We shall never pass this way again
You might be able to imagine the excitement that is generated at the Judaica Sound Archives whenever we uncover a genuine piece of history. Today I will share with you three 78 rpm albums from the Jack Saul Collection which have sitirred up some nostalgia here at the JSA.
(1) Fanny Brice starred in the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s and 1930s. A pioneer female comic, she was one of the most popular Jewish entertainers of her day. And her fame became even greater when Barbra Streisand played the starring role in Brice’s life story, “Funny Girl” (1968). From 1938 until her death in 1951 Brice had an incredibly successful radio show based on just one character, Baby Snooks, a precocious, bratty toddler. This album of three double-sided 78 rpm recordings was produced in 1949 on the Capitol Records label.
Click here to play a non-downloading snippet from this album.
(2) Born in Brooklyn, NY as Moishe Miller Robert Merrill became one of the Metropolitan Opera’s most enduring and acclaimed baritones. He was also a famous baseball fan who often sang the National Anthem on opening day at Yankee Stadium.
In 1948 he recorded Brooklyn Baseball Cantata about an imagined World Series game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Yankees. Unlike the real world where the Dodgers consistently blew their chances, in this imaginary game the Dodgers were the winners! Fantasy became reality in 1955 when the Brooklyn Dodgers did actually beat the NY Yankees to win the World Series for the first and only time. This album of two double-sided 78 rpm recordings was produced on the RCA Victor Red Seal label. The sheet music, produced by Mills Music, which originally sold for $1.25 is included.
Click here to play a non-downloading snippet from this album.
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with US Copyright Laws these recordings are NOT featured on the JSA website (www.fau.edu/jsa). For further information about these or other recordings in the Jack Saul Collection, please contact the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University Libraries (561-297-0080).
About the RSA
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78 rpm records, Baby Snooks, Brooklyn Baseball Cantata, Capitol Records, Decca Records, Fanny Brice, Irving Berlin, Jack Saul Collection, Paul Whiteman, RCA Victor, Robert Merrill, vintage phonograph recordings
Themocracy
I have this Baby Snooks Learns album with Fanny Brice.
What is it worth?
FAU Libraries collects these recordings for their historic and cultural significance, not their cash value. You can seek out a qualified appraiser or check ebay to find out what your album is worth monetarily. If you have any 78 rpm recordings or Jewish records that you would like to donate to our collection you may be able to claim this as a tax deduction. Please see our website (http://faujsa.fau.edu/jsa/send_records.php) for more information about how to pack and ship your recordings.
In my opinion these types of audio tracks have shaped what music is today…without great recording artists like the ones mentioned above, music would not be what is to today…thanks!