75 year old recording of The Victors

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

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. 

 

MGoBoard
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Wolverine Devotee

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.

 

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rob f

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.

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NorfolkBlue

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...

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Wave83

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.

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Jack Hammer

September 9th, 2015 at 3:28 AM ^

History degree here as well. Recall doing original research at Bentley senior year on my final paper. The topic I researched was far different than football, but the experience of looking through hundreds of original docs from the 1800's (wearing white gloves to protect the paper) is still one of the best memories of my time at UM. Anyway, go blue. And go history majors.

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cjgrape

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.

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Wolverine Devotee

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.

 

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MGoblu8

September 8th, 2015 at 8:55 PM ^

This is a tremendous thread. It really is the greatest fight song ever, and each of these versions is really special. My favorite version was one that a few of the glee club members did on the radio. It was a cappella and it was spectacular. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find it again.

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Mark McBoneski

September 9th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^

No, not that one! That's probably the MMB's worst pregame performance. There was some miscommunication between Boerma and the band, so a couple ranks folded out early into the Fanfare M. Also, it looks like Cody Martin had a tough time with the backbend. Naturally, that's the one that got broadcast by BTN and is the most-watched version.

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JeremyB

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...

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M Fanfare

September 9th, 2015 at 12:26 AM ^

A friend of mine has a recording of The Victors being played by the MMB under the direction of Wilfred Wilson, so it's from sometime between 1915 and 1926. I believe it's the oldest known recording of the MMB playing The Victors.

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Bando Calrissian

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.

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M Gulo Gulo

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!

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