NOBODY by Bert Williams - Black Vaudeville Comic 1913

Fun little ditty by Bert Williams, famous black comic of the late 19th-early 20th century performing a routine recorded in 1913. Enjoy!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bert
• Williams
• 1913
• Nobody
• black
• comic
• 78rpm
• 78
• rpm
• record

[deepseadirt]

if this is from 1913, you've done a great job of cleaning it up , eliminating the scratches, pops & crackles. In the 1978 film Ziegfeld: The Man & His Women, David Downing recreates Bert performing this song in the 1914 Follies with full orchestra behind him. I thought that sequence was wonderful in that film and wish someone would upload it for us. But Im glad to hear Bert himself performing a rendition of it and that it survives the decades. thanks!

[cdbpdx]

@deepseadirt The cartridge I use is very forgiving. It is a GE VR, a high end cartridge for mono 78 rpm records made in the mid 1950s.

Research reveals this label was used by Columbia Record from 1914-1917, the song shows a recording date of 1/7/13.

[callseba]

somebody needs to make a movie about this man.

[mawalls2001]

I actually love the scratches and pops of old recordings. Makes me feel a bit closer to that period, more authentic.

[Kirke182]

Williams hated this song after a while because he couldn't get away from it. Even towards the end of his career (died in '22, I believe), he was obliged to perform it at every show. It's one of those great forgotten classics.

[AndrewGilmore1986]

@TheVirajster Not that rare really if you know where to find his records... Archeophone Records put out a three-volume set of them. :)

[AndrewGilmore1986]

@blackwaxjh Correct. This version is from 1913.

[vinylsingleman]

Would you have the original 1906 version also?

[Danira777]

I've just finished reading beautifully written novel "Danicing in the Dark" by Caryl Phillips. The book reveals the story of Bert Williams's remarkable life on stage. The novel so impressed me that I decided to look for Mr. Williams on the Internet. I was surprised to find out that youtube contains lots of rare videos of him. Thanks guys a lot for uploading them. He was a true genius.

[TehWinnerz]

anyone found this thanks to Jason Moran?

[TheVirajster]

This is indeed rare! Hearing Bert's real voice! Should check his only film short A NATURAL BORN GAMBLER here on youtube....

[OnePeoplesProjecttv]

I first heard this song a few months ago at an exhibit at the National Archives. Is this that recording?

[Lucius1958]

An inimitable rendition!