Little_Champion

Michael Thomas' Website

Records

Little Champion

Records

British Dance Bands

Unlike all the other "Little" record labels, this wasn't so little, but was a 9" disc, manufactured by Edison Bell in 1910-11, with a vertical cut groove. The catalogue was in a 3000 series and, although announced in the press at 1/3, the price on a record sleeve seen says 1/4. There were only about 50-odd records in the series. They continued to be sold until well into 1912 as an example seen has copyright stamps attached to the labels.

Some Little Champion records were pressed from previously-issued "Phona-Disc" masters. Such masters usually have announcements at the start of each side and play for only 2 minutes. Since Phona-Disc records were slightly smaller than Little Champions, there is a larger than usual blank area at the rim edge. The recordings made specifically for Little Champion have no announcements and play for almost 3 minutes, like a normal 10" record.
It is believed that the shorter sides with the announcements were actually transfers from earlier Edison Bell cylinders.

Little Champion records were made of a "new, hard, unbreakable material called Vitaroid". They look and feel like the usual shellac of the time, though, so either these claims were over-optimistic (there was no Advertising Standards Authority in those days) or the material has aged in the intervening 100 years. I wouldn't suggest putting the "unbreakable" claim to the test!

Thanks to Frank Andrews for providing much of the information for this listing.
Please e-mail me if you can help me fill in the gaps in any of these series.

My thanks to the following who have provided information for this listing: Paul Buck, Paul Cleary, Bill Dean-Myatt, Norman Field, Charles Hippisley-Cox, Mike Jones

Cat No	Matrix	Title	Labelled Artists
3001	4080 4199	Big Ben March "The Chocolate Soldier" Waltz	Bohemian Band Viennese Orchestra
3002	4184 4200	Poppies, Japanese intermezzo Pearl Feather, intermezzo	London Concert Orchestra Viennese Orchestra
3003		Chanson Polonaise Guidetta Mia, waltz	Victor Opferman (violin) Viennese Orchestra
3004		Fall In And Follow Me My Idea Of A Girl	Charles Denton (comic) (= probably Harry Bluff) Will Randall (comic)
3005		Love Me And The World Is Mine Sweet Caroline	Arthur Grover (baritone) Fred Vernon (comic ) (= Harry Fay)
3006		Hi, Hi, Mr. McKie Top Of The Morning, Bridget McCue	Fred Murray (comic) (= Harry Fay)
3007	4182 4183	Irish Jigs And Reels, part 1 Irish Jigs And Reels, part 2	London Concert Orchestra
3008	4099	Here. There And Everywhere, march The Vampire, march	London Regimental Band Bohemian Band, with xylophone
3009	4070 4071	Morning, Noon And Night overture, part 1 Morning, Noon And Night overture, part 2	Royal Military Band [with announcement]
3010	4065 4154	Church Parade "Messiah" - Hallelujah Chorus	Royal Military Band
3011	4131 4132	Christians Awake While Shepherds Watched	Chapel Royal Quartette (Windsor)
3012		Departure Of The Troopship The Drum Major	Descriptive Bridge Peters (baritone)
3013	4147 4198	Cruise Of The Ancient Lights Flanagan	Will Randall (comic) Fred Murray (comic) (= Harry Fay)
3014	4150 4151	The Star Of Bethlehem The Holy City	Albert Watson (tenor)
3015	4079 4128	Toreador Song ("Carmen") Queen Of The Earth	Bridge Peters (baritone) Tom Kinniburgh (bass)
3016		Annie Laurie Oh, Oh, Hear The Wild Winds Blow	Tom Kinniburgh (bass) Wilfred Platt (bass)
3017		Dr. Whackem's Academy On Strike	Four Komikal Kards Harry Bluff (comic)
3018		March Past Of The Brigade The Whistler And His Dog	Descriptive, with Band London Concert Orchestra
3019	4153 4156	Austria, march Christmas Greetings, march	London Regimental Band London Concert Orchestra
3020	4098 4100	The Skater's Waltz Under Freedom's Flag, march	Bohemian Band London Regimental Band
3021	4124 4190	Dance Of The Honeybees Bombardier	Joe Belmont (whistler) Harry Fay (baritone, with fife and drum accmp)
3022		Casey Riding A Bicycle We're All Waiting For A Girl	Russell Hunting (comedian) Fred Murray (comic) (= Harry Fay)
3022		John Willie, Come On We're All Waiting For A Girl	Harry Fay (comic) Fred Murray (comic) (= Harry Fay)
3023	4159 4210	Ora Pro Nobis Abide With Me	Arthur Grover (baritone) Tom Kinniburgh (bass)
3024		Jean, Fra' Aberdeen Tickle Me Timothy	Billy Williams (comedian)
3025	4207 4208	I've Got Rings On My Fingers I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside	Fred Vernon (comic) (= Harry Fay) Fred Murray (comic) (= Harry Fay)
3026		Good Rhine Wine Vision Of Salome, waltz	Peter Dawson (baritone) Crudy's Imperial Orchestra
3027		Coquette, polka Cossack March	Royal Military Band
3028		Queen Of The Earth	Stanley Kirkby (baritone)
3029	4216 4219	You Taught Me How To Love You Beautiful Bird, Sing On	Stanley Kirkby (baritone) Peter Dawson (baritone)
3030	4221	I Wonder If You Miss Me Sometimes If I Had The World To Give You	Stanley Kirkby (baritone)
3031	4039 4097	Carnation (or Miss Carnation), schottische Forget-Me-Not	London Concert Orchestra Len Ward (bells)
3032	4077	My Ain Folk Thora	Phyllis Lett (soprano) Ludwig Lebell ('cello)
3032	4077 4171	My Ain Folk Slumber Song	Phyllis Lett (soprano) Victor Opferman (violin)
3033		Choose Her In The Morning What Would The Congregation Say?	Fred Vernon (comic) (= Harry Fay) Harry Bluff (comic)
3034	4139	I'm Going To Sing A Song Down Where The Poppies Grow	Sam Mayo (comedian) Harry Bluff (comic)
3035	4136 4138	Moody and Sankey Hymns, selection part 1 Moody and Sankey Hymns, selection part 2	Royal Military Band
3036	4102 4130	Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand O, Come All Ye Faithful	Royal Military Band Chapel Royal Quartette (Windsor)
3037		Killarney Sally In Our Alley	Tally-Ho Trio (E. Chester, Eric Farr & William Doust)
3038		"Zampa" overture, part 1 "Zampa" overture, part 2	Royal Military Band
3039		Laurel Leaves, waltz Tortajada, waltz	Royal Artillery Band (cond: E.C. Stretton)
3039		Laurel Leaves, waltz Tortajada, waltz	Royal Artillery Band (cond: E.C. Stretton) Band of H.M. King Edward's Horse
3040		"The Quaker Girl", selection part 1 "The Quaker Girl", selection part 2	The Court Orchestra
3041		Dreams Of Ragtime Echoes Of Switzerland	The Court Orchestra Royal Military Band
3042	4222	Beautiful Garden Of Roses Cornet Fantasia, schottische	W. Lacey (cornet) with the Band of King Edward's Horse Royal Military Band
3043		Genevieve The Promise Of Life	Amy Augarde (contralto)
3044		Ave Maria Mountain Gnomes, march	Ludwig Lebell ('cello) Royal Military Band
3045		Laughing All The Day What A Very, Very Dreadful Thing	Billy Whitlock (comedian)
3046	4162	Boston Belle Barn Dance Love's Last Word, waltz	Concert Orchestra
3047		Sacred Fantasia The Evening News, waltz	Concert Orchestra with Cornet Solo Royal Court Orchestra
3048		"Maritana" - Angelus The Bogie Walk	Concert Orchestra Royal Court Orchestra
3049	4228 4229	Your Eyes Have Told Me So (waltz) Beautiful Garden Of Roses	Royal Court Orchestra
3050		Cover It Over Quick, Matilda I'm Henery The VIII [sic ?]	Alf Willis (comic)
3051	4132 4235	My Love Is But a Lassie Yet The Magic Of Your Voice	Tom Kinniburgh (bass) Stanley Kirkby (baritone)
3052		Ginger, You're Balmy Shirts	Al Willis (comic) Willie Dean (comic) (= Stanley Kirkby)
3053		All Clear Out Of The Park Standing At The Corner Of The Street	Charles Lester (comic) (= Stanley Kirkby) Willie Dean (comic) (= Stanley Kirkby)