Hearts And Flowers By Fred W. Hager Zon-o-phone Record Circa 1900

It is the very early morning of February 7, 2015.  Next week is Valentines Day and in honor of the upcoming holiday, I have for you "Hearts And Flowers" in the form of an instrumental (violin and piano).    This record was pressed on the Zon-o-phone (Zonophone) label (Catalog number: G9466).  It dates somewhere between 1899 and 1903.  The song is "Hearts And Flowers" credited to Fred W. Hager.  The song will be played on a Victor Victrola Model #4 (VV-IV) from 1915.

I thought I would add some hearts and flowers to the video:
 


The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHjJcfYlQ8

Here are some close-up photographs of the record (front and back) ...

Daughter Of Love Waltz By National Promenade Band Edison Diamond Disc 1922

I am continuing the Valentine theme here with an instrumental number titled "Daughter Of Love Waltz".  The song was performed by the National Promenade Band in 1922, and was pressed on the Thomas Edison Diamond Disc label (Catalog number: 51009-L).  It plays at a speed of 80 rpm.  This is a really great tune.  I am playing the record on an Edison Disc Phonograph Model C-150.  The Disc machine was made between 1915 and 1919.


The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNJXd5i6u4o

Love's Golden Dream By Helen Clark And Emory Randolph Edison Diamond Disc 1914

Keeping with the Valentine's Holiday of this month, tonight I have for you "Love's Golden Dream" - a duet by Helen Clark and Emory Randolph.  Lindsay Lennox wrote the lyrics and Gordon Nevin was responsible for the musical arrangement.  The song was recorded in 1914, and was pressed on the Thomas Edison Diamond Disc label (catalog number: 80167-R/matrix number: 3104).  It plays at a speed of 80 rpm.  I am playing the record on an Edison Disc Phonograph Model C-150.  The Disc machine was made between 1915 and 1919.


The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfmlUtOyuY

A Bowery Flirtation By Ada Jones And Len Spencer Edison Records 1909

Hi Friends.  In honor of the upcoming Valentines Day Holiday, I have for you a very flirty record and it is an old one.  It dates to the year 1909, and is titled "A Bowery Flirtation".  The Thomas Edison black wax cylinder record will be played on an Edison Standard Phonograph: Model B from 1905/1906.  The record was recorded by Ada Jones and Len Spencer (Catalog number: 10082).  It is a Vaudeville sketch that leads into a song with Ada singing and an orchestra accompanying her.  I brought some old Valentine cards out, and set them near the machine ... very special for this time of the year.


The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0eKaGrNncE








Here are the lyrics (I transcribed them myself ... I did my best):

Len: Hello kid, what's the rush?
Ada: It's 6:00, the rush hour.
Len: Come ere, I want to ask u something.
Ada: What?
Len: Have you noticed anybody follerin' ya lately?
Ada: Nobody particular.
Len: Why Maggie, I'm yer shada, I follows you everywhere an' all it does is run away from me.
Ada: Sure I do.  Run away from a shada and it always follows you, but chase it, Timmy, haha, and it's gone fer good.
Len: Well, you can't lose me kid.  Tell me, did you ever love anybody?
Ada: Sure I have.
Len: I mean anybody but yourself?
Ada: Oh, like that?  So I'm stuck on meself, huh?  Well, there's one thing about you, Timmy, that I have to admire.
Len: And that is?
Ada: Yer good taste.
Len: Ho haw, gettin wise to yourserlf, ay?  Why Maggie, that swell little mug o' yours is tintyped right on me heart.
Ada: Hahaha, I bet there's a whole gallery of tintypes on that heart of yours.
Len: You got me wrong, kid.  Why, I never knew what love was 'til I fell in love with you.
Ada: Ahh, haha.  Don't make me laugh, me lips are chapped.
Ada: Why Timmy, so many guys give me that speel that I set it to music.
Len: Is that so?
Ada: Yes, and it goes like this ...
Ada: I never knew what love was 'til I fell in love with you.
Len: Oh kid, nix.
Ada: You won me heart completely with those dreamy eyes of blue.  I jollied Maude and Maime ...
Len: No no.
Ada: ... and made eyes at Lil an' Lou ...
Len: I don't know the party.
Ada: ... but I never knew what love was 'til I fell in love with you.
Len: Ah, kid, you's is the only one.
Ada: I don't believe it.
Len: See, ain't that a hit?
Ada: What's a hit?
Len: Ha, that's what they all say, hahahaha.
Ada: Timmy ...
Len: Aww, I didn't mean it kid, hahahahaha.
Ada: Aw, hahahahaha.

Additional information about the record can be found at this link: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder3530

I Turn My Back To Bill De Bozo In Solidarity With The NYPD

Here I am turning my back to a picture of Bill De Bozo in Solidarity with The NYPD. This photo was taken on January 31, 2015 during the Online Protest against the New York City mayor.

 

Very dark video ... may as well be since it is a very dark topic.  I filmed this last night (1-31-2015):

The url for the video in case it does not embed properly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuuAW6AmfJM

Battle Of The Bulge World War II Reenactment Held In Annville, PA On January 31, 2015

Here is a Second World War Reenactment that was held on the Fort Indiantown Gap Military Base.  This event was part of the Bulge's 70th Anniversary.  The specific area was difficult to find.  There were no signs leading drivers to the location.  Plus, once I arrived on the premises, I did not see any information on where the German hospital demonstration was going to be held and the area for the Militaria flea market.  I never found the area where the hospital demo took place.  I found a couple Militaria buildings by chance ... one was far from the initial one that I walked into.


The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFAaH4BlGE














Despite the severe lack of organization at the event, the Military flea market lived up my expectations.  Here are the artifacts that I purchased [an American grouping and a German grouping (including German-occupied Belgium)] ...

Space Attack Video Game Played On An Atari 7800 Prosystem And A General Electric Television Set

Tonight we have Space Attack.  This game was released by Mattel Electronics in 1982.  This cartridge is from my childhood days.  Who knows who bought it - most likely my elder brother.  The first part of the game is difficult to understand (the part with the mothership and the invading enemies).  The second part is awesome (the space battle).  I played this a lot in the 1980s and I have been playing it often in 2015.  This video features two tries: a win and a loss.

A very fascinating fact about the game is as follows.  The enemy spaceships are Cylon Raiders from Battlestar Gallactica.  Mattel thought that it could seal a deal with the owner(s) of Battlestar Gallactica and it never happened.  Mattel was far along with the development of the game thinking that a license could be granted (Mattel had already produced action figures for the sci-fi series).  Mattel did not acquire the license and since the game was already completed or almost completed, they continued on with the game and gave it the name Space Attack instead.

I am playing the game on an Atari 7800 ProSystem (1988).  I am back with my first 7800 system.  It seems some games are more compatible on one or the other (very similar to my experiences with records and turntables).  I did not realize until tonight that there is a dark line running through the screen as I was playing.  The television set is a General Electric Model 25GT511 (1996).  It no longer gets channels/stations and horizontal bright lines are stuck on the screen - I am used to them most the time.  It is like that in the previous three videos too.  I suppose I was too much into the games to notice.  My Mom wanted to throw it out.  I wanted to see if the television would still play VHS tapes via the VCR.  It did.  I then checked to see if the old Atari 7800 still worked.  It did ... and hours later, I played video games instead of getting stuff done around the house.

 

The url for the above video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPYGTvazMDg