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1920's Charley Patton, "Founder of the Delta Blues" "King of the Delta Blues" and some jazz compilations from the '20's.

Hey, does this count?

I've got some ethnographic field recordings on vinyl from the '50s that I picked up at a garage sale showcasing tribal drumming from some stone age people in New Guinea.

The record is from the '50's but the music itself is timeless.

good thread.

nat king cole

Scott Joplin.

The oldest item I have is a one sided 12 inch gramophone record with a Sousa style military band march on it called "Way down Colon town one step" recorded by a group called "Iffs London Orchestra", its is undated, but I know its after 1907 as its from the HMV plant in Hayes Middlesex. And its pre 1914 as 12 inch one side records were not made after then. The lettering on it and black gold nipper label. I think its probably about 1908 to 1910 judging by the acoustic rythmns and its sound like something they would have played in the Boer War.

Its still listenable although scratchy and I know each listen is wearing the record down further.
The oldest pop hit I have is a Red HMV 78 called "Alice Blue Gown" by Edith Day, its original and the song was a music hall hit in March 1919, it was her only hit (Her oice was very warbly).

The oldest digital song I have is Ave Maria recorded by Castrato, Alessandro Moreschi in 1902, Moreschi was the last of these opera singers who had were castrated in their childhood to give high feminine voices. They were very popular in the 18th century. I have a CD of 20s favourites such as "The Prune Song, 1928" My Canary has cicles under his eyes 1928, and a very racist song called "The sun has got his hat on" by the Sam Browne Orchestra (1932) which includes the lyric "Hes been tanning niggers down in Timbuktu"

tane1976 said:

Wow. Amazing stuff!

The oldest song is from 1927.

I've got some Little Richard stuff.

To those replies about medieval music, it does exist, some of the Gregorian chants on the "Canto Gregoriano" album are 6th to 8th century in origin, and often were sung in latin. Some early psalms are also set to at least 1610 Rhythmns of the 1610 James I bible. But the earliest song I can think of is "London Bridge is falling down" which has been dated to the 1300s and Ring a rosies is at least 1664 The lines refer to the great plague

Ring a ring of rosies (Rose coloured blemishes and sores at the onset of the plague)
A pocket full of posies (In Medieval times, certain herbs were believed to keep maladies and bad humors at bay)
A tishoo, a tishoo (Coughing up sputum came near the end)
We all fall down (We all die)

Another early song was composed by Henry the 8th around 1520 called "Past time with goode companye" which was basically a Tudor drinking song accompanied on lute. Actual sheet music of this "hit" apparently exists.

You will find a lot of indigenious cultures have songs and chants that can be thousands of years old in cases. I myself know the lyrics to Maori songs that are at least 600 years old.

I have some tribal songs of Moses and the hebrew people, from the times they were wandering through the desert...

Thanks for all the replies! For the stories and the great music that still roams around after all these years! Talk about staying power.

JoeTyler said:

Recorded in the 90s probly... cmon lay off wit dashhhhhit. same wit ya'll postin' classical music.

we talmbout OLD RECORDINGS here

Cinnie said:

Two things:

1.Yeah, it was a joke
2: You're drunk!!!

probably some Billie
not sure what the dates are

Brandenburg Concertos - Bach
The "Amadeus" Mozart
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue 1958
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane Live - 1957/58

.
[Edited 4/7/08 16:05pm]

Cinnie said:

Some people still aren't listening.

JoeTyler said:

sextonseven said:

okay... I just thought about it
and I think I know what you guys mean now...

the oldest album I own is

James Brown And The Famous Flames
I Got The Feelin

which is the vinyl has no date on
but I just looked it up
and it's from 1968

bessie smith 1923

bunch of 78's and box sets of classsical (who doesn't have at least one of those right)?

tane1976 said:

I too have heard this. It is damn creepy. I've always found Jimmy Scott with his wierd, high voice somehow creepy, but good 'ole Moreschi takes the cake!

As to oldest actual records I have, I am in possession of a number of ancient wax cylinders (but I think the player's bust ). One of my oldest playable records is of King George V giving his Christmas message to the British Empire c. late 1920s-early '30s. 'Tis very scratchy and faint, but Georgie's funk is strong even through all the hiss!
[Edited 4/8/08 13:53pm]

I have some anonymous Memphis jug band stuff from the 20's. I have ragtime and Tin Pan Alley stuff from Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmicheal, and both Gershwins. Other than that I tend to play 1920's-early 30's stuff on the regular from Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Duke Ellington, Josephine Baker, and Cole Porter.

In my case:

A double CD collecting several performances of material from 19th century classical composer Claude Debussey. Of course most of this material is recorded later on, during the sixties, seventies and eighties.

I have quite a fondness for folk-artists performing traditionals that date back as far as the seventienth century. Musicians like June Tabor, Susan McKeown and Kate Rusby have performed wonderfull renditions of those 'old songs'.
But again: most of that material has been recorded since the 1970's.

In recording terms my 'oldest' album is probably Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It has been released during the 1950's (I dont know the exact year).

Oh wait, i have some older Charlie Parker material somewhere on a casette-tape. But my casette-player is broken, so i havent been listening to that music for years and years.. lol
[Edited 4/8/08 16:28pm]

Well my 1909 recrding of "Way down Colon Two step, by Iffs London Orchestra" seems to be the oldest actual physical piece of music. I promise to download it within in a few months to let y'all know what it sounds like

I have one of those Armstrong/ King Oliver collections from 1923-24 too. Next cloest thing is the Yazoo comp "MIssissippi Masters" which dates 1927-35.

I'd have to listen again for the actual dates but I also have a booted radio show by cartoonist R. Crumb, playing some of his 78's that I think date from even earlier... New Orleans bands and also early French jazz bands that may be from the teens.

Does any1 have musical recordings from the 1800's? They do exist, U know

Compilations of classical music, some that we already owned, and others from courses I took.

raveun2thejoyfantastic said:

I don't really like the beats from then.

Cinnie said:

Yeah, too much 3/4, not enough 4/4. Funk on the 3? .