Sweet Georgia Brown by Isham Jones and his Orch.

"Sweet Georgia Brown" was a brand-new tune when Isham Jones recorded it in 1925. The Isham Jones Orchestra was one of Brunswick's most popular recording artists, and he continued to be a successful bandleader and songwriter well into the 1930's. This recording was made with Brunswick's primitive "Light Ray" recording process, which used a horn to collect sound and channel its acoustic energy to a small mirror. A spot beam was reflected off the mirror and onto a photocell. As the sound vibrated the mirror, the intensity of the spot beam on the photo cell varied; this varying electrical signal was amplified and sent to the recording head, where it was cut onto the record. These recordings sound hollow and distorted when played back electrically, but they sound loud and clear when played back acoustically.

The record player is an Orthophonic Victrola model VE4-4X, or "Granada". The "E" in the model number indicates that the Victrola is fitted with a synchronous A/C motor instead of a wind-up motor. The machine has a full "orthophonic" playback system (for electrically-recorded records) including the special orthophonic sound box with a duralumin diaphragm and a folded exponential horn inside of the cabinet. Although the gigantic Credenza Victrola produced deeper bass, the Granada had the most accurate overall frequency response of all the acoustic Orthophonic Victrolas. The serial number indicates that this machine was probably manufactured in 1926.

I shoot my video with a Sony Digital 8 format camera. For audio, I use a Shure SM-57 microphone on a stand placed about 4 feet in front of the Victrola horn. I use "soft tone" needles to keep from overloading the microphone. The mic is plugged directly into the video camera. The videos are edited with Windows Movie Maker. I use Sound Forge 9 to clean up the audio, but don't worry -- you're hearing the record exactly as the Victrola plays it!

For more great music, videos, and trivia from this era, please visit my website, http://www.virtualvictrola.com.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1920s
• music
• jazz
• Isham
• Jones

[VTMCompany]

i like the effects of this early light-ray ELECTRICAL Brunswick.

[sbd650]

Fantastic!

[speedy1964]

I had a copy of this same recording I used to play on my dads victor. The record was broken and I have been trying to find a copy of it, no luck :(

Speedy

[toebonian]

This song was written and composed by Ben Bernie.

There is an early film of Ben Bernie directing his band playing this song, so check it out.

[leetophersfo]

peg leg bates harlem globetrotters...

[BrooklynMouse]

This song was later used as the theme song to the "Harlem Globetrotters" basketball team.

[fuzzbear6240]

Trailkeeper, The records were still shellac at that time as well. Only Edison was using a plastic-Condensite. Apart from the ability to control the volume, most of the electric speakers contemporary to the early run of the Granada (4-4) 1925-1928 weren't yet as good as the Orthophonic horn. They soon were though! The acoustic phono was all but extinct by the end of the decade. Regards, J.

[fuzzbear6240]

Mlaprarie, Fantastic recording. Thanks for sharing. Love those Granadas! :-) Regards, J.

[kspm01]

Exactly. Now when you look at merrihew's channel, you'll see a model of the same period that had both systems combined. You could either choose acoustical Ortophonic reproduction (definitely the best) or a less good, electrically amplified one, which had the advantage it offered volume control.

[trailkeeper]

Ok thanks, I guess they used electrical amplification to make the record, but didnt take the extra steps to allow electrical amplification of playback into an acoustic speaker (im, not sure what year reasonable speakers came out, but its about that time).