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Rarities from the 1920s

this original collection featuring very rare old time radio shows from the earliest days of radio history.

Rarities from the 1920s

12 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 5 hours, 44 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
5 Audio CDs


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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Listening to the Radio 1921

Radio broadcasts recordings from the dawn of old time radio in the 1920s are a rarity, especially when we consider the sheer number of programs forever lost from later during the golden age of radio.

Radio Broadcast Magazine 1925It is easy to draw parallels between the early network broadcasts and the modern explosion of the Internet. Both involve what is a seemingly new but ultimately basic technology, which the general public is seeing for the first time. In the case of radio, it is hard to imagine how foreign events happening in the large urban centers may have seemed to rural audiences in the twenties. Could average folks, who had never travelled more than fifty miles away from their birthplace, appreciate just how large America was, even in the 1920s?

The scale of the nation was one of the things that the National Test Day Program brought to light. At one point in the broadcast, General Black Jack Pershing, who was broadcasting from a nighttime Washington DC, conversed with a general in Oakland, where it was just twilight.

The purpose of the Test Day was to test the "mobilization" of the various Army Corps across the country. The use of radio as a tool to coordinate the nation wide effort was a novel idea (and one that sent shocks of nervousness through the military establishments of Europe). Some have called the "Mobilization" a stunt, and it may have been of questionable military value, but it did demonstrate that broadcasts could get nationwide coverage by linking stations using telephone lines. The National Test Day was two years before NBC began regular broadcasts. NBC would not go nation wide until 1927 establishment of the NBC Orange Network.

Many of the early recordings are from WAAM, Newark New Jersey. WAAM belonged to Edison Studios, and Edison was as interested in recording as much as broadcasting. This led to the preservation of a number of long play (as long as 90 minutes) recordings of broadcast material. With Edison's interests in phonographs, the station did not feel the restriction against transcribed material that NBC and CBS had. WAAM also pioneered commercial radio, and was one of the first broadcasters to hire a sales representative and accept payment for advertising.

As pioneering as the WAAM Edison broadcasts were, the station explored a variety of sources to fill their 90 minute recordings for broadcast. The Sept 11, 1928 recording titled "A Little Bit Of Everything" is just that; a short comic program about the making of a broadcast, some jazz, some banjo-driven ragtime, an operatic soloist, Hawaiian guitar, to chamber music. Another Edison recording from WAAM features "Fiji Islanders" playing "Hawaiian Favorites". The incredibly popular (at the time) Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra brings us a selection of hot Kansas City Jazz on the Maytag Follies. Ladies Listening to the Radio in the 1920sSeth Parkers Old Fashioned Singing School gives us a delightful variety of songs from New England on a program designed around future creator of Gangbusters, Phillips H. Lord. Finally, Brunswick Brevities serves us several slices of New England life.

For additional early recordings, see also:

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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    COMMENTS

    Really interesting collection of early radio broadcasts. Well worth the price.

    Mike Verified Purchase

    The particular disc I received had Luke Higgins Main St. Sketches and NBC Everready Hour. Both programs were from May,1928. The first had some comedy routines. The NBC Everready Hour had music excerpts.The first was I believe a choral selection from Dvorak's 9th Symphony.The second selection was an unknown contemporary song.The total time of the CD was less than 30 minutes. The NBC Everready Hour was among the first network shows nationally broadcast. We are lucky to have this surviving fragment of Radio's early history.

    Dan Verified Purchase

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    12 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 5 hours, 44 min
    12 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 5 hours, 44 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 12 shows - total playtime 5 hours 44 minutes
    2. Rarities 1920s 240912 National Defense Test Day Program.mp3
    3. Rarities 1920s 280500 Luke Higgins Main St Sketches Broad.mp3
    4. Rarities 1920s 280515 NBC Everready Hour.mp3
    5. Rarities 1920s 280900 001 Edison A Little Bit Of Everything.mp3
    6. Rarities 1920s 280900 002 Edison Hawaiian Slide Guitar Music.mp3
    7. Rarities 1920s 280900 003 Edison Music Well Known Tenor.mp3
    8. Rarities 1920s 281100 002 Experimental Broadcast.mp3
    9. Rarities 1920s 281114 001 Experimental Broadcast.mp3
    10. Rarities 1920s 290301 Maytag Frolics Coon Sanders Nighthaw.mp3
    11. Rarities 1920s 290624 Edison Seth Parkers Old Fashioned Sing.mp3
    12. Rarities 1920s 290627 Edison Sonny Boy Trio Waam Newark.mp3
    13. Rarities 1920s 290827 Brunswick Brevities Red Nichols.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    12 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 5 hours, 44 min
    12 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    total playtime 5 hours, 44 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 12 shows - total playtime 5 hours 44 minutes
    2. Rarities 1920s 240912 National Defense Test Day Program.mp3
    3. Rarities 1920s 280500 Luke Higgins Main St Sketches Broad.mp3
    4. Rarities 1920s 280515 NBC Everready Hour.mp3
    5. Rarities 1920s 280900 001 Edison A Little Bit Of Everything.mp3
    6. Rarities 1920s 280900 002 Edison Hawaiian Slide Guitar Music.mp3
    7. Rarities 1920s 280900 003 Edison Music Well Known Tenor.mp3
    8. Rarities 1920s 281100 002 Experimental Broadcast.mp3
    9. Rarities 1920s 281114 001 Experimental Broadcast.mp3
    10. Rarities 1920s 290301 Maytag Frolics Coon Sanders Nighthaw.mp3
    11. Rarities 1920s 290624 Edison Seth Parkers Old Fashioned Sing.mp3
    12. Rarities 1920s 290627 Edison Sonny Boy Trio Waam Newark.mp3
    13. Rarities 1920s 290827 Brunswick Brevities Red Nichols.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    12 recordings on 5 Audio CDs. Total playtime 4 hours, 15 min
    12 recordings on 5 Audio CDs
    total playtime 4 hours, 15 min

    Rarities from the 1920s Disc A001

    1. Rarities 1920s 280500 Luke Higgins Main St Sketches Broad
    2. Rarities 1920s 280515 NBC Everready Hour

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Rarities from the 1920s Disc A002

    1. Rarities 1920s 280900 001 Edison A Little Bit Of Everything

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Rarities from the 1920s Disc A003

    1. Rarities 1920s 280900 002 Edison Hawaiian Slide Guitar Music
    2. Rarities 1920s 280900 003 Edison Music Well Known Tenor
    3. Rarities 1920s 281100 002 Experimental Broadcast
    4. Rarities 1920s 281114 001 Experimental Broadcast

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Rarities from the 1920s Disc A004

    1. Rarities 1920s 290301 Maytag Frolics Coon Sanders Nighthaw
    2. Rarities 1920s 290624 Edison Seth Parkers Old Fashioned Sing

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Rarities from the 1920s Disc A005

    1. Rarities 1920s 290627 Edison Sonny Boy Trio Waam Newark
    2. Rarities 1920s 290827 Brunswick Brevities Red Nichols

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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