Ben Selvin

Ben Selvin (March 5, 1898  – July 15, 1980), son of Russian-immigrant Jewish parents, was a musician, bandleader, record producer and innovator in recorded music. He was known as The Dean of Recorded Music.

Selvin started his professional life at age 15 as a fiddle player in New York City night clubs. A "husky" lad, he looked older than he was and as such was permitted into such establishments.

A mere six years later, as leader of his own dance band, the "Novelty Orchestra," Selvin released the biggest-selling popular song in the first quarter-century of recorded music. That single, Dardanella, eventually went on to sell more than 5 million copies and an additional 2 million pieces of sheet music.

	I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles A popular waltz of the 1920s; performed by Ben Selvin and His Novelty Orchestra (recorded 31 July 1919)
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According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Selvin recorded more musical sides (on 78-rpm discs) than any other person. One reason for this prolific output is that he recorded for dozens of different labels during this high-growth time in the industry, using a different name (or slightly different name) for each label. Selvin's output has been estimated at 13,000 to 20,000 song titles.

Ben Selvin data

• From 1927 to 1934 he was A&R Director for Columbia Records, where his many productions included scores of exceptionally well performed pop songs of the day with hot jazz solos by musicians like Manny Klein, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, and Bunny Berigan, among others. Many of these specific recordings made during this period continue to be highly collected and prized.

• During the Columbia era, he recorded under many different names including "The Broadway Nightlites", "The Knickerbockers", "The Columbians", "The Cavaliers", "Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans", "Perley Stevens and his Orchestra", "Jerry Mason and his Californians", "The Harmonians", "Rudy Marlow and his Orchestra", "Columbia Photo Players", "Frank Auburn and his Orchestra", "Kolster Dance Orchestra", "Lloyd Keating and his Music", "Earl Marlow and his Orchestra", "Ed Loyd and his Orchestra", "Ray Seeley and his Orchestra", "Sam Nash and his Orchestra", "Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra", "Johnny Walker and his Orchestra", "Chester Leighton and his Sophomores", "Wally Edwards and his Orchestra", "Roy Carroll and his Sands Point Orchestra", "Buddy Campbell and his Orchestra", "Golden Terrace Orchestra", "Bar Harbor Society Orchestra", "Ted Raph and his Orchestra", "Georgia Moonlight Serenaders", "Cloverdale Country Club Orchestra", and "Ed Parker and his Orchestra" (some of these were used on OKeh issues of sides also issued on the dime store labels; Velvet Tone, Harmony and Clarion).

• Had an instrumental part in the development of Muzak in the mid-1930s.

• Was musical director of Majestic Records beginning in 1947.

• Was a Vice-President and A&R Director (artists and repertoire) at Columbia Records in charge of the recordings of Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark in the late '40s and early '50s.

• Was an A&R Director at RCA Victor in charge of the company's popular Camden Label and served as the Musical Director for a recording in 1954 by John Serry, Sr..

• Became, post-retirement, a consultant to 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company), helping them during the transition from vinyl recordings to recordings on tape.