Beka
95 records in the collection· mostly Lenghi-Cellini, Harry Champion, Jamieson Dodds
Beka was a major German record label of the acoustic era, producing an extensive international catalogue of popular, classical and operatic recordings during the early twentieth century. The company became part of Carl Lindström’s record group, and its discs provide an unusually broad view of European recording before electrical recording became standard.
This introduction was written by AI from what is known of the label. Ask us if you want to know more about a particular record.
Records on Beka
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- AAch ich habe sie verloren
- BSpinnlied Weisse Dame
Marie Gotze singing two German art songs—'Ach ich habe sie verloren' and the 'Spinning Song' from *La Dame Blanche*—on Beka 8378.AI summary
Beka 8378 Voice
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- AAh non credevi tu
- BAddio Mignon
Lenghi and Cellini performing two opera arias on Beka, catalogue M50. This appears to be a Beka (Berliner Gramophon Aktiengesellschaft) pressing, likely from the 1910s–1920s era, featuring two operatic singers.AI summary
Beka M50 Opera
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- AAlice where art thou?
- BValse Arabesque
Beka 40339/40
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- AAll Change for Llanfairfechan
- BThe Doorkeeper at Frightley's
Wilkie Bard, the music-hall comedian, with 'All Change for Llanfairfechan' and 'The Doorkeeper at Frightley's' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 41166 Music Hall
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- AAn Evening Party
- BJimmy Law
Charles Conyers performing what appear to be novelty or comic character sketches — 'An Evening Party' and 'Jimmy Law' — on Bek, a very obscure British label.AI summary
Beka 40524/5 Comic
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- ABob down you're spotted
- BWhat a pity
Arthur Osmond recorded "Bob Down You're Spotted" and "What a Pity" for the Beka label. Artist and context are unidentified.AI summary
Beka 423
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- ABoiled Beef and Carrots
- BYou don't want to keep on showing it
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings his 1909 hit 'Boiled Beef and Carrots' and 'You Don't Want to Keep On Showing It' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 40751/2 Music Hall
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- ACamel Land
- BYoung Man's Fancy
Marek Weber was a German dance-band and orchestra leader and composer of the 1920s–1930s; this Beka 5755 contains two of his recordings, 'Camel Land' and 'Young Man's Fancy', typical of the novelty dance numbers of the era.AI summary
Beka 5755 Dance
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- ACavatine Don Pasquale
- BVissi d'Arte
Francillo Kauffmann, an operatic tenor, performs two arias from Italian opera for Beka: 'Cavatina' from Donizetti's Don Pasquale and 'Vissi d'Arte' from Puccini's Tosca.AI summary
Beka M157 Opera
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- AChe gelida Manina
- BChiudi gli occhi sogno
A Beka label recording of the tenor Lenghi-Cellini performing 'Che gelida manina' from Puccini's La Bohème.AI summary
Beka M101 Opera
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- ACover it Over Quick Jemima
- BDon't do it Again Matilda
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings 'Cover It Over Quick, Jemima' and 'Don't Do It Again, Matilda' on Beka, a German label that issued British recordings before the First World War.AI summary
Beka 41058/60 Music Hall
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- ADairymaids selection
The Irish Guards Band, one of the British Army's most recorded military ensembles, recorded a 'Dairymaids selection' for Beka, catalogue 3107. Beka was a prominent British disc manufacturer until the mid-1920s, and military-band sides from this era are common.AI summary
Beka 3107 Orchestra
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- ADei miei bollenti spiriti
- BGiunto sull passo
Beka M90 Voice
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- ADentist
- BZookeeper
Little Tich (1859–1928) was a diminutive British music-hall comedian famous for his physical comedy routines. Beka 41257/80 ('Dentist' and 'Zookeeper') are acoustic recordings of his act and are scarce.AI summary
Beka 41257/80 Music Hall
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- ADown Came the Blind
- BNever Let your Braces Dangle
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings 'Down Came the Blind' and 'Never Let Your Braces Dangle' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 40753/4 Music Hall
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- AE Lucevan le Stelle
- BRecondita armonia
Lenghi-Cellini was an Italian operatic tenor recorded in the acoustic era; this Beka disc presents two celebrated arias from Puccini's Tosca.AI summary
Beka M91 Opera
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- AEnjoy Yourself
- BI Used to sigh for the Silvery Moon
A popular song recorded by Pete Brown for Bek, a small and obscure British label. The artist is not well known from standard reference, though the catalogue number suggests an early 1930s pressing.AI summary
Beka 40582/3 Voice
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- AEuba Mond
- BMarilyn
An unidentified band recorded two sides of light dance or waltz material for Beka, a significant early British label. The titles and label suggest early 1910s or earlier.AI summary
Beka 4165 Dance
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- AFarewell o Happy Home
- BLet her believe
Lenghi-Cellini (likely a vocal duo) on Beka M105, performing operatic material 'Farewell o Happy Home' and 'Let her believe'.AI summary
Beka M105 Opera
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- AFather
- BBy the side of the Zuyder Zee
Fred Daniels performs 'Father' and 'By the Side of the Zuyder Zee' on this Beka record, catalogue 9838, a German imprint of the early acoustic era.AI summary
Beka 9838 Voice
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- AFather did look funny
- BI see you've got your old brown Hat on
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings 'Father Did Look Funny' and 'I See You've Got Your Old Brown Hat On' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 40046/48 Music Hall
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- AFaust
- B(sd 2+Rostovsky)
V. Petrov performing an excerpt from Gounod's *Faust* on Beka catalogue 45344/5, likely an early 1910s pressing. Beka was a German label with limited British circulation.AI summary
Beka 45344/5 Opera
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- AFiddle and I
Jessie Broughton recorded 'Fiddle and I' for Beka, catalogue 40321, a British budget label of the 1920s–early 1930s.AI summary
Beka 40321 Voice
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- AFlorentiner March
- BIndra March
An unidentified orchestra performed 'Florentiner March' and 'Indra March' on Beka 31619, an early German-manufactured issue.AI summary
Beka 31619 Orchestra
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- AFra Diavolo Overture
- Bpart 2
An orchestra performs the Fra Diavolo Overture by Auber in two parts on Beka 12598. Beka was a German-origin label with British distribution active in the 1900s–1910s; overture recordings on early Beka pressings are period acoustic items of modest specialist interest.AI summary
Beka 12598 Orchestra
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- AFunny Little Bobtail Coat
- BMr.Knick Knock
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings 'Funny Little Bobtail Coat' and 'Mr Knick Knock' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 40047/50 Music Hall
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- AGinger you're balmy
- BHenryVIII
Harry Champion, the cockney music hall singer, with Ginger You're Balmy and Henry VIII on Beka 41059/61.AI summary
Beka 41059/61 Music Hall
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- AGnadenarie
- B(Rosanov)Salut demeure
Marie Dietrich performing 'Gnadenarie' and the Salut demeure aria (Rosanov arrangement) on Beka, catalogue 8389. Beka was a major European label of the acoustic era.AI summary
Beka 8389 Opera
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- AGod save the King
Leo Stormont recorded 'God Save the King' for Beka, the Deutsche Grammophon budget imprint; a solo vocal performance of the British national anthem from the 1920s–1930s.AI summary
Beka 6942 Voice
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- AHabanera
- BSeguedillo
Blanche Tomlin sings the Habanera and the Seguidilla from Bizet's 'Carmen' on Beka.AI summary
Beka M121 Opera
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- AHabanera
- BMignon
Zelie de Lussan, an American mezzo-soprano of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, performing the *Habanera* and arias from *Mignon* on Beka, a German gramophone label. This is an early acoustic recording of an established operatic voice.AI summary
Beka 8313 Opera
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- AHello it's a different Girl again
Whit Cunliffe performing 'Hello It's a Different Girl Again' on Beka catalogue 9826 — a one-sided pressing. Beka was a Berlin-based label with British distribution; a one-sided Cunliffe pressing on Beka is moderately uncommon compared to his double-sided Odeon or Columbia recordings.AI summary
Beka 9826 Music Hall
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- AHey Ho Can't you hear the Steamer
- BEverybody but me
Alexander Johnson performing 'Hey Ho Can't You Hear the Steamer' and 'Everybody but Me' on Beka, a continental label rarely found in British collections.AI summary
Beka 35210 Voice
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- AHold your hand out, naughty boy
- BJerry Jeremiah
Tom Temple recorded comic novelty songs 'Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy' and 'Jerry Jeremiah' on Beka; a minor music-hall or novelty act of the 1920s.AI summary
Beka 749 Comic
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- AHold your hand out, naughty boy
- BJerry Jeremiah
Tom Temple on Beka, a low-cost British label active in the early 1900s. The novelty title suggests comic or music-hall material. Beka was a minor imprint with limited distribution, and records from this label rarely surface.AI summary
Beka 749 Music Hall
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- AHome to our Mountains
- B(Lenghi/Carter) Parigi o cara
Broughton and Lenghi-Cellini recorded 'Home to our Mountains' (from Verdi's *Il trovatore*) for Beka Records. Beka was a small European label. The performers are not well documented in English-language sources.AI summary
Beka M45 Opera
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- AI see you've got your old brown Hat on
- BMr.Knick Knock
Harry Champion, the cockney music-hall star, sings 'I See You've Got Your Old Brown Hat On' and 'Mr Knick Knock' on Beka.AI summary
Beka 40048/50 Music Hall
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- AI'll sing thee Songs of Araby
- BI know a lovely Garden
Lenghi and Cellini performing 'I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby' and 'I Know a Lovely Garden' on Beka 44, early sentimental vocal duets on an obscure British label.AI summary
Beka M44 Voice
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- AI'm always doing something silly
- BThe Brown Cow
Jay Laurier recorded 'I'm always doing something silly' and 'The Brown Cow' for Bek Records, catalogue 41105/8. Bek was a small British label of the late 1920s–early 1930s; Laurier is an unidentified artist.AI summary
Beka 41105/8 Music Hall
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- AI'm sorry
Elsie Steadman is an unidentified vocalist performing 'I'm sorry', a generic popular song title from the 1920s–30s era. This Beka label pressing is from an obscure British marque.AI summary
Beka 8021 Voice
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- AIf the World were Ruled by Girls
- BGirls Girls Girls
Whit Cunliffe, the Edwardian music-hall comedian, on Beka catalogue 9828 with 'If the World Were Ruled by Girls' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls'. Beka was a Berlin-based label with British distribution; Cunliffe sides on Beka are moderately uncommon compared to his major-label recordings.AI summary
Beka 9828 Music Hall
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- AIn Happy Moments
- BHEart Bowed Down
Beka 143
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- AIn Sympathy
- BWhere my Caravan has rested
Lenghi-Cellini, likely an operatic or classical singer, on Beka M 53 performing art songs.AI summary
Beka M53 Voice
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- AIt's a long way to Tipperary
- BHave you seen our John
Albert Collins on Beka (636) with 'It's a long way to Tipperary' and 'Have you seen our John'; Beka was an early British label active around 1900–1920s, and survivors from this marque are scarce.AI summary
Beka 636 Voice
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- AJewel Song
- BThe King of Thule
Blanche Tomlin sings the Jewel Song and The King of Thule from Gounod's Faust on Beka M131.AI summary
Beka M131 Opera
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- AKoorgan ballad
- BAcross the Water
Vassily Sharonov was a Russian bass who recorded for several early labels including Beka, a Berlin-based company with extensive operations recording Eastern European and Russian singers around 1905–1910. This disc, Beka 6750, contains a Koorgan ballad and 'Across the Water'. Beka pressings of Russian singers from this period are uncommon outside specialist collections.AI summary
Beka 6750 Voice
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- ALebe wohl mein flandrisch Madchen
- BRomance Mignon
Oscar Braun performs German vocal material—'Lebe Wohl Mein Flandrisch Mädchen' and 'Romance Mignon'—on this Beka record, catalogue 7479, from the acoustic era of the early 1900s.AI summary
Beka 7479 Voice
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- ALend me your Aid
- Bpart 2
Sam Hempsall on Beka M54, performing two sides of an unidentified piece. Beka was an early British label of the acoustic era.AI summary
Beka M54 Voice
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- ALord God of Abraham
- BIt is enough
Jamieson Dodds sings Lord God of Abraham from Mendelssohn's Elijah and It Is Enough on Beka M63.AI summary
Beka M63 Classical
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- ALove & Youth
- BSomewhere a Voice is calling
An orchestra performs 'Love and Youth' and 'Somewhere a Voice Is Calling' on Beka 35533. Beka was a German-origin label with British distribution active in the 1900s–1910s; standard acoustic orchestral pressing of popular ballad material.AI summary
Beka 35533 Orchestra
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- AMa Curly Headed Baby
Cecile Vicars recorded "Ma Curly Headed Baby" for Beka, a small British label of the early 1900s.AI summary
Beka 8294 Voice
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- AMach mich Mah Jongg
- BWhen Love was not so dear
Bohemia recorded novelty material on the Beka label, a German imprint with British pressings. The titles suggest popular dance and novelty songs of the mid-1920s. Beka was an active but secondary label in the UK market.AI summary
Beka 5263 Dance
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- AMaire my Girl
A recording of Harry Truman (the 33rd President of the United States) performing or speaking 'Mayor My Girl' on the Beka label; the catalogue number and title are unclear, and the nature of the recording is uncertain.AI summary
Beka 40924 Personalities (Prs)
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- AMeine Lackschuh sind kaputt
- BLimonade Sekt und Liebe
A dance band performs 'Meine Lackschuh sind kaputt' and 'Limonade, Sekt und Liebe' on Beka 31995, a German-language Beka pressing. Beka was a German-origin label; these are Continental dance or novelty titles of modest interest to collectors of German period recordings.AI summary
Beka 31995 Dance
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- AMerriest Man alive
Fred Daniels performing 'Merriest Man alive' for Beka 9625.AI summary
Beka 9625 Music Hall
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- AMrs.B
- BSally O'Mally
Billy Williams, the Australian-born music hall singer, with Mrs. B and Sally O'Malley on Beka 41407/6.AI summary
Beka 41407/6 Music Hall
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- AMusetta's aria
- BMi chiamano Mimi
Blanche Tomlin sings Musetta's waltz song and Mimì's 'Mi chiamano Mimì' from Puccini's 'La bohème' on Beka.AI summary
Beka M46 Opera
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- ANo Wedding Bells for me
- BBonnie Jean
Hamilton Hill on two songs: 'No Wedding Bells for me' and 'Bonnie Jean'. Released on Bek (Beka) 40348/9, a minor British label of the 1910s-20s.AI summary
Beka 40348/9 Voice
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- AOld Folks at home
- BMy old Kentucky home
Jessie Broughton and Oakley performing two Stephen Foster songs, 'Old Folks at Home' and 'My Old Kentucky Home', on Beka 35138/9.AI summary
Beka 35138/9 Voice
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- AOn the Silvery Sands
- BI Wonder Who's Kissing her Now
Jack Charman sings On the Silvery Sands and I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now on Beka 41026/5.AI summary
Beka 41026/5 Voice
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- APatience selection
Beka 3067 Misc.
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- APlaywright
- BRunaway Motor Car
Fred Daniels performing 'Playwright' and 'Runaway Motor Car' on Bek, an obscure British label of the 1920s–1930s.AI summary
Beka 40005/24 Music Hall
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- APlus blanche
- BPays merveilleux
M. Gautier recorded vocal material in French for Beka, a German label with British pressings. The romantic titles suggest salon or popular song of the early 20th century. Gautier is not established in standard discographies.AI summary
Beka 7228 Voice
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- APokok Pisang
- BGelek Ishim
Miss Riboet recorded 'Pokok Pisang' and 'Gelek Ishim' for Beka, the Deutsche Grammophon budget label; the Indonesian or Malay titles suggest she was a performer of colonial or world music from the 1920s–1930s.AI summary
Beka 27742 Music Hall
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- APolacco Picaroon
The Scots Guards Band recorded 'Polacco Picaroon' for Beka, a German label with British distribution in the early 1900s. Military and regimental band recordings on Beka are uncommon in British collections.AI summary
Beka 2809 Orchestra
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- APromenade du Paysan
Marius Chambon was a French singer who recorded for Beka Records, the Berlin-based pressing firm that operated an extensive European network in the early years of the twentieth century. This disc, Beka 7607, contains 'Promenade du Paysan'; Chambon does not appear prominently in standard discographic references, and French-language Beka vocal pressings from this period are uncommon outside specialist collections.AI summary
Beka 7607 Voice
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- APut a Bit away for a rainy Day
Frank St Clair on Beka 9811, a small British label. Beka was an early imprint with limited distribution; St Clair is not documented in major discographies.AI summary
Beka 9811 Music Hall
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- AQuesta o Quella
- BLa Donna e Mobile
The tenor Lenghi-Cellini sings 'Questa o quella' and 'La donna è mobile' from Verdi's 'Rigoletto' on Beka.AI summary
Beka M55 Opera
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- ARailway Porter
- BDo you see
Harry Ford performing 'Railway Porter' and 'Do You See' on the Bek label, catalogue 41276/9 — a companion to the companion disc id 18362 elsewhere in this collection, and the same disc catalogued as id 18362 in the first batch. This appears to be a third copy of that pressing; all copies should be compared for condition.AI summary
Beka 41276/9 Music Hall
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- ARomance Cav.
- BSenta's Ballad
Melanie Kurt, the Austrian Wagnerian soprano, sings Santuzza's romance from 'Cavalleria rusticana' and Senta's Ballad from 'The Flying Dutchman' on Beka.AI summary
Beka M99 Opera
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- ASally O'Malley
- BMrs B
Billy Williams was an American singer of the 1920s–1930s; this Beka side pairs two novelty numbers typical of the era.AI summary
Beka 41406 Voice
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- ASee the Idea
- BWhat is a ...
Harry Ford is not a name that appears prominently in standard discographic references for the period. This disc on the Bek label — catalogue numbers suggesting an early Berlin-Beka pressing — contains two music-hall titles whose full sides are only partially legible in the catalogue entry. Bek/Beka was a significant early international pressing firm; an obscure artist on an early catalogue number warrants closer examination.AI summary
Beka 41274/5 Music Hall
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- ASerenade d'Amour
The Scots Guards perform 'Serenade d'Amour' on Beka 2860. Beka was a small German-origin label with British distribution active in the 1900s–1910s; standard military band acoustic pressing of light sentimental repertoire.AI summary
Beka 2860 Orchestra
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- ASerenata
- BPagliacco
Lenghi and Cellini, unidentified artists, on BekaM (Beka, a German label with British pressings), performing 'Serenata' and music from Pagliacci.AI summary
Beka M123 Opera
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- ASergeant of the Line
- BGalloping Dick
Jamieson Dodds on Beka-M, a small British label, with two character or narrative songs from the early acoustic era.AI summary
Beka M111 Voice
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- ASeventeen
- BParting
Phil Ray recorded 'Seventeen' and 'Parting' for Bek Records 41246/8, a catalogue number suggesting a 1930s release. Ray cannot be identified; Bek was a minor British label.AI summary
Beka 41246/8 Voice
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- AShort Stories
- BLittle Bo-peep
Ernest Shand was an Edwardian music-hall comedian and monologist. This Beka pressing, catalogue 9709, contains 'Short Stories' and 'Little Bo-Peep'. Beka was a Berlin-based label with extensive European and British distribution; Shand is a moderately documented music-hall name.AI summary
Beka 9709 Music Hall
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- ASong of the Waggoner
- BWill O The Wisp
Beka M180
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- AStrolling Home with Eugenie
The Tivoli Minstrels recorded 'Strolling Home with Eugenie' for Beka 9468. Minstrel and close-harmony vocal groups were common in the early 1900s; Beka was a German label with British pressings.AI summary
Beka 9468 Music Hall
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- ATerritorial
- BGas Inspector
Little Tich, British music-hall comedian. Beka 41254/6 ('Territorial' and 'Gas Inspector') records his routines on a German label; scarce in the UK.AI summary
Beka 41254/6 Music Hall
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- AThe Calf of gold
- BO Star of Eve
Jamieson Dodds performed 'The Calf of Gold' and 'O Star of Eve' on Beka M48. This is a classical or operatic recording on an early German Beka label, likely from the 1900s-10s.AI summary
Beka M48 Opera
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- AThe Mississippi Barbecue
- BThe Aba Daba Honeymoon
Cove and Thompson on Bek (a minor British label), singing 'The Mississippi Barbecue' and 'The Aba Daba Honeymoon', a novelty song that was popular in the 1920s. Bek pressings are uncommon.AI summary
Beka 36008/40 Music Hall
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- AThe Mississippi Barbecue
- BThe Aba Daba Honeymoon
Cove and Thompson recorded 'The Mississippi Barbecue' and 'The Aba Daba Honeymoon', a novelty number, for the Bek label. Without further detail on the artists and this small or short-lived label, neither can be confidently identified.AI summary
Beka 36008/41 Music Hall
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- AThe Trumpeter
- B(Hudson) Glorious Devon
Bantock Pierpoint on Bek Records, performing light classical repertoire of the vocal tradition.AI summary
Beka 40513/434 Classical
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- AThe Twenty Third
- BKing Ki-Ki
Little Tich, British music-hall comedian. Beka 41252/5 ('The Twenty Third' and 'King Ki-Ki') records his routines on a German label; scarce in the UK.AI summary
Beka 41252/5 Music Hall
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- ATheme and Variations
- BFrag ich meine beklomin'nes Herz
Marie Dietrich, presumably the famous cabaret and film star, performing classical vocal work on the Beka label, an early German pressing.AI summary
Beka 8390 Voice
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- AThey all think the World of me
- BGet away you're kidding
Jay Laurier performing 'They All Think the World of Me' and 'Get Away You're Kidding' on Bek, an obscure British label of the 1920s–1930s.AI summary
Beka 41109/366 Voice
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- ATo Mary
- BLove could I only tell thee
George Barnes was an American jazz guitarist active from the 1930s. These sentimental vocal sides on Beka, a German label, are obscure even by Barnes standards.AI summary
Beka M182 Jazz
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- AVillanelle
- BPoor wandering one
D. Carter sings a 'Villanelle' and 'Poor Wandering One' from Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Pirates of Penzance' on Beka.AI summary
Beka M51 Opera
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- AVioletta's Aria
- Bpart 2
Violetta's aria from Verdi's La traviata in two parts, credited to Francillo Kauffmann on Beka M56.AI summary
Beka M56 Opera
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- AWedding bells
The HM Scots Guards band recorded 'Wedding Bells' for Beka, a small British label, likely in the early 1920s based on the catalogue number.AI summary
Beka 2918 Orchestra
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- AWhen the King went forth
- BThey guess the Truth
Beka 45349/50 Voice
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- AYou're my Baby
- B(T Temple)I've got my Eye on You
J. and N. Charman, variety entertainers of the 1920s–1930s, recorded these novelty and comic duets for Beka, a British imprint. The artists are not well known from standard reference.AI summary
Beka 35132 Music Hall
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- AYou're the One
- BLet's all Go Mad
Billy Williams recorded 'You're the One' and 'Let's all Go Mad' for the Bek label, an unidentified British imprint. The catalogue numbering suggests late 1920s.AI summary
Beka 41410/2 Voice
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- AZaerbinetta's Aria
- B(2 sides)
Francillo Kauffmann performing 'Zaerbinetta's Aria' from Strauss's opera 'Ariadne auf Naxos' on Beka M 113, an early acoustic recording of a soprano in operatic repertoire.AI summary
Beka M113 Opera