Six Fat Dutchmen: "Minnesota Polka" (1947)

The Six Fat Dutchmen was a Minnesota oompah band organized by Harold Loeffelmacher in 1932. Their 14 years at RCA VICTOR produced over 800 songs.
At first a sextet, in time the band became larger. Members included Der Cammack (tuba), Bill Brown (accordion, concertina, tuba, trumpet), Christy Hengel (accordion), Dick Dale (vocal, sax), Elmer Scheid (concertina), Spike Haskell (clarinet), Babe Wagner (trombone), George Haber (trumpet), Johnny Gag (concertina), Harold Loeffelmacher (arranger, leader, bass horn), Jerry Rockvam (clarinet), Ernst Zimmerman (piano), Swede Rockvam (bass drum), Ken Grebnick (trumpet) and Emil Milbrett (concertina).
Source: shellac RCA VICTOR 78, #25-1081-A, released June 1947
Tech data: mastered with AVA triple filter© process (no Dolby)

[@tiga4180]

Nothing like a bit of oompah from a Sousaphone!

[@AnnieVanAuken]

In a time before transistors this song was listened to over tuba radios.
(Three valves on that Sousaphone!)

[@tiga4180]

@@AnnieVanAuken Music, & the technology we listened in on, was much better in those days. That's my un grid biased opinion! I'll never become a 'collector' of transistorised equipment 🙂

[@AnnieVanAuken]

@@tiga4180 I had the first American transistor radio and didn't realize it. Bought this GE radio at a junk store for $2. It needed a wire soldered on the battery cage, so I was set. A large radio and heavy, as the case seemed indestructible-- metal under a skin? Nice to cradle in the left arm while walking, also It had a sturdy handle so if necessary you could swing this at an attacker and cause major damage.
But the sound, awesome, full tone, plenty of bass with the most delightful faint white noise at zero volume. Ran on 6 D cells.
We were light years behind Japan on components in the '50s. They had small, square clear plastic variable caps for frequency tuning while we were still using metal knife blade monstrosities outta the 1930s fer chrissakes!

[@tiga4180]

@@AnnieVanAuken Yes, recall marveling at those Japanese miniaturised tuning caps & the dinky little IF cans. What let things down was the tinny sound from the tiny speakers. Good that you got awesome sound from your transistor radio. There are still folks who prefer the sound of tubes

[@AnnieVanAuken]

@@tiga4180 I have a late November day memory of walking up our gravel driveway, home from school, the GE radio cradled in my left arm as scattered globs of snow (not flakes) gently fell. On the radio, a brand new song just released by the Beatles, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". It was such a uniquely serene moment that the memory's stayed forever. Although it was a transistor radio, this was more a small suitcase. What sound!