Aretino Records
Encyclopedia
Aretino was a United States
record label
, in business from about 1907
to 1914
.
Aretino was started by Arthur J. O’Neill, who was linked to several Chicago
-area record and phonograph operations. O’Neill named this company in honor of Guido Aretino, an 11th-century Italian
monk. Aretino is an oddity
distinguished by its records' spindle hole, the largest ever produced for commercial purposes. It was a premium scheme, similar to many of O’Neill’s operations, in that a phonograph
machine was offered cheaply; however, this phonograph could only play Aretino records because it came with a 3-inch spindle. O’Neill also offered adapters for Aretino discs that allowed them to be played on phonographs with a standard spindle, or even on a Busy Bee machine (another O’Neill operation) with its extra spindle hole.
Aretino did not produce any of its own recordings, but it leased masters from other companies. The first series of Aretino records were a single-sided A-prefix sequence that originated from Leeds & Catlin. This supplier also manufactured a double-sided D-prefix series which is scarce. After Leeds & Catlin was shut down by courts for patent infringement, production was moved briefly to Hawthorne & Sheble and Zonophone
, continuing as an A-prefix single sided series. Soon afterwards, Columbia
became the sole supplier. These D-prefix double-sided discs numbering above 500 are the most commonly found. Columbia also produced an A-prefix series and a 12-inch double-sided series. Aretino ceased operations in 1914.
The music that appeared on Aretino label was typical of the period. Henry Burr
, William F. Denny
, Byron G. Harlan
, Ada Jones
, Billy Murray
, Vess Ossman
, Steve Porter
, Cal Stewart
, and Bert Williams
among many other early recording pioneers had their recordings leased to Aretino.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, in business from about 1907
1907 in music
-Events:*February 21 - Frederick Delius's opera A Village Romeo and Juliet is premiered in Berlin.* General Porfirio Díaz legendarily orders a mariachi band to wear upper-class clothing when they played for the visiting United States Secretary of State Elihu Root; this is the beginning of modern...
to 1914
1914 in music
-Events:*October 15 - In Rovigo, Beniamino Gigli makes his operatic debut in Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda.*The first recorded calypso music is made in Trinidad and Tobago.*First publication of Orchestration, the classic book by Cecil Forsyth....
.
Aretino was started by Arthur J. O’Neill, who was linked to several Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-area record and phonograph operations. O’Neill named this company in honor of Guido Aretino, an 11th-century Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
monk. Aretino is an oddity
Unusual types of gramophone records
The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes , playback speeds , and appearance...
distinguished by its records' spindle hole, the largest ever produced for commercial purposes. It was a premium scheme, similar to many of O’Neill’s operations, in that a phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
machine was offered cheaply; however, this phonograph could only play Aretino records because it came with a 3-inch spindle. O’Neill also offered adapters for Aretino discs that allowed them to be played on phonographs with a standard spindle, or even on a Busy Bee machine (another O’Neill operation) with its extra spindle hole.
Aretino did not produce any of its own recordings, but it leased masters from other companies. The first series of Aretino records were a single-sided A-prefix sequence that originated from Leeds & Catlin. This supplier also manufactured a double-sided D-prefix series which is scarce. After Leeds & Catlin was shut down by courts for patent infringement, production was moved briefly to Hawthorne & Sheble and Zonophone
Zonophone
Zonophone, early on also rendered as Zon-O-Phone was a record label founded in 1899 in Camden, New Jersey by Frank Seaman. The Zonophone name was not that of the company, but was applied to the records and machines sold by Seaman from 1899-1900 to 1903...
, continuing as an A-prefix single sided series. Soon afterwards, Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
became the sole supplier. These D-prefix double-sided discs numbering above 500 are the most commonly found. Columbia also produced an A-prefix series and a 12-inch double-sided series. Aretino ceased operations in 1914.
The music that appeared on Aretino label was typical of the period. Henry Burr
Henry Burr
Henry Burr was a Canadian singer of popular songs from the early 20th century, an early radio performer and producer...
, William F. Denny
William F. Denny
William F. Denny was an American vaudeville performer and pioneer recording artist.-Biography:William F. Denny was born in late 1859 or more likely in 1860 in Boston, born to James and Elizabeth Denny. He gained fame performing on vaudeville stages, specializing in comic numbers...
, Byron G. Harlan
Byron G. Harlan
Byron G. Harlan was an American singer from Kansas, a comic minstrel singer and balladeer who often recorded with Arthur Collins. The two together were often billed as "Collins & Harlan".-Solo recordings:1899...
, Ada Jones
Ada Jones
Ada Jones was a popular mezzo-soprano who recorded from 1905 to the early 1920s. She was born in Lancashire, England but moved with her family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of six in 1879...
, Billy Murray
Billy Murray
Billy Murray may refer to:* Billy Murray , British actor* Billy Murray , American baseball manager* Billy Murray , Irish American singer* Billy Murray , American boxer-See also:...
, Vess Ossman
Vess Ossman
Vess Ossman was a leading 5-string banjoist and popular recording artist of the early 20th century.-Biography:...
, Steve Porter
Stephen Porter (singer)
Steve Porter was a pioneer recording artist, recording prolifically for numerous recording companies in the 1890s and early 1900s. Mr. Porter's recording career began as a more serious baritone, but by the middle of the first decade of the 20th century, had established himself as a comic artist. ...
, Cal Stewart
Cal Stewart
Cal Stewart was a pioneer in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played "Uncle Josh" Weathersby, a resident of a mythical New England farming town called "Punkin Center."Born in Charlotte County, Virginia in 1856, Stewart spent his...
, and Bert Williams
Bert Williams
Egbert Austin "Bert" Williams was one of the preeminent entertainers of the Vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. He was by far the best-selling black recording artist before 1920...
among many other early recording pioneers had their recordings leased to Aretino.
See also
- Unusual types of gramophone recordsUnusual types of gramophone recordsThe overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes , playback speeds , and appearance...
- United Records (1910s)United Records (1910s)United Records operated in the years before World War I. The label was owned by the United Talking Machine Company of Chicago, Illinois, which produced the double-sided lateral cut disc records with an unusually large spindle hole , and wind-up phonographs with large spindles for playing the...
- Standard Talking Machine CompanyStandard Talking Machine CompanyThe Standard Talking Machine Company was an American record label that was created in October 1901 and operated until March 1918. The Chicago, Illinois based company produced several models of phonographs from Columbia Records parts and issued single-sided and double-sided disc records from...
- List of record labels