At Centuries of Sound I am making mixes for every year of recorded sound. The download here is only the first hour. For the full three-hour version please come to centuriesofsound.com to stream, or patreon.com/centuriesofsound for downloads and a host of other bonus materials for just $5 per month. This show would not be possible without my supporters on there, so please consider signing up or sharing this with someone who may be interested.

preview-mix.mp3">MP3 preview download | Patreon | Apple | Mixcloud | Spotify | Castbox | Stitcher | Radiopublic | RSS

Half a decade ago the United States was in the midst of an explosion in recorded music on a scale not heard before or since. The inception of that revolution – a change in recording technology allowing studios and record labels to spring up everywhere and anywhere – took a couple of years to filter through. In the same way, the death of that same revolution, the collapse of the recording industry at the start of the great depression and the closure of those studios and labels, also took a couple of years to fully filter through. Now we have arrived at 1932 and it’s all over. The wide variety of roots music, whether labelled country, blues or folk, is no longer being recorded, with the exception of a few of the biggest stars. Likewise, recorded jazz is now the preserve of the biggest bandleaders, or as backing groups for the resurgent movie business.

So why then is this mix one of the longest so far? The answer comes down more to the process of putting the thing together than the qualities of the year itself. With less to choose from in the USA, my attentions shifted to the rest of the world, and it turned out that there was plenty out there.We start out on our trip in the Caribbean, where Calypso and other forms of music are now being recorded professionally and regularly for the first time, thanks to people like record-shop owner and entrepreneur Eduardo Sa Gomes in Trinidad.

Then we have a few tangos, first of course from South America, but then also from Eastern Europe, where artists like Jean Moscopol were blending this new music with traditional local flavours like klezmer and rembetika.

The UK has a greater representation in this mix than in any since 1907 (or maybe even 1888) – while the economic situation was nearly as bad here as in the USA, a couple of powerful record companies as well as the BBC ensured that music recording was actually experiencing something of a boom. The UK records here – including the marvelously sinister version of “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and Noel Coward’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” – are easily a match for anything made in the 20s.

All of this also seems to be the case for France, for whom 1932 seems to be a key year on compilations. Next we explore Arabic music, from Tunisia to Iraq, and India, where truly otherworldly traditional musics are being properly recorded for the first time.

It’s always been my intention to show the whole world in these mixes, but this last half-decade the music from the USA has understandably overwhelmed in its quality and variety. Let’s take this brief lull to appreciate that there was a whole world out there, much of it telling stories about the 1930s which are lost in the great narratives of the depression and the buildup to the next war.

Tracklist

0:00:30 The Philadelphia Orchestra, Conducted By Leopold Stokowski – Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder (Excerpt)0:03:34 The Three Keys – Jig TimeWilliam Butler Yeats – Introduction (Excerpt)0:05:52 Cab Calloway And His Orchestra – Reefer ManJewel Robbery (Excerpt)0:08:50 The Mills Brothers – Old Man Of The MountainJohn Barrymore – Clip from A Bill of Divorcement0:10:38 Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra – It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)0:12:28 The Boswell Sisters – It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)The Most Dangerous Game (Excerpt 1)0:14:51 Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers – ShagTrouble in Paradise (Excerpt)0:18:10 Lew Stone with Al Bowlly – My Woman0:21:18 Groucho Marx – I’m Against It0:24:32 Fred Astaire with The Leo Reisman Orchestra – Night And DayI Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (Excerpt 1)0:27:31 Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – Hobo, You Can’t Ride This Train0:30:24 Jimmie Rodgers – Hobo’s MeditationAmelia Earhart Radio Broadcast (Excerpt)0:32:35 Mike Hanapi & The Ilima Islanders – Hilo Hula0:34:37 Leona Gabriel – LivaScarface (Excerpt 1)0:37:28 Lionel Belasco and His Orchestra – Depression (Pasillo)0:38:46 L’orchestre Typique Martiniquais – Eugenie0:40:44 Orchestre Typique Martiniquais Charlery-Delouche – Ti Roro0:42:31 Orchestre Creole Delvi – Edamyso0:45:11 Silvio Caldas – E Ela Não JurouThe Most Dangerous Game (Excerpt 2)0:46:16 Las Cuatro Huasas – La Papa AraucanaTarzan the Ape Man (Excerpt)0:48:35 Xavier Cugat – Carmen De CabaretIntimate Interviews – Bela Lugosi (Excerpt 1)0:49:51 Jean Moscopol – Mai Spune-Mi Inca-OdataIntimate Interviews – Bela Lugosi (Excerpt 2)0:51:37 Aleksandr Vertinskiy – Klassicheskiye RozyIntimate Interviews – Bela Lugosi (Excerpt 3)0:53:40 Carl Theodor Dreyer – Excerpts from “Vampyr”Intimate Interviews – Bela Lugosi (Excerpt 4)0:55:50 London Symphony Orchestra With Yehudi Menuhin, Conducted By Edward Elgar – Elgar Violin Concerto (Excerpt)0:57:26 Ríta Abadzí – At Tsambíkous Teké0:58:41 Giórgos Michalópoulos – Olympus And Kissavos0:59:59 Ioannis Chalkias – Minore Tou Teke1:00:55 William Butler Yeats – The Lake Isle of Innisfree1:01:50 Arthur Schnabel – Beethoven Sonata No 31 In A Flat Major, Op 110 Moderato Cantabile Molto EspressivoKing George V The first ever Royal Christmas Message (Written by Rudyard Kipling) (Excerpt 1)1:03:22 Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra – The Clouds Will Soon Roll ByDavid Lloyd George speech (Excerpt 1)1:05:15 Henry Hall BBC Dance Orchestra – Teddy Bear’s PicnicKing George V The first ever Royal Christmas Message (Written by Rudyard Kipling) (Excerpt 2)1:06:54 Noel Coward – Mad Dogs And EnglishmenHilaire Belloc – Tarantella (Excerpt)1:08:44 George Formby – Old Kitchen Kettle / I Told My Baby With The Ukulele / Let’s All Go To Reno1:11:43 Henry Hall BBC Dance Orchestra – Here Comes The Bogey ManA Farewell To Arms (Excerpt)1:13:39 Ray Noble And His New Mayfair Orchestra, Vocal Al Bowlly – Love Is The Sweetest ThingA Bill of Divorcement (Excerpt 1)1:15:29 Josephine Baker – Ram Pam PamBoudu sauvé des eaux (Excerpt)1:17:05 Damia – La Veuve1:18:05 Madame Maiotte Almaby Et Orchestre Des Waddy’s Boys – Coeur Moin Dans Piment1:20:39 Guerino Et Son Orchestre Musette & Django Reinhardt – Gallito1:22:09 Medard Ferrero – Mazurka Fantasie1:23:10 Mireille et Jean Sablon – Les Pieds Dans L’eau1:24:33 Pills et Tabet – C’est Un Jardinier Qui Boîte1:26:56 Lys Gauty – L’amour Qui PasseA Bill of Divorcement (Excerpt 2)1:29:35 Yehudi Menuhin – Paganini Kreisler Caprice No. 241:30:04 Cheikha Tetma – Ach Hal Men Ijarra1:33:01 Musique Citadine De Tlemcen, Algerie – Musaddar1:35:11 Musique Savante De Bagdad, Irak – Abûdhiyya1:36:33 Musique Citadine De Tunis, Tunisie – Danse De La Ghayta1:38:43 William Butler Yeats – The Fiddler of Dooney1:39:17 Gajananrao Joshi Of Aundh – Violin Instrumental- Bihag1:41:08 Mr. Musiri Subramania Iyer – Nagumomu Ganaleni (Part 1)1:43:09 Desamangalam Subramania Iyer – Veena Instrumental- Sankarabharanam Part 1- Ragam1:44:07 B.S. Krishnamurthi Sastrigal – Gottuvadyam Instrumental- Pullikalabamayeil Kavad I ChinthuShanghai Express (Excerpt)1:48:00 Kouta Katsutaro – Shima No MusumeThe Clairvoyant Record (Excerpt)1:49:54 Joe Sanders – SouthologyHerbert Hoover – Nomination Speech (Excerpt)1:51:20 Mildred Bailey – Georgia On My MindFrankin D Roosevelt – Nomination Speech (Excerpt)1:53:32 Rudy Vallee – Brother Can You Spare A DimeFrankin D Roosevelt – Campaign Speech (Excerpt)1:55:54 Paul Robeson – Ol’ Man River (+ Victor Young Orchestra)Frankin D Roosevelt – Acceptance Speech (Excerpt)1:59:05 Charlie Kunz Solo Medley – Lovely To Look At, Etc.The Marx Brothers – Excerpts from Horse Feathers2:02:33 Roger Wolfe Kahn – Fit As A FiddleThe Marx Brothers – Excerpts from Horse Feathers2:06:21 James & Martha Carson – I’ll Fly AwayIsland of Lost Souls (Excerpt)2:08:42 The Carter Family – Little MosesFreaks (Excerpt)2:10:43 Cab Calloway And His Orchestra – How Big Can You Get?Love Me Tonight (Excerpt)2:15:00 Glen Gray & His Casa Loma Orchestra – Black Jazz2:17:33 Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra – Lot O’ Fingers (Fast And Furious)Laurel & Oliver Hardy – Towed in a Hole (Excerpt 1)2:19:43 Big Bill Broonzy – How You Want It Done?Laurel & Oliver Hardy – Towed in a Hole (Excerpt 2)2:22:59 Tommie Bradley – Nobody’s Business If I Do2:24:35 Ruby Glaze & Hot Shot Willie – Searching The Dessert For The Blues2:26:30 Pinetop And Lindberg – I Believe I’ll Make A Change2:29:28 Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell – Gone Mother BluesOldest Recording of ABC Radio – 1932 Melbourne Cup (Excerpt 1)2:31:23 Mississippi Sheiks – New Stop And ListenOldest Recording of ABC Radio – 1932 Melbourne Cup (Excerpt 2)2:33:29 Don Redman & His Orchestra – I Got RhythmRed Dust (Excerpts)2:35:50 Sidney Bechet And His New Orleans Feetwarmers – Maple Leaf RagI Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (Excerpt 2)2:38:57 Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra – Take Me Away From The RiverScarface (Excerpt 2)2:42:13 Earl Hines & His Orchestra – I Love You Because I Love YouMae West – Night After Night (Excerpt)2:45:10 Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra – The New Tiger RagIf I Had a Million (Excerpt)2:48:38 The Boswell Sisters – Everybody Loves My Baby2:50:57 The Mills Brothers with Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra – Diga Diga Doo2:53:23 The Mills Brothers – Goodbye Blues (Radio Broadcast)The Old Dark House (Excerpt)Intimate Interviews – Bela Lugosi (Excerpt 5)British Pathe – Adolf Hitler’s presidential campaign (Excerpt)British Pathe – Amidst A Nation’s Rejoicing (Excerpt)The Mummy (Excerpt)2:56:40 Joe Venuti – Beale Street Blues (+ Eddie Lang & Vocal – Jack Teagarden)Grand Hotel (Excerpt)2:59:55 Noel Coward – The Party’s Over Now / Let’s Say Goodbye3:01:53 Bing Crosby – Let’s Put Out The Lights And Go To Sleep