MUSIC OF THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR ERA
by Jack L. McSherry, Jr.
Editors note: We have received several questions about the song they sang in the miniseries "The Rough Riders". Click Here for the answer!
At the time of the Spanish-American War, popular music was sold primarily as sheet music for the piano and parlor singing. To allow people to hear new songs, and therefore want to purchase them, the sheet music companies would hire promoters to go out to public locations and perform the music. Some of these people became very popular musicians and singers. Other songs were promoted by nationwide tours of composer/performers. Some of the most popular musicians of the era were Arthur Collins, George Gaskin, George W. Johnson, Harry MacDonough, Vess Ossman, Steve Porter, Dan Quinn, John Philip Sousa, Len Spencer and Cal Stewart .
Another way for the public to hear the new music was through the Berliner Gramophone. This machine, invented by Emile Berliner of Washington, D. C., played music from flat discs. Berliner first registered the trademark of a dog listening to a horned gramophone, which was later used by the Victor Talking Machine Company. The founder of Victor, Eldridge L. Johnson, had worked for Berliner before starting his own firm. Other recording instruments available were Thomas Edison's Phonograph, and the Bell-Tainter Graphophone. These machines recorded on cylinders rather than disks.
Many of the artists of the day recorded music for these machines. The popular band of John Philip Sousa recorded some of his marches on the Berliner discs, although Sousa would let one of his leading musicians conduct the band for these sessions because he did not believe in recorded music! It was during this era that New York's "Tin Pan Alley" evolved. This was an area in the city where song writers worked at writing music. Ragtime, a forefather of Jazz, was becoming popular in the late '90s. Among the early Ragtime artists were Vess Ossman and Scott Joplin.
Some of the most popular songs of the era were:
"(There'll be) A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" (probably written by Joe Hayden and Theodore A. Metz) - This famous song was actually written for use in minstrel shows, as is obvious from the style. It was very popular during the Spanish American War and was a favorite of Roosevelt's Rough Riders. The Spanish and Cubans heard this song so often some thought it was the American National Anthem!
"After the Ball" (Charles K. Harris, from the 1892 musical extravanga "A Trip to Chinatown") - Sousa played this tune daily at the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893. It is considered one of the most successful songs of all time.
"El Capitan March" (John Philip Sousa) - This song was played by the USFS OLYMPIA Brass Band as the Asiatic Squadron steamed out of Mirs Bay, headed for Manila Bay and destiny.
"The Laughing Song" - The Laughing Song was actually entitled,"I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough". The popular name evolved because the chorus consisted only of very infectious laughter. Sung by several different artists, probably the most popular version was by George W. Johnson.
"My Wild Irish Rose" (Chaucey Olcott) - Olcott was a matinee idol who introduced this song in his show "A Romance of Athlone."
"On the Banks of the Wabash" (Paul Dresser)
"Stars & Stripes Forever" (John Philip Sousa) - Stars and Stripes Forever was first played in concert by the Sousa Band in Philadelphia on May, 14 1897.
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady"
"Washington Post March" (John Philip Sousa)- When written by Sousa in 1889, this song started an international dance craze!
Listed below are some of the songs known to have been played and\or sung aboard the US Flagship OLYMPIA. The OLYMPIA's Brass Band was under the direction of Band Master Michele Valifuoco.
Admiral's March ||| American (A march by Ripley) ||| Amorita ||| Auld Lang Syne
Dancing
in the Barn ||| El Capitan ||| God Save the Queen ||| Home Sweet Home
Independence
March ||| Indian War ||| La Fiesta ||| La Paloma ||| La souveraine
Liberty Bell March |||
Ma Voisine Polka ||| Nancy Lee ||| On the Beautiful Rhine
On the Bowery ||| Papa's Baby
Boy Waltz ||| Plantation Songs ||| Quanto io T'amo
Remembrance of Naples ||| Robin
Hood ||| Salvation Army ||| Star Spangled Banner
Suwanee River ||| There'll be a Hot
Time in the Old Town Tonight ||| Ugo Conte do Parigi
Under the Double Eagle March |||
Visions of Paradise ||| War Songs of the Boys in Blue
Yankee Doodle
Sources used for this information (see Bibliography for full source list)
Agay, Denes, "Best Loved Songs of the American People", New York: Doubleday, 1975.
Dewey, Adelbert, "The Life and Letters of Admiral Dewey", New York: The Woolfall Co., 1899.
Gracyk, Tim, "Berliners: The Earliest Discs, 1882-1900"
Holloway, A., "Hero Tales of the American Soldier and Sailor", Philadelphia: Elliott Publishing Co., 1899.
Sternlicht, Joseph L., "McKinley's Bulldog: The Battleship Oregon", Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1977.
West, Richard S., Jr., "Admirals of American Empire", New York: The Bobbs Merrill Co., 1948.
Wozniak, Steve A.,"Popular Songs 1895-1939"
Young, Louis Stanley, (editor). "Bounding Billow", August - September 1898 issue. Ship's newspaper, USFS OLYMPIA.
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