Press Releases

September 15, 2016

Earliest Recording Of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Discovered On Wax Cylinder By Grammy-Winning Archeophone Records

Made in 1894 by African-American Singing Group the Standard Quartette, It Will Be Featured on “Waxing the Gospel” Compilation, Coming Sep. 30th

CHAMPAIGN, IL (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016) — Check twice before you have your trash hauled away. That’s the lesson from Archeophone Records (www.archeophone.com), which today announced the discovery of the oldest known recording of the seminal African-American spiritual, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Found on a badly preserved wax cylinder made in 1894, the record was barely decipherable and sold as scrap from one collector to another. But Archeophone co-principal Richard Martin identified the sounds, and now after careful restoration, the track will be one of 102 selections on the book and CD compilation, Waxing the Gospel: Mass Evangelism and the Phonograph, 1890-1900, which will be released on September 30, 2016 via all major physical and online retailers, as well as the label’s website. (read full release | download PDF)

August 22, 2016

Fanny Crosby’s Voice Discovered On Wax Cylinder By Grammy-Winning Archeophone Records

America’s Most Famous Hymn Writer, Thought Never to Have Recorded, to Be Featured on “Waxing the Gospel” Compilation, Coming Sep. 30th

CHAMPAIGN, IL (MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016) — Archeophone Records (www.archeophone.com) today announced that it has discovered the first and only known recording in existence of legendary blind hymn writer Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby in a batch of field recordings made in 1897. Meticulously transferred and restored, the audio track will be one of 102 selections on Archeophone’s highly-anticipated book and CD compilation, Waxing the Gospel: Mass Evangelism and the Phonograph, 1890-1900, which will be released on September 30, 2016 via all major brick and mortar and online retailers, as well as the label’s website. (read full release | download PDF)