"Hello Frisco", Samuel Ash  Elida Morris 2 - Columbia A-1801 (06/30/1915)

This week's theme: Hello, Frisco!

One of the truly great moments in American Telephony!
The first transcontinental telephone call - New York to San Francisco.

Just 100 years ago this week! - January 25, 1915

The line was actually completed June 27, 1914, but they wanted it to be part 
of the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, so 
they delayed it's official opening.

It was the recent invention by Lee DeForest of the Audion (aka "vacuum" or 
"radio") tube with the amplification it provided, that made it possible.

It allowed AT&T to extend their New York to Denver circuit all the way to 
San Francisco.

This was a really big deal - it took a five day and night train trip to get 
from New York to San Francisco.
A phone call was virtually instantaneous.

This song became the biggest hit of 1915.
It was written and performed for the Ziegfeld Follies.

1915: First Transcontinental Telephone Call (AT&T web site)
http://www.corp.att.com/attlabs/reputation/timeline/15tel.html

First transcontinental telephone call - Jan. 25, 1915
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_transcontinental_telephone_call

Panama–Pacific International Exposition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama%E2%80%93Pacific_International_Exposition

Panama–Pacific International Exposition (web site)
http://www.sanfranciscomemories.com/ppie/panamapacific.html

C-SPAN (about 25 minutes into it - talks about the transcontinental phone 
line exhibit)
1915 San Francisco World's Fair
http://www.c-span.org/video/?322908-1/discussion-1915-san-francisco-worlds-fair

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Here's another contemporary version of this song.
Baritone Reinald Werrenrath & Soprano Olive Kline ~ Hello Frisco! (1915)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWfhrpX5igY

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There was a nostalgic movie about this made during WWII.
Alice Faye - "Hello, Frisco, Hello" 1943 - San Francisco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkceJnVyUtI

"Ragtime Cowboy Joe" is another great song that appeared in the movie 
"Hello, Frisco, Hello".

Ragtime Cowboy Joe 1912 Original Version sung by Bob Roberts - Victor Record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeNRwvXnzJ8

Here's a newer version ...
Ragtime Cowboy Joe - The Sons of the Pioneers with Tommy Doss 1960
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIzN5LrhQHA

Here's a version with yodeling ...
Carolina Cotton - Ragtime Cowboy Joe (c.1945/46).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N9Dg4MVvfs

Carolina Cotton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Cotton


Stay Jazzed!
--Tom Swezey