HARRY CHAMPION Ginger You're Balmy / Matilda Columbia Rena 1490 Music Hall 78
£
20
$
26
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
EDWARDIAN COCKNEY MUSIC HALL COMEDY (c. 1910)
Harry Champion — Comic, With Orchestra Accompaniment
A Highly Collectible, Scarce Pre-WWI Dark Blue & Gold Columbia-Rena Record Pressing Delivering Two Peerless Up-Tempo Comedic Masterpieces.
OVERVIEW:
An exceptionally rare, premium survival of early British entertainment history, capturing the definitive Cockney Music Hall star Harry Champion at the height of his theatrical fame. Known for his rapid-fire, high-energy lyrical delivery, Champion is backed here by a full period studio orchestra. This specific Columbia-Rena release captures the vibrant social wit of London's Edwardian theatres, making it an essential centerpiece for specialized historical archives.
THE SIDES & PERFORMANCE CREDITS:
Side A: "GINGER, YOU'RE BALMY"
Context & Composition: Composed by the celebrated Music Hall songwriter Fred Murray. Recorded under British Matrix 27177 (photograph "1000027911.jpg").
The Performance: A legendary, hyper-tempo comedic standard. Champion delivers the witty, colloquial verses with his iconic, rhythmic precision and breathless enthusiasm, perfectly supported by punchy brass and woodwind orchestration.
Side B: "DON'T DO IT AGAIN, MATILDA"
Context & Composition: Also penned by Fred Murray. Recorded under British Matrix 27176 (photograph "1000027913.jpg").
The Performance: A wonderfully frantic, narrative-driven comic song full of Champion's signature music hall characterization, energetic cadence, and traditional London humor.
AUDIO FIDELITY RECORDING ADVISORY:
Please note that this item is currently listed without video to ensure immediate market availability. A high-fidelity, 58-second direct-to-stylus digital video clip demonstrating the tracking stability, surface audio profile, and clean musical clarity of this specific Edwardian disc will be uploaded and attached directly to this listing shortly.
CONDITION REPORT:
Shellac / Grooves (Very Good - VG): As shown in the full-disc views in photographs , the antique shellac retains a surprisingly good level of its original deep luster. The playing surfaces show an honest amount of cosmetic surface marks, light hairline scuffs, and superficial micro-rubs consistent with a well-loved 115-year-old record. The grooves are structurally sound, with no deep stylus needle digs, cracks, or outer edge chips. It remains a very sturdy, highly playable collector's copy.
Labels (Good+ / Very Good): The classic dark blue and gold Columbia-Rena labels retain vibrant color and highly legible gold lettering. As is common with records from this era played on heavy gramophones, there is visible paper tracking wear and center-hole paper tearing around the spindle area on both sides (visible in photographs"). This is purely cosmetic and does not impact the stability of the disc.
SHIPPING, PACKAGING & PROTECTION:
The disc is sandwiched between corrugated cardboard and wrapped in bubble wrap. This is then placed inside a double-skin box filled with packing void to prevent movement and provide maximum protection.
Carefully packed and promptly dispatched.
price rating
