The “Edison Hour” broadcast for February 11, 1929 celebrated the birthday of Thomas Edison, who spoke briefly by relay from his home in Florida. The rest of the broadcast was largely given over to performances by Edison artists, and was captured as an aircheck by the Edison engineers. A number of pressings were made, some of which survive at ENHS and at least one of which has found its way into a private collection.
Here’s Billy Murray and the B. A. Rolfe Orchestra from that historic broadcast. Murray had previously recorded this number for commercial release on Edison discs — a rejected version with the studio orchestra under Irwin Schloss, then an issued version accompanied by the Seven Blue Babies (a California Ramblers unit).
The speed fluctuations are a defect in the low-speed transcription, as are the occasional ominous rumblings — the latter the result of a power tube that “went Democratic,” in the words of the Edison employee who logged the recording.
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BILLY MURRAY with B. A. ROLFE’S ORCHESTRA:
Doin’ the Raccoon
Edison experimental mx. 185 (30-rpm 12″ disc)
New York: February 11, 1929 (from WJZ broadcast)
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For more on Billy Murray and his recordings, be sure to visit The Billy Murray Project and The Billy Murray Free Online Discography.
