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Len Spencer

Leonard Garfield Spencer (February 12, 1867 – December 15, 1914) was an early American recording artist. He began recording for the Columbia Phonograph Company, in 1889 or 1890. Between 1892 and 1897 he recorded extensively for the New Jersey Phonograph Company and its successor the United States Phonograph Company. He specialized in vaudeville sketches and comic songs, but also sang sentimental ballads popular at the time. He returned to Columbia in 1898 for an exclusive contract then began recording for Berliner Gramophone (disc) records in 1899 and continued with Victor and Columbia as discs became the dominant format in the early 1900s.

He began performing with banjoist Vess L. Ossman in 1901 and with Ada Jones in 1905. He is best remembered today for his vaudeville-style comic sketches, such as "The Arkansaw Traveler" (1902), combining clever turns of phrase, ironic elocutionary delivery, sound effects and music to create colorful dialogues featuring itinerant Southerners, auctioneers, circus barkers, and Irish, Jewish or Black Americans. Many of his roles were performed in either blackface or brownface. Spencer's output was eclectic. He imitated animal sounds in "A Barnyard Serenade" (1906) and released another record titled "The Transformation Scene from 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'," but also popularized songs still known today such as "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom De-ay" and "A Hot Time in the Old Town." Music historian Bob Stanley deems it "probable" that Spencer's comedic "Arkansaw Traveler" routine was the first record to sell one million copies, though official documentation is lacking.

As the popularity of Len's style of humor waned in the latter part of the decade, he opened a booking agency called "Len Spencer's Lyceum" in New York. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage while working at the Lyceum on December 15, 1914.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 12, 1867 (Washington, D.C.), Died December 15, 1914 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1925

Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker, author, baritone vocal, performer, composer, adapter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 326-350 of 812 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-3911 12-in. 10/18/1906 Cherry Hill Jerry and his Liz Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra performer  
Victor B-3924 10-in. 10/26/1906 Herr Snickelfritz and his band Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra speaker, composer  
Victor E-3924 8-in. 10/26/1906 Herr Snickelfritz and his band Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra performer, composer  
Victor B-3939 10-in. 10/26/1906 Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor E-3939 8-in. 10/26/1906 Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor B-3940 10-in. 10/26/1906 Talmage on infidelity Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor B-3941 10-in. 10/26/1906 President McKinley's Pan-American speech Len Spencer Recitation speaker  
Victor B-4090 10-in. 12/6/1906 Rosie and Rudolph at the skating rink Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor E-4090 8-in. 1/28/1907 Rosie and Rudolph at the skating rink Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer, author  
Victor B-4225 10-in. 1/28/1907 How Matt got the mitten Ada Jones Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-4277 10-in. 2/28/1907 Becky and Izzy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor E-4277 8-in. 2/28/1907 Becky and Izzy Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-4371 10-in. 4/4/1907 Meet me down at the corner Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal(?), with orchestra performer  
Victor E-4371 8-in. 4/4/1907 Meet me down at the corner Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal(?), with orchestra performer  
Victor B-4372 10-in. 4/4/1907 Pedro, the hand-organ man Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with orchestra and hand organ performer  
Victor B-4456 10-in. 5/2/1907 Blondy and her Johnny at an East Side ball Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal(?), with orchestra performer, author  
Victor B-4457 10-in. 5/2/1907 Henry's return Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Comic dialogue, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-4556 10-in. 6/4/1907 Minnie and Herman Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra speaker, author  
Victor C-4557 12-in. 6/4/1907 Jimmie and Maggie in nickel-land Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra author, speaker  
Victor B-4766 10-in. 8/6/1907 You've got to love me a lot Ada Jones ; Len Spencer Descriptive scene and vocal, with orchestra performer  
Victor B-4767 10-in. 8/6/1907 Arkansaw traveler Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with violin speaker  
Victor E-4767 8-in. 8/6/1907 The Arkansaw traveler Len Spencer Descriptive scene, with violin speaker  
Victor B-4790 10-in. 9/6/1907 Uncle Josh at the dentist's Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker  
Victor E-4790 8-in. 9/6/1907 Uncle Josh at the dentist's Len Spencer ; Cal Stewart Comic dialogue speaker  
Victor B-4842 10-in. 9/27/1907 Roger and I Gilbert Girard ; Len Spencer Recitation, with vocal effects and orchestra speaker  
(Results 326-350 of 812 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spencer, Len," accessed May 9, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

Spencer, Len. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197.

"Spencer, Len." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106197

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