Before the Big Bang: Country Music Origins in the Acoustic Era, 1890-1926
Various Artists

Archeophone Records
Before the Big Bang
Before the Big Bang
September 16, 2019 hennessey

Coming in 2021

Before the Big Bang tells the story of the seminal recordings that laid the foundation for the so-called “Big Bang of Country Music”—the historic recordings made in Bristol in 1927. Before the Big Bang spans 6 CDs and features 167 recordings (many of them now one-of-a-kind) going as far back as 1890. Learn more at our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

We also have a dedicated website where you can track developments, read blog posts, and learn more about the selections as they’re revealed. The track list as revealed is below, and the “read more” icon ( ) at the end of each row will take you to the short description about that selection at the dedicated website.

Tracks and Sound SamplesBlog PostsTrailersNewsletter
 
We’ve revealing the tracklist one title at a time, with a new audio sample and illustration every day. Here are the tracks revealed to date.

 

CD 1: The Porch and the Parlor
1 – 1 Old Uncle Ned Anonymous 1890
1 – 2
1 – 3 Turkey in the Straw Billy Golden 1893
1 – 4
1 – 5
1 – 6 Hear dem Bells Brilliant Quartet 1896
1 – 7 Nearer, My God, to Thee Standard Quartette 1897
1 – 8 Sleep, Baby Sleep George P. Watson 1898
1 – 9
1 – 10 Old Black Joe Arthur Collins and George S. Williams 1900
1 – 11 The New Bully Silas Leachman 1896
1 – 12 Who Broke the Lock Cousins and DeMoss 1898
1 – 13 The Letter Edged in Black Hattie Nevada 1897
1 – 14 In the Baggage Coach Ahead Jere Mahoney 1898
1 – 15 The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee J. J. Fisher 1899
1 – 16 Ain’t That a Shame Silas Leachman 1901
1 – 17 Hello Central, Give Me Heaven Byron G. Harlan 1901
1 – 18 Ticklish Reuben Cal Stewart 1902
1 – 19 O Didn’t He Ramble Dan W. Quinn 1904
1 – 20 When the Bees Are in the Hive Macdonough and Bieling with Haydn Quartet 1905
1 – 21 The Preacher and the Bear Arthur Collins 1905
1 – 22 Monkey on a String Cal Stewart 1907
1 – 23 Old Folks at Home Corinne Morgan 1905
1 – 24 Hard Times Come Again No More Edison Quartet 1905
1 – 25 Home, Sweet Home Edison Mixed Quartet 1907
1 – 26 When You and I Were Young, Maggie Will Oakland 1908
1 – 27 Carry Me Back to Old Virginia Columbia Quartette 1907
1 – 28 De Little Old Log Cabin in de Lane Carroll C. Clark (with Vess Ossman) 1909
1 – 29 In the Sweet Bye and Bye Haydn Quartet 1908
1 – 30 The Old-Time Religion Haydn Quartet 1906
1 – 31 What a Time Polk Miller & His Old South Quartet 1909
CD 2: The Barn and the Ballroom
2 – 1 Electric Light Quadrille Issler’s Orchestra 1894-95
2 – 2 Dancing in the Barn United States Marine Band 1895-96
2 – 3 The Husking Bee Columbia Orchestra 1898
2 – 4 Patrol Comique George Schweinfest (with calls by Frank L. Embree) 1898
2 – 5 Smoky Mokes Vess L. Ossman 1899
2 – 6 Ragtime Medley Samuel Siegel 1900
2 – 7 Unknown Melody Tom Nottingham’s Ranchers 1900
2 – 8 Barn Dance from Florodora Peerless Orchestra 1901
2 – 9 Virginia Skeddadle Columbia Orchestra 1903
2 – 10
2 – 11 Irish Washerwoman Unknown Harmonica Player 1901
2 – 12 Paddy on the Turnpike James C. McAuliffe 1903
2 – 13 Bonaparte’s March H. R. Rawver [?] 1905
2 – 14 Medley of Old Time Reels Charles D’Almaine 1905
2 – 15 Medley of Reels John J. Kimmel 1906
2 – 16 Chicken Chowder Ossman-Dudley Trio 1907
2 – 17 Manzanillo (Mexican Serenade) Valentine Abt and Roy Butin 1908
2 – 18 Sterling Castle and Harvest Home William Craig 1909
2 – 19 Original Jigs and Reels George Stehl 1910
2 – 20 I’m Alabama Bound Prince’s Orchestra 1910
2 – 21 Dixie Medley Fred Van Eps 1911
2 – 22
2 – 23 Mrs. McLeod’s Reel Don Richardson 1916
2 – 24 The Hooking Cow Blues Handy’s Orchestra of Memphis 1917
2 – 25 My Honolulu Hula Girl Louise, Ferera & Greenus Trio 1918
2 – 26 Laughing Rag Sam Moore and Horace Davis 1921
2 – 27 Hayseed Rag The Dizzy Trio 1924
2 – 28 Right or Wrong Gene Rodemich’s Orchestra 1921
2 – 29
CD 3: The Farm and the Factory
3 – 1 Uncle Josh’s Invitation to the City Folks Cal Stewart 1899
3 – 2 When Reuben Comes To Town Dan W. Quinn 1900
3 – 3 Dese Bones Shall Rise Again Minstrels 1903
3 – 4 Arkansaw Traveler Len Spencer 1908
3 – 5 Rabbit Hash Billy Golden 1908
3 – 6 Mariar Clarice Vance 1908
3 – 7 You Ain’t Talking to Me Ed. Morton 1909
3 – 8
3 – 9 Don’t Go Down in the Mine, Dad Stanley Kirkby 1910
3 – 10 Casey Jones Billy Murray 1910
3 – 11 Two Rubes Swapping Horses Steve Porter and Edward Meeker 1910
3 – 12
3 – 13 They Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dawg Aroun’ Byron G. Harlan 1912
3 – 14 Cheyenne Billy Murray 1906
3 – 15 Ragtime Cowboy Joe Bob Roberts 1912
3 – 16 Frankie and Johnny Gene Greene (with Charley Straight) 1912
3 – 17 Old Country Fiddler at the Dance Charles Ross Taggart 1916
3 – 18 Are You from Dixie? (‘Cause I’m from Dixie Too) Irving Kaufman and Billy Murray 1915
3 – 19
3 – 20 Long Boy Byron G. Harlan with the Peerless Quartet 1917
3 – 21 How ‘Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm? (After They’ve Seen Paree) Nora Bayes 1918
3 – 22 Lovesick Blues Irving Kaufman 1922
3 – 23 Chattanooga Blues Ida Cox 1923
3 – 24
3 – 25 Don’t You Quit Me Daddy Sara Martin’s Jug Band 1924
3 – 26 Mail Man Blues Lee Morse 1924
CD 4: The Sing and the Schoolhouse
4 – 1 Just Tell My Mother Adjt. Edward Taylor 1897
4 – 2 The Mountain Climber The Graus Duo 1897
4 – 3 Cillerthal Graus Mountain Choir 1897
4 – 4 William J. Bryan’s Cross Of Gold Speech Len Spencer 1896-97
4 – 5 Annie Laurie George J. Gaskin 1898
4 – 6 Darling Nellie Gray J. W. Myers 1903
4 – 7 Dixie Byron G. Harlan and Frank C. Stanley 1904
4 – 8 Lasca Edgar L. Davenport 1909
4 Р9 Una Noche de Alegria Octaviano Ya̱ez 1909
4 – 10 Banjo Song Rev. J. A. Myers 1908
4 – 11 Lord Bateman Joseph Taylor 1908
4 – 12 The Foggy Dew John McCormack 1913
4 – 13 The Girl I Left Behind Me Columbia Stellar Quartette 1913
4 – 14 Aloha ‘oe Toots Paka’s Hawaiians 1913
4 – 15 Listen to the Mocking Bird Joe Belmont 1914
4 – 16 O Mary, Don’t You Weep, Don’t You Mourn Fisk University Jubilee Quartet 1915
4 – 17 Old Dan Tucker Harry C. Browne 1916
4 – 18 The Gallows Tree Bentley Ball 1919
4 – 19 Bangum and the Boar Bentley Ball 1919
4 – 20 The Train I Ride R. W. Gordon field recording (anon. Californian 1) 1920-23
4 – 21 Jump Jim Crow R. W. Gordon field recording (anon. Californian 2) 1920-23
4 – 22
4 – 23
4 – 24 Old Granny Hare William Ernest Bird 1925
4 – 25 Easter Anthem Original Sacred Harp Choir 1922
4 – 26 Antioch L. M. Original Sacred Harp Choir 1922
4 – 27 Whoopee Ti Yi Yo Wilfred Glenn and Shannon Quartet 1923
4 – 28 I’ve Been Workin’ on de Railroad Shannon Quartet 1923
4 – 29 Barbara Allen Royal Dadmun 1922
4 – 30 A Roundup Lullaby Royal Dadmun 1923
4 – 31
CD 5: From Shire to Shellac (Tunes)
5 – 1 Medley of Irish Jigs Michael Coleman 1921
5 – 2 The Union Reel Patrolman Frank Quinn 1922
5 – 3 Turkey in the Straw Henry Gilliland and Eck Robertson 1922
5 – 4
5 – 5 Arkansaw Traveler William B. Houchens 1922
5 – 6 The Opera Reel Jasper Bisbee 1923
5 – 7 Durang Hornpipe John Baltzell 1923
5 – 8 Rain Crow Bill Blues Henry Whitter 1923
5 – 9 Bonaparte’s Retreat A. A. Gray 1924
5 – 10 Old Catville Quadrille Col. John A. Pattee 1924
5 – 11
5 – 12 Kitty Puss Land Norris 1924
5 – 13 Chicken Reel E. F. “Poss” Acree 1924
5 – 14 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss Samantha Bumgarner 1924
5 – 15 Cumberland Gap Uncle “Am” Stuart (banjo by Gene Austin) 1924
5 – 16 Soldier’s Joy Sid Harkreader and Uncle Dave Macon 1924
5 – 17 The Rocky Road to Dublin Allen Sisson 1925
5 – 18 Royal Clog Ernest Helton 1925
5 – 19 The Cackling Hen J. D. Harris 1925
5 – 20
5 – 21 Callahan’s Reel Fiddlin’ Powers and Family 1924
5 – 22
5 – 23 Sally Ann The Hill Billies 1925
5 – 24 Silver Bell McMichen’s Home Town Band 1925
5 – 25 Snow Dear Jimmie Wilson’s Catfish String Band 1925
CD 6: From Holler to Horn (Songs)
6 – 1 Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray Vaughan Quartet 1921
6 – 2 The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane Fiddlin’ John Carson 1923
6 – 3 The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster’s Going to Crow Fiddlin’ John Carson 1923
6 – 4 It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ Wendell Hall 1923
6 – 5 The Wreck on the Southern Old 97 Henry Whitter 1923
6 – 6 Lonesome Road Blues Henry Whitter 1923
6 – 7 Rock All Our Babies to Sleep Riley Puckett 1924
6 – 8 I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground Bascom Lamar Lunsford 1924
6 – 9 Cindy in the Meadows Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis 1924
6 – 10 Life’s Railway to Heaven George Reneau (with Gene Austin) 1924
6 – 11
6 – 12 Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy Uncle Dave Macon 1924
6 – 13 Old Joe Clark Fiddlin’ Powers and Family (with Carson Robison) 1924
6 – 14 Weeping Willow Tree Ernest Thompson 1924
6 – 15 The Prisoner’s Song Vernon Dalhart 1924
6 – 16 The Runaway Train Vernon Dalhart 1925
6 – 17
6 – 18 Boll Weevil Blues Gid Tanner 1925
6 – 19 Anytime Emmett Miller 1924
6 – 20 Little Mary Phagan Rosa Lee Carson 1925
6 – 21 Butcher’s Boy Kelly Harrell 1925
6 – 22
6 – 23 Worried Blues Frank Hutchison 1926
6 – 24 May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight Mister Ernest Stoneman 1926
6 – 25 The Sinking of the Titanic The Blue Ridge Mountaineer (Ernest Stoneman) 1926

 
Our Before the Big Bang website has blog posts dedicated to the artists and content featured on the reissue. So far, we’ve discussed the issue of “firsts” in country music, how we’ve organized the playlist and some of the misconceptions about acoustic-era artists.

 

Trailer 1: Meet the Artists
 

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