a hotel bar after one of his shows,and we went through some sonny terry together.he has the purest tone iv ever heard on a harmonica,and he,s dug deep and found a lot,great guy.peace and love,tony
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RetroArcaicoRex
(1 year ago)
eii!!!
thakn you so much for add me as your new friend, of course that i have accepted, well, greetings from mexico, bud, see ya late xD |
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roflmao0000
(1 year ago)
I love the old classic stuff you have posted. Thanks for posting and playlisting such a cool channel. You rock.
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Prince7580
(1 year ago)
You Like harmonica
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GroovyStretch
(1 year ago)
thanks for the sub...likewise i have done the same...stay groovy..Stretch from Australia
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