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1905–1922 · Victor, Edison, Columbia

Ada Jones

The first woman to become a recording star in her own right.

Ada Jones arrived just as recording technology stopped mangling the female voice, and she made the most of it. English-born and Philadelphia-raised, she worked in character — Irish, Italian, Bowery, child — in a way that reads as period-bound now but was the commercial engine of the comic song. Her duets with Billy Murray were among the biggest sellers of the 1900s and 1910s.

30 recordings · New York

Transfers from original discs and cylinders held by the Internet Archive. Dates and titles as given in the archive's metadata.

19051

Transmission

1 January

1905

A Picnic for Two

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

1 min

Internet Archive · 78_a-picnic-for-two_ada-jones_gbia0066252a

19063

Transmission

1 January

1906

Good-A-Bye John

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_good-a-bye-john_len-spencer-ada-jones_gbia0203576a

Transmission

1 January

1906

It's All Right in the Summer Time

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_its-all-right-in-the-summer-time_ada-jones_gbia0313686a

Transmission

1 January

1906

Louie and Lena

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_louie-and-lena_miss-ada-jones-and-mr-len-spencer_gbia0341124a

19072

Transmission

1 January

1907

Becky and Issy; Yiddish Courtship

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_becky-and-issy-yiddish-courtship_ada-jones-and-len-spencer_gbia0301233a

Transmission

1 January

1907

Mariutch at Coney Isle

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_mariutch-at-coney-isle_ada-jones-and-len-spencer_gbia0418734a

19082

Transmission

1 January

1908

I Want to Be a Merry, Merry Widow

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_i-want-to-be-a-merry-merry-widow_ada-jones_gbia0451711a

Transmission

11 August

1908

I've Got Rings on My Fingers

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_ive-got-rings-on-my-fingers_ada-jones-blanche-ring-scott_gbia0363078a

19094

Transmission

1 May

1909

A PICTURE OF LONG AGO

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_a-picture-of-long-ago_ada-jones-and-len-spencer_gbia0446650a

Transmission

1 January

1909

Good-Bye Mollie Brown

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_good-bye-mollie-brown_ada-jones-jerome_gbia0363078b

Transmission

1 January

1909

I'LL BE THERE WITH BELLS ON

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_ill-be-there-with-bells-on_ada-jones-morse_gbia0364352a

Transmission

1 January

1909

I've Got Rings on My Fingers (or Mumbo Jumbo Jijjiboo J. O'Shea)

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_ive-got-rings-on-my-fingers-or-mumbo-jumbo-jijjiboo-j-oshea_ada-jones_gbia0300615a

19106

Transmission

1 January

1910

Bronco Bob And His Little Cheyenne

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_bronco-bob-and-his-little-cheyenne_ada-jones-and-len-spencer_gbia0297930a

Transmission

1 January

1910

I MISS YOU HONEY, MISS YOU ALL THE TIME

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

1 min

Internet Archive · 78_i-miss-you-honey-miss-you-all-the-time_ada-jones-and-chorus_gbia0297949b

Transmission

1 January

1910

I Want A Little Corner In Your Heart

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_i-want-a-little-corner-in-your-heart_ada-jones_gbia0276971a

Transmission

1 January

1910

I'll Do As I Please

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_ill-do-as-i-please_ada-jones_gbia0276971b

Transmission

1 January

1910

OH, YOU CANDY KID

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_oh-you-candy-kid_ada-jones_gbia0400129a

Transmission

1 January

1910

PEACHES AND CREAM

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_peaches-and-cream_miss-ada-jones-and-mr-len-spencer_gbia0298108b

19112

Transmission

12 May

1911

All Alone

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_all-alone_ada-jones-and-billy-murray_gbia0030601a

Transmission

2 August

1911

KNOCK WOOD

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

2 min

Internet Archive · 78_knock-wood_ada-jones-and-walter-van-brunt_gbia0297903b

19122

Transmission

1 January

1912

I LIVE UPTOWN

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_i-live-uptown_ada-jones-and-walter-van-brunt_gbia0438705a

Transmission

1 January

1912

I'M AFRAID, PRETTY MAID, I'M AFRAID

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_im-afraid-pretty-maid-im-afraid_ada-jones-and-walter-van-brunt_gbia0289422a

19131

Transmission

1 December

1913

PUSSY CAT RAG

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_pussy-cat-rag_ada-jones-and-standard-quartette_gbia0477279b

19151

Transmission

1 July

1915

HE'D KEEP ON SAYING GOOD-NIGHT.

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_hed-keep-on-saying-good-night_ada-jones-will-c-robbins-breuer_gbia3034065b

19161

Transmission

1 January

1916

If I Knock the "L" Out of Kelly It Would Still Be Kelly to Me

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_if-i-knock-the-l-out-of-kelly-it-would-still-be-kelly-to-me_ada-jones-bert-grant_gbia0083470b

19181

Transmission

1 January

1918

I'll Take You Back To Italy

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_ill-take-you-back-to-italy_ada-jones-and-billy-murray-irving-berlin_gbia0083502b

19191

Transmission

1 January

1919

Oh! Lawdy (Something's Done Got Between Ebecaneezer and Me)

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_oh-lawdy-somethings-done-got-between-ebecaneezer-and-me_ada-jones-creamer-layto_gbia0083400a

19202

Transmission

1 January

1920

Backyard Conversation Between Mrs. Reilly and Mrs. Finnegan

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

3 min

Internet Archive · 78_backyard-conversation-between-mrs-reilly-and-mrs-finnegan_ada-jones-and-steve-por_gbia0192388a

Transmission

1 January

1920

Put On Your Slippers, You're In For The Night

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

4 min

Internet Archive · 78_put-on-your-slippers-youre-in-for-the-night_ada-jones-seymour-furman_gbia3017990a

19211

Transmission

1 January

1921

Flanagan's Night Off

Network

Victor, Edison, Columbia

Running time

4 min

Internet Archive · 78_flanagans-night-off_ada-jones-and-steve-porter_gbia0083620b