Bob Roberts - He Walked Right In Turned Around And Walked Right Out Again (1906)
Old Movies and Music
2023-02-27
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Bob Roberts
"He Walked Right In, Turned Around And Walked Right Out Again"
Victor 4816
1906
Words by Ed Rose
Music by Maxwell Silver
Bob Roberts was born on April 27, 1879, in Cincinnati as Robert A. Roberts.
He became known to record buyers as Bob Roberts or Ragtime Bob Roberts. His father was Nicholas Roberts, proprietor of the Nick Roberts' Pantomime Company (he had emigrated from Germany). In his youth Bob traveled extensively with shows.
He apparently made his recording debut in 1902 with Columbia, cutting performances issued on early Columbia discs (seven-inch as well as ten-inch), black wax cylinders, and brown wax cylinders (the company continued to use brown wax for over a year after introducing its molded cylinders in February 1902).
He was most successful with comic numbers, especially "coon" songs. He covered for some companies material that Arthur Collins and Billy Murray covered for others. Though known for comic songs, he recorded a few plantation-type numbers such as "Old Log Cabin in the Lane" (Victor 4458).
His first Edison records, made in late 1903, were issued in February 1904. One of the two cylinders is Edison Standard 8617, which features Roberts singing Theodore Morse's "The Woodchuck Song," which asks in its chorus, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
Billy Murray recorded this for Victor on September 29, 1903--an example of Roberts and Murray cutting the same material for competing companies. They began recording within a year of each other. Roberts was first (with Columbia) though Murray had been making Edison cylinders for several months before Roberts worked for Edison. Edison executives probably viewed Roberts as an easy substitute for or alternative to Murray.
In March 1904, the Edison company issued Roberts singing Tom Lemonier's "I'm Just Barely Living That's All" (8644), which Roberts also recorded for Victor on January 11, 1904 (2623).
Roberts was most popular on records from 1903 to 1907, his work being issued on major disc and cylinder labels as well as small ones such as Aretino, Busy Bee, Indestructible, D & R, and U-S Everlasting. He recorded often for Victor, beginning on October 1, 1903, and also for its subsidiary record label, Zon-o-phone (he began in early 1904 with nine-inch records).
Recording activity dropped off after 1908. One of his most rare recordings is from late 1909. Columbia's matrix 4168 is "Heins is Pickled Again," never issued commercially. From 1909 to 1912 he worked only occasionally for Edison, Columbia, and Victor. In 1910 he cut titles for two small companies that made some of the first vertical-cut discs--Princess discs were made by the Sapphire Record & Talking Machine Company, and Phono-Cut discs were made by Boston Talking Machine Company.
He cut "Woodman, Woodman, Spare That Tree" from the Follies of 1911 for Victor 16909. In 1912 Roberts cut the popular "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" (Victor 17090).
"He Walked Right In, Turned Around And Walked Right Out Again"
Victor 4816
1906
Words by Ed Rose
Music by Maxwell Silver
Bob Roberts was born on April 27, 1879, in Cincinnati as Robert A. Roberts.
He became known to record buyers as Bob Roberts or Ragtime Bob Roberts. His father was Nicholas Roberts, proprietor of the Nick Roberts' Pantomime Company (he had emigrated from Germany). In his youth Bob traveled extensively with shows.
He apparently made his recording debut in 1902 with Columbia, cutting performances issued on early Columbia discs (seven-inch as well as ten-inch), black wax cylinders, and brown wax cylinders (the company continued to use brown wax for over a year after introducing its molded cylinders in February 1902).
He was most successful with comic numbers, especially "coon" songs. He covered for some companies material that Arthur Collins and Billy Murray covered for others. Though known for comic songs, he recorded a few plantation-type numbers such as "Old Log Cabin in the Lane" (Victor 4458).
His first Edison records, made in late 1903, were issued in February 1904. One of the two cylinders is Edison Standard 8617, which features Roberts singing Theodore Morse's "The Woodchuck Song," which asks in its chorus, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
Billy Murray recorded this for Victor on September 29, 1903--an example of Roberts and Murray cutting the same material for competing companies. They began recording within a year of each other. Roberts was first (with Columbia) though Murray had been making Edison cylinders for several months before Roberts worked for Edison. Edison executives probably viewed Roberts as an easy substitute for or alternative to Murray.
In March 1904, the Edison company issued Roberts singing Tom Lemonier's "I'm Just Barely Living That's All" (8644), which Roberts also recorded for Victor on January 11, 1904 (2623).
Roberts was most popular on records from 1903 to 1907, his work being issued on major disc and cylinder labels as well as small ones such as Aretino, Busy Bee, Indestructible, D & R, and U-S Everlasting. He recorded often for Victor, beginning on October 1, 1903, and also for its subsidiary record label, Zon-o-phone (he began in early 1904 with nine-inch records).
Recording activity dropped off after 1908. One of his most rare recordings is from late 1909. Columbia's matrix 4168 is "Heins is Pickled Again," never issued commercially. From 1909 to 1912 he worked only occasionally for Edison, Columbia, and Victor. In 1910 he cut titles for two small companies that made some of the first vertical-cut discs--Princess discs were made by the Sapphire Record & Talking Machine Company, and Phono-Cut discs were made by Boston Talking Machine Company.
He cut "Woodman, Woodman, Spare That Tree" from the Follies of 1911 for Victor 16909. In 1912 Roberts cut the popular "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" (Victor 17090).
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