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The First Blues Records

Also see: In 1920 Mamie Smith’s Crazy Blues paved the way for Black Music
Title Artist Recording Date Company
Memphis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Victor Military Band
Directed by Walter Rogers
7-15-1914 Victor
17619-A
Memphis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Prince’s Band 7-24-1914 Columbia
A5591
Memphis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Morton Harvey 10-2-1914 Victor
17657-A
Blame It On The Blues
(Charles L. Cooke)
Prince’s Band 3-1915 Columbia
A5675
Blame It On The Blues
(Charles L. Cooke)
Victor Military Band 4-8-1915 Victor
17764
Memphis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Collins and Harlan 4-1915 Columbia
A1721
Hesitating Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Prince’s Band 11-2-1915 Columbia
A5772
Chinese Blues
(Oscar Gardner / Fred D. Moore)
Irving Kaufman 11-18-1915 Victor
17919
Ghost Of The Terrible Blues
(Harry von Tilzer / Jack Mahoney)
Peerless Quartet 12-21-1915 Columbia
A1925
Ghost Of The Terrible Blues
(Harry von Tilzer / Jack Mahoney)
Peerless Quartet 12-31-1915 Victor
17944-B
Ghost Of The Terrible Blues
(Harry von Tilzer / Jack Mahoney)
Peerless Quartet 1-1916 Pathe
30380
St. Louis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Prince’s Band 1-3-1916 Columbia
A5772
Honolulu Blues
(Grant Clarke / Jimmie V. Monaco)
Peerless Quartet 4-1916 Victor
18068-B
I’ve Got The Blues For Home Sweet Home
(George W. Meyer / William Jerome / E. Ray Goetz)
Oscar Shaw 4-21-1916 Columbia
A2003
Homesickness Blues
(Cliff Hess)
Nora Bayes 5-4-1916 Victor
45100-B
Bull Frog Blues
(In Foxtrot Time)

(Gus Shrigley / Tom Brown)
Six Brown Brothers 6-20-1916 Victor
18097-B
Hesitating Blues
(W.C. Handy)
Arthur Collins mid 1916 Emerson
0751
I’ve Got The Army Blues
(L. Wolfe Gilbert / Carey Morgan)
Morton Harvey mid 1916 Emerson
0759
Tennessee Blues
(Arthur F. Holt / William Warner)
Gene Rogers
(a pseudonym for Morton Harvey)
mid 1916 Emerson
0786
N***** Blues
(Leroy “Lasses” White)
George O’Connor 7-18-1916 Columbia
A2064
Joe Turner Blues
Introducing “Yellow Dog Rag”

(W.C. Handy)
Prince’s Band 8-1916 Columbia
A5854
Nigger Blues
(Leroy “Lasses” White)
Prince’s Band 8-1916 Columbia
A5854
Homesickness Blues
(Cliff Hess)
Prince’s Band 8-1916 Columbia
A5920
Kansas City Blues
(Euday L. Bowman)
Victor Military Band 9-15-1916 Victor
18163-B
Hesitation Blues
(Billy Smythe)
Victor Military Band 9-15-1916 Victor
18163-A
Money Blues
(Hugo Frey)
Joseph C. Smith Orchestra 9-25-1916 Victor
18165
Nigger Blues
(Leroy White)
(“Lasses”)
Victor Military Band 10-19-1916 Victor
18174-A
Joe Turner Blues
Introducing St. Louis Blues

(W.C. Handy)
Victor Military Band 10-19-1916 Victor
18174-B
Paradise Blues
(Walter Hirsch / Spencer Williams)
Marion Harris 11-17-1916 Victor
18152-A
Bull Frog Blues
(Gus Shrigley / Tom Brown)
Saxo Sextette 11-1916 Columbia
A2194
Florida Blues
(William King Phillips)
Prince’s Band 11-1916 Columbia
A5920
Chinese Blues
(Oscar Gardner / Fred D. Moore)
Gene Greene 12-1916 Emerson
5175
Chinese Blues
(Oscar Gardner / Fred D. Moore)
Gene Greene 12-1916 Emerson
7140
Chinese Blues
Introducing “When The Mission Bells Are Chiming”

(Redmen / Oscar Gardner)
Sousa’s Band 1916 Victor
35514-A
Memphis Blues
(W.C. Handy)
National Promenade Band 1916 Edison
2881
Edison
4449

 

St Louis Cotton Club Band 1925

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