The High Priestess of Jollity & The Southern Singer

The High Priestess of Jollity & The Southern Singer

Here is the complete recorded output by two former legends of the stage, May Irwin and Clarice Vance. Each of these women was so fully booked in variety and legitimate shows that neither hardly ever had the time to make it to the studio to record. Thus, the few recordings they did wax were treated by the companies as celebrity "events," which the theater-going public would recognize as such. Recorded between 1905 and 1909, the selections on this CD are now very scarce, and putting them all in one place has taken hard work from the production team and our dedicated network of private and institutional collectors.

In the notes included with the CD, Elizabeth Surles gives us great insight into the life of Irwin, particularly the events surrounding her first and only trips to the recording studio, in May 1907. The one-time widow had just remarried when she cut six records over three days--a mix of her greatest stage hits and some of the newer material she was promoting. The hits included her signature, "The Bully," as well as "When You Ain't Got No Money, You Needn't Come Around" and "May Irwin's Frog Song." These are definitely racially derogatory songs of the original variety: cruel, violent, and mean. The other three contemporary pieces Irwin made--"Mat-ri-mony," "Moses Andrew Jackson, Goodbye," and "Don't Argify"--are much different. The first is a topical "women's" song, and the third is much like Bert Williams' "Let It Alone."

Researcher Sterling Morris knows more about Clarice Vance than anyone else does, and he graces our booklet with in-depth details, including his most recent discoveries. Vance made her first records for Edison in 1905, beginning with the Mose Gumble-penned "farmer's serenade" called "Mariar." The second and final cylinder was "Save Your Money, 'Cause de Winter Am Coming On," a typical song of the era about a preacher with a bad gambling habit. When she signed with Victor, Vance did the kind of hard-luck song Arthur Collins was performing, "If Anybody Wants to Meet a Jonah, Shake Hands with Me." The Bert Williams' vehicle, "He's a Cousin of Mine," was next. With "I'd Rather Two-Step than Waltz, Bill" and "I'm Wise," we see Vance going in a different direction. These are comic songs--still genuinely funny--dealing with personalities and situations rather than racial caricatures.

The CD comes with a visually stunning, full-color 32-page booklet that is not to be missed. But please note: the selections included here contain racially derogatory material. They are included for historical and educational reasons and do not reflect the views of Archeophone Records.
Country USA
Brand Import
Manufacturer Archeophone Records
Binding Audio CD
ReleaseDate 2011-09-13
UnitCount 1
UPCs 778632904385
EANs 0778632904385

Country	USA
Brand	Import
Manufacturer	Archeophone Records
Binding	Audio CD
ReleaseDate	2011-09-13
UnitCount	1
UPCs	778632904385
EANs	0778632904385