Dardanella

Dardanella is the title of the played by Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Instrumental Hits of 1920, who passed as the first single, the limit of 3 million copies sold.

Genesis

A trained violinist Ben Selvin was the son of Russian emigrants. In July 1919 he received a recording contract with Victor after he had put together a six- piece orchestra. Under the name of Ben Selvin 's Novelty Orchestra, he created his first three shots on 18 July 1919 of which was released as the first single I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles in October 1919, and penetrated up to the first place of the pop charts. The next admission date November 20, 1919 Dardanella / My Iceland Of Golden Dreams, Victor emerged then as the third single in January 1920 published (Victor # 18633 ).

The genesis of the A-side Dardanella is very unusual. Born on September 30, 1875 in Cologne and in the United States who emigrated Fred Fisher in 1900 had heard a piano instrumental piece titled Turkish Tom - Tom after starting on July 1, 1919 Prohibition, which the composer Felix Bernard for $ 100 had sold to Johnny S. Black. Fisher integrated in this composition an ostinato bass and named the piece in Dardanella (based on the Dardanelles ) to. Together with lyricist Joseph McCarthy then let Fisher secure the copyright. As this, the sheet music were sold, Felix Bernard sued the German -born Fisher for fraud. Fisher was playing live in court the ostinato bass and was able to convince the judge that it was not plagiarized it. In a later process then had to pay about $ 12,000 to Johnny S. Black, he could get over royalties given the magnitude of around $ 1 million Fisher. Musically, the instrumental was classified as a pop - dance music, but can be classified due to the continuous ostinato run as a precursor of Boogie Woogie.

Million Sellers

During the process sequencing Dardanella was already proceeded to the first place of the charts, where the plate for 13 weeks remained. After a short time she had already implemented more than 3 million copies and was the biggest selling million-seller that time. Finally Dardanella achieved a total turnover of 6.5 million records; additionally more than 2 million Sheet music were still sold thereof. Dardanella Fisher brought a round $ 1 million and was his most successful composition. In 1920, then appeared from Gladys Rice & Vernon Dalhart the vocal version with Fisher's text. Johnny S. Black had Paperdoll composed, however, the success of which he did not live because of his premature death.

Cover versions

Even in 1920 came other three cover versions that could be placed in the charts. Overall, ASCAP lists 32 versions thereof. Meanwhile, registered as a lyricist Fred Fisher and as a composer Felix Bernard and Johnny Black at ASCAP.

Ben Selvins career

Selvin had become thus the most successful artists in Victor. He must at that time have been a busy artist, because " he conducts his Selvin Orchestra at New York's Moulin Rouge, the, Bar Harbor Society Orchestra 'and the' Broadway Syncopators ' ... ". Selvin brought out a total of over 9,000 records 1919-1963, which he placed under 39 different names on several record companies. At his retirement at the age of 65 years he received on 14 March 1963, a gold record the RCA Victor Company.