George W. Johnson - The Laughing Song from an original 1897 Columbia cylinder

George W. Johnson - The Laughing Song
The first African-American recording star George W. Johnson sings his famous piece, The Laughing Song. Here's an acoustic playback video from original 1897 Columbia brown wax cylinder(7601). Played on a Edison Standard Phonograph from 1906 w/'Archivette' microphone. This cylinder was recorded with a 'pantograph' device around 1897.

[@kingpeedorah]

Only a true 1890's kids remember this

[@martinterhaar3287]

Thank you for sharing something i never saw before in the 44 years of my life. This 120 year old song made me laugh and smile, great that it's played on that beautiful original machine.

[@FightFoxBall]

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[@justshibal]

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[@antoniosethias9948]

​@@FightFoxBall
:)

[@FightFoxBall]

@@antoniosethias9948 Howdy

[@thenorthamericanphonograph1039]

We have the same cylinder, not in the best of shape, however it still has the original record ticket, and box. Fred Hylands Piano for Columbia. The look of the blank is before 1899, early mid 1898, 1899 and 1900 Columbia's are actually 4 1/4" long, and Higher cooking temperature used. 1896-1897 Columbia blanks are a bit shorter than 4 1/4 " long, and in the 2.140-2.150" thick, and 1899 ones 2.160-2.170" thick. It is interesting to note that Columbia did not make its own blanks on a regular basis until late 1896-1897. They had small scale production as early as 1895, however mostly used Edison blanks, until some technical problems were resolved in 1897, and then regular production of blanks began.

[@davidbethel3805]

Wonderful brown wax cylinder. Very clear.

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

I was lucky. That was just $38!

[@davidbethel3805]

Great buy!.

[@hasannaomir.3037]

!!!!!!!!!!!wHAT????????????????? I'm SO GLAD for you. Thank you so very much for sharing. You are wonderful.

[@laurav3798]

Incredible, thank you for sharing this treasure of time with us!

[@ericthompson9970]

ABSOLUTELY! To hear music from a different Century is astonishingly important for prosperity. Regardless if it is not in the history books.

[@ericthompson9970]

If you want to learn more, listen to Maegan.
On the Black History Month on G.W.Johnson.

[@carolblake7356]

Love, Love!❤️❤️ And laugh, laugh, laugh😄😄😄 Thank you so much!!❤️🌹

[@jamestheredenginefan5268]

125 Years Later Still Good

[@crocoland6330]

I love this old-style sound!

[@vio3366]

This is amazing! Wish I had one of these.

[@overpricedhealthcare]

i've never heard gwj's voice so clear

[@nielsbnnelkke6010]

I guess it´s the same song Charles Penrose made sometimes in the 1940´s. called " The laughing Policeman " . I´v got it on a 78´Rpm record and the backside of the record is " Laughter and Lemons " .Didn´t know it was that old. ! Nice one...

[@nikgio3221]

wow im surprised how lilttle static and how good it sounds

[@nikos8247]

Wow! Never seen anything like this! A real piece of history!

[@michaelkozak4608]

A BIG THANK YOU for THIS ! AMAZING clear sound here !

[@pradeepparwana8556]

Amazing & Amorous antique achievement of our golden past...😊❤❤

[@rrl1rrl1rrl146]

Rest in peace mr johnson, god bless you in some universe site

[@myschool2796]

The fact that he died more than 110 years ago 🥲

[@trixzitailz4151]

One of the best sounding recordings of Johnson I ever heard. But the date is probably 1898 not 97. But I could be wrong in 1897 their announced newyork city. But for now long I don't know.

[@JackHY2K]

Great quality!
Still a funny song to this day.

[@jperez9528]

Thanks for posting this. 😊👍

[@garyfrancis6193]

One of my favourites.

[@ahmosis5280]

What a wonderful treasure. I wonder where did you get it?

[@skylerisbesty5712]

I saw a reply and he said he bought it for 38$ which is a really good deal in his half

[@YipJumpMusic]

Bro was faded on that pharmaceutical cannabis extract

[@CharlieJudkins69]

Thanks for uploading! The piano accompaniment is very interesting, I wonder who the pianist could be? His sense of rhythm is pretty good but he doesn't seem to have much experience playing ragtime, and his solo at the end is pretty crude!

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

My acquaintance assumes that the piano accompanist will be Frank Banta Sr.

[@CharlieJudkins69]

Banta is the pianist you hear most often on Edison cylinders c. 1897- 1903. His playing style is very different: he would've played this tune with more syncopation and less of those typical victorian style treble runs. This may be Fred Hylands (who became Columbia's house pianist around 1897), or the unknown Columbia pianist who predated him and can be heard on many of the earliest Columbias made in NYC (such as Len Spencer's great take of "Climb de Golden Fence")

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

Thanks a lot. I recently got a record which includes Banta's playing, but there's a lot of difference.

[@gustavoceballos5327]

The best song to laugh along with

[@JohnDoe-zh4li]

Is it just me, or does it sound a little fast? Basing it on the 1891 recording, this sounds quite a bit higher in pitch.

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

I set this to around 120rpm. And considering the Johnson's other recordings on Edison black wax cylinder which runs at 160rpm, I think it's fine.

[@darrenjones1436]

Hello. What reproducer are you using?

[@3d-marabu]

A surprisingly good sound quality for a 125 year old wax cylinder. And what I would be interested in...how did they duplicate the wax rollers as mass-produced goods back then?

[@DatDarnSpaceCat]

They recorded multiple at a time, what you just heard was a unique performance on a cylinder that was recorded in the singer's physical presence.

[@Lucius1958]

@@DatDarnSpaceCat They were also beginning to copy records using a pantograph system: this sounds a bit too good to be a copy, though.

[@bevisfaversham2669]

this is probably a new york and paris cylinder of 1898 or 1899 not 1897

[@user-sz8xf5bj1u]

1899 is high pitched and compozited

[@muffs55mercury61]

OMG this is awesome. Need to find a 78 rpm issue since I don't have a cylinder player---well not yet anyways.

[@dannydevito9056]

Now I know I've heard this tune before, but not the laughing song.

[@GMLZ]

Two years too late but the laughing policeman is a somewhat popular rendition of this song. It is used in youtuber gradeaundera’s outro.

[@10Vernonplace]

This is amazing! Kind of sad the lyrics are degrading, but he was a great entertainer.

[@10Vernonplace]

@Bob So how is that NOT sad? To have to degrade yourself to make a living. All the black entertainers had to do the mistrel show bit.

[@Duckcalculator]

@@10VernonplaceIt’s not sad, just what you have to do sometimes. White men, black men, we all have our roles.

[@neowavemusic]

funny and very old )

[@raymondny123]

that’s really good condition !😊

[@BrucesPhonograph]

This is from 1898 not 1897 as the announcement New York and Paris is 1898, 1897 would be "New York City" as Columbia moved there in late 1896. Earlier Columbia records are announced " Washington D. C. .

[@olegoks6259]

This feels edited due to how good condition this is.

[@Musicradio77Network]

I wish Pinkie Pie is listening to this 100+ year old song where she got the inspiration for the song “The Laughter Song (aka ‘Giggle At The Ghostly’)”.

[@ibrahimmoustafa5659]

Nice where do you find this stuff

[@ibrahimmoustafa5659]

@Ash Bobgan yoooooooo

[@RC-wm7cw]

What reproducer are you using there?

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

Model C. I know that its doorknob shaped stylus is not suitable for a brown wax cylinder, but I played it only two times. It will be OK.

[@CesarJuarezVargas]

Are the artifacts part of your private collection or from a museum?

[@RakiLegacyWorld]

It's from my collection.

[@CesarJuarezVargas]

@@RakiLegacyWorld Nice! I wonder how many masters made it through these days. Have you digitized this song with audio software?

[@Kennephone]

@@CesarJuarezVargas probably less than 1%. They made hundreds of thousands, if not millions of records in the 1890s, and they are very rare today, and when you do find them they're usually either moldy or in horrible condition. This may be the last of this record to be in such good condition, so it should be treasured. Most of the records from the early 1890s are tremendously rare, and likely the last surviving copy, and a lot of them were always one of a kind, being originals and not copies.

[@parkourqueenileto]

Lol nice one

[@alternateunreleasedshellac505]

what about the 1896 version?

[@emperor-zelch1850]

Tell me where to get a free one!!!!!!

[@museuman100]

Actually 1898. Sounds great.

[@edgarallanpoestheblackcat6613]

How old are you?

[@michaelsandford1015]

That's where they got from

[@sazgarmuhammad8364]

No bad😂😂

[@olegoks6259]

0:34

[@michaelholm4646]

IMPRESIONANTE, YA SE DE QUIEN SE COPIO PALITO ORTEGA PARA COMPONER "LA FELICIDAD"

[@marcobechere4452]

Maybe it could be played a bit more slow

[@maxiegil8226]

first time hearing this song. im trying to get myself known with the earliest of days of popular music. you have great equipment and the quality is amazing! it's sad that these songs are as racist as they get lol

[@Dewey122]

Sewnkin 6

[@user-pe9xw9xi2z]

갑자기 한글 나와서 깜짝 놀랐네;;

[@sazgarmuhammad8364]

Hello man can you translate this song for me?😁

[@MayugaNetwork]

@@sazgarmuhammad8364hehehehehehahahahahahehehehehehahahehehehehahahehehehehaha

[@sazgarmuhammad8364]

@@MayugaNetwork Hhahaha mr chinese can't get understand me 😂

[@jamesmckean3221]

Ayn Rand liked this song, I think

[@sarahh_danielle_]

this sounds like itd be in a horror movie

[@michaelsandford1015]

Sounds like the laughing policeman

[@japanfanatic1415]

The Laughing Policeman was based on this.

[@heatherhoffman6221]

@@japanfanatic1415 wow

[@EwicoCylinder]

This reproducer will destroy the brown wax cylinder if you keep playing it more often with it.

[@michaelsandford1015]

Don't break the record

(Google) Wu World Radio

[@martin7464]

lol

[@babybloc]

Traditions of nonsense vocals are all over, the laughing ones on early records seem related, in a funny way 😀

[@harjindersinghchandar2712]

bah

[@edgarallanpoestheblackcat6613]

How old are you?

[@edgarallanpoestheblackcat6613]

simpsons channelx what do u mean you’re not sure?

[@jaysvintagerecordsandphono6184]

Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat Very random question but ok

[@harjindersinghchandar2712]

bah