"Rock Me In My Swanee Cradle"
Peerless Quartet
Victor 18908
1922
The Peerless Quartet was the most successful vocal group of the acoustic era.
It was managed by bass singer Frank C. Stanley until his death from pneumonia at age 41 in December 1910. Afterwards it was led by tenor Henry Burr, who disbanded the quartet in 1929.
The Peerless basically evolved from the older Columbia Quartet, of which Stanley had been a member, though one could argue it evolved from the Invincible Quartet, which was one of several vocal groups that Stanley organized and managed.
The Columbia Quartet, usually credited only as "quartet" on the rim of cylinders and labels of discs, was formed in the late 1890s and underwent many personnel changes though Albert Campbell remained as first tenor.
By 1903 the Columbia Quartet consisted of Campbell, second tenor Henry Burr, a baritone (probably Arthur Collins on most records though Bob Roberts may be on some--Steve Porter was abroad at this time but may have been a Peerless member from around 1906 to 1908), and basso "Big Tom" Daniels.
Albert Campbell told Jim Walsh that Daniels sang in the quartet, maybe in 1902 and 1903. When Daniels was succeeded in late 1903 or early 1904 by Stanley, at least three of the original Peerless members were together.
The name Columbia Quartet is announced on very early Columbia discs but was not written on labels until around 1905. By 1907 the members adopted the name Peerless in order to work for other companies, naturally retaining the name Columbia Quartet for Columbia records.
Stanley did much of the lead singing upon joining. It was unusual for a bass-baritone to lead in quartet singing, which is normally led by the "second tenor" ("first" and "second" indicate the relative pitch of tenors, not their importance to a quartet--"first tenor" sings the highest).
In male quartet singing, the bass usually sings the foundation or root of a chord, the second tenor sings the melody, the first tenor sings harmony above the melody, and the baritone completes the chord by filling in the missing link somewhere between the bass and the first tenor.
The Invincible made Edison cylinders by 1902. The lineup for this was first tenor Byron G. Harlan; second tenor George Seymour Lenox; baritone Arthur Collins; and Stanley. On Columbia, American, and other disc releases, Campbell or Burr sang the lead in place of Lenox, who seems to have been exclusive to Edison. Managing the Invincible evidently gave Stanley the experience needed to manage the Peerless.
The Peerless made its Victor debut with "Women!" from Lehár's light opera The Merry Widow (single-sided 5392; later double-sided 16424).
Arthur Collins was an important Peerless member, singing lead on some numbers. With a voice well-suited for ragtime and other upbeat numbers, he contributed to the quartet's versatility.
Peerless Quartet
Victor 18908
1922
The Peerless Quartet was the most successful vocal group of the acoustic era.
It was managed by bass singer Frank C. Stanley until his death from pneumonia at age 41 in December 1910. Afterwards it was led by tenor Henry Burr, who disbanded the quartet in 1929.
The Peerless basically evolved from the older Columbia Quartet, of which Stanley had been a member, though one could argue it evolved from the Invincible Quartet, which was one of several vocal groups that Stanley organized and managed.
The Columbia Quartet, usually credited only as "quartet" on the rim of cylinders and labels of discs, was formed in the late 1890s and underwent many personnel changes though Albert Campbell remained as first tenor.
By 1903 the Columbia Quartet consisted of Campbell, second tenor Henry Burr, a baritone (probably Arthur Collins on most records though Bob Roberts may be on some--Steve Porter was abroad at this time but may have been a Peerless member from around 1906 to 1908), and basso "Big Tom" Daniels.
Albert Campbell told Jim Walsh that Daniels sang in the quartet, maybe in 1902 and 1903. When Daniels was succeeded in late 1903 or early 1904 by Stanley, at least three of the original Peerless members were together.
The name Columbia Quartet is announced on very early Columbia discs but was not written on labels until around 1905. By 1907 the members adopted the name Peerless in order to work for other companies, naturally retaining the name Columbia Quartet for Columbia records.
Stanley did much of the lead singing upon joining. It was unusual for a bass-baritone to lead in quartet singing, which is normally led by the "second tenor" ("first" and "second" indicate the relative pitch of tenors, not their importance to a quartet--"first tenor" sings the highest).
In male quartet singing, the bass usually sings the foundation or root of a chord, the second tenor sings the melody, the first tenor sings harmony above the melody, and the baritone completes the chord by filling in the missing link somewhere between the bass and the first tenor.
The Invincible made Edison cylinders by 1902. The lineup for this was first tenor Byron G. Harlan; second tenor George Seymour Lenox; baritone Arthur Collins; and Stanley. On Columbia, American, and other disc releases, Campbell or Burr sang the lead in place of Lenox, who seems to have been exclusive to Edison. Managing the Invincible evidently gave Stanley the experience needed to manage the Peerless.
The Peerless made its Victor debut with "Women!" from Lehár's light opera The Merry Widow (single-sided 5392; later double-sided 16424).
Arthur Collins was an important Peerless member, singing lead on some numbers. With a voice well-suited for ragtime and other upbeat numbers, he contributed to the quartet's versatility.
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