75 year old recording of The Victors
After listening to my copy of A Toast to Yost from Coast to Coast while doing some work, I figured I'd share this bit with everyone.
First of all, the thing I just mentioned is the big retirement event that U-M threw for Fielding Yost when he retired from his spot of athletic director after 1940-41.
The event was held at Michigan's first basketball "arena", Waterman Gymnasium and was broadcast on national airwaves. This was a huge deal.
Willie Heston (THE Willie Heston) and Tom Harmon both had speeches. It's a really cool thing that I couldn't believe I got my hands on. If you ever are at Bentley Library, check it out.
The Michigan Marching Band and glee club performed. Below is a 75 year old rendition of The Victors. It's the oldest version I've personally heard, and I've heard some old ones going back to about the 50s.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:25 PM ^
UPDATED EMBED now featuring the correct recording live from the event and a taste of Varsity from 1940.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:55 PM ^
but how about reposting that other version here. i liked that arrangement, too, and don't recall ever hearing it ever before.
September 9th, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
Seems to be 1/2 step off (in key of A instead of A flat). Any of you smart folks out there want to figure out how much a raised 1/2 step translates into extra beats per second of tempo? I knew it seemed fast...
I didn't check the pitch on Varsity to see if it's off because I can't remember the original key...
September 8th, 2015 at 7:51 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 8th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 9th, 2015 at 4:52 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 9th, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^
awesome!
September 8th, 2015 at 7:55 PM ^
This is spectacular. And is in great shape considering it's almost a century old. well done!
September 8th, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 8th, 2015 at 8:05 PM ^
embed?
Let's make this a versions of "The Victors" thread?
September 8th, 2015 at 8:36 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 10:09 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 10:47 PM ^
I was with the Glee Club for the 135th anniversary (1994-1995). Good times, brings back a lot of memories.
September 8th, 2015 at 11:33 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
Oh, this is tremendous. It sounds like it should be in a WWII newsreel or something.
September 8th, 2015 at 8:14 PM ^
The good old days. When men worse suits on game days and there were plenty of empty fields around the big house to tailgate.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:22 PM ^
Isn't there a video (regrettably without sound) of Michigan's 1938 homecoming, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Michigan's victory over University of Chicago? Elbel wrote the Victors on the train back from Chicago in 1898, and is shown conducting the Band during the 1938 halftime show. I can't find it now, but I am guessing you (WolverineHistorian) might have posted it on the blog before.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 11:23 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 9th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 8:25 PM ^
September 9th, 2015 at 3:28 AM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 8:54 PM ^
The recording posted above is NOT by the Michigan Band. There is a recording of the broadcast of "A Toast to Yost--from Coast to Coast" and the Michigan Band was, indeed, present. But they were in a far balcony of Waterman Gymnasium and they sound very distant. The recording posted above (#2) is a studio recording, not by the Michigan Band. It's a different arrangement that the Elbel original and it's a very small ensemble playing. Also, you can hear them "drop the needle" at the very beginning of the recording.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
You're completely right, I got the audio files mixed up. There were multiple recordings of The Victors on my copy from A Toast to Yost.
I re-uploaded it and now have the correct version where you clearly hear the difference as it has that Revelli gusto to it where the other recording did not. I also included a recording of Varsity after The Victors that was on the same reel.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:53 PM ^
Now THAT'S the Michigan Band!
September 8th, 2015 at 8:55 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 9:17 PM ^
....arranged by, I believe, the brother of Stephen Nesbitt, and this version is also an excellent ringtone as well.
September 9th, 2015 at 2:44 PM ^
Dan studied trumpet at Michigan--you can get the ringtone here.
September 8th, 2015 at 9:23 PM ^
September 8th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
WD, when and where was the first embed of The Victors you had originally in the post?
September 9th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
September 10th, 2015 at 12:31 AM ^
Yeah, this is, without exaggeration, the worst pregame in decades, so maybe pick literally any other one as a favorite.
September 9th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
Slow down The Victors and bring back the high step. Make up for it by ditching the 2nd verse and just go straight into the opposing team's fight song.
September 8th, 2015 at 11:25 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 8th, 2015 at 11:26 PM ^
I love old MMB recordings. A few years ago, I worked with an old MMB alumnus from 1950-1952, compiling his stills, recordings, and personal recorded notes into a video slide show.
The first few minutes of the video, shots from the Dartmouth game, are online here:
Note in the recordings how Varsity nearly doubles in tempo over the course of a decade. In the 50s it was like a secondary, weaponized fight song. So great.
Some of his stills are available here: https://www.facebook.com/jbrons/media_set?set=a.525460865073.2215730.22…
Somewhere on a FireWire hard drive I have the finished slideshow...
September 9th, 2015 at 12:26 AM ^
September 9th, 2015 at 1:13 AM ^
I'm going to venture a wild guess and say that the recording of Varsity on the end of this was transferred at the wrong speed. It's a pretty easy mistake to make when you're working with a reel-to-reel tape. I find it hard to believe Varsity was ever conducted that slowly, considering recordings from less than a decade later are at easily twice that speed.
September 9th, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
All of it. Every single damn note.
September 9th, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
Anybody know where I can get the actual music for most of what the band plays? Looking for trumpet part in particular.
Thanks!
September 9th, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
Any chance you would be willing to share your copy of "A Toast to Yost from Coast to Coast"? I would love to listen to it and add it to my collection of Classic Meeeshigan audio!
Go Blue!
September 9th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^
Give me your email address and I'll send it to you.