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Despite the label name, nothing operatic was ever issued on it. The fare was the usual popular song, music hall and orchestra music to be found on other cheap records of the period.
They were pressed in Germany from Bel Canto, Beka (and other) masters during 1913-14.
The labels state various places of manufacture in Germany, implying that more than one company was making these records.

The London agent was The Operaphone Company Ltd, of 23, City Road, London, a district that seemed to have been stuffed with record & gramophone businesses at this time.

Ther are two known designs of the label, one showing a winged cherub, which prompted The Gramophone Company to sue for trade mark infringement, since they used a similar image on their records. This may explain the change of design of Operaphone records.

The outbreak of WWI caused closure of the business. Over 276 10" records and about 76 12" records had been issued on Operaphone. Some of the 2000- series are 12", and I will noted that against the catalobue number where known.
 Thanks to Bill Dean-Myatt and Rainer Lotz for providing the label photos.

 

This is a first attempt at a listing. Please e-mail me if you can help me fill in the gaps in any of these series.

My thanks to Frank Andrews in providing most of the information for this page.

Thanks Also to: Mike Atkins, Graham Farnell, Norman Field, Robert Girling, Mike Jones, Mike Langridge, Jackson Todd, Michael Turley

Page last updated on: February 27, 2024

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists Notes
1        
2        
3        
4        
5 5140
5148		 Stop Your Tickling, Jock
I Love A Lassie		 Dougal McNab  
6        
7 5269
5270		 Ginger You're Balmy
I'm Henry VIII I Am		 Harry Champion  
8        
9 5271 / E-004
5272		 Don't Do It Again, Matilda
Natty Little Patch		 Harry Champion  
10 B-7-B
B-31-A		 The Old Grey Coat
My Girl From London Town		 Billy Williams  
11 H32
H33		 Mary Ann, She's After Me
I've Never Been Courting Before		 George Baslow  
12 40825
40827		 I Wish I Lived Next Door To You
Anywhere Is Alright When You're Doing Well		 Rastas Brown  
13        
14        
15        
16        
17        
18        
19 5206
5212		 I Played My Concertina
The Postman		 Harry Bluff  
20 5211
41053		 Living Animals
What Is A ---- ?		 Harry Bluff  
21        
22   Archibald! Certainly Not
Let's All Go Down The Strand		 Harry Bluff  
23 5205
5207		 There Are Nice Girls Everywhere
Nobody's Satisfied		 Harry Bluff  
24        
25        
26   Laughing All The Day
All I Said Was Ha! Ha! Ha!		 Billy Whitlock (comic)  
27        
28 5177
5180		 Come Into The Garden, Maud
Farewell To Summer		 M. Virgo (tenor)  
29        
30        
31        
32 5120
5122		 The Angel Of My Drreams
The Land Where The Angels Are		 Harry Trevor (baritone)  
33        
34 5131
5137		 Red Wing
To The End Of The World With You		 Harry Trevor (baritone)  
35 5139
5185		 For Auld Lang Syne
All Soul's Day		 Harry Trevor (baritone)
H. Carbayn		  
36        
37        
38 5135
5138		 Two Eyes Of Brown
Pansies Mean Thoughts And Thoughts Mean You		 Harry Trevor (baritone)  
39        
40 5190
5191 ?		 Bedouin Love Song
Thora		 Thomas Howell (bass)
?		  
41        
42        
43        
44        
45        
46 5162
5165		 Three For Jack
A Sergeant Of The Line		 Adolph Fowler (bass)  
47        
48   Bedouin Love Song
Thora		 Thomas Howell (bass)      [ see also No. 40]  
49 5192
5194		 Trooper Johnny Ludlow
Glorious Devon		 Thomas Howell (bass)  
50 5196
5197		 Lord God Of Abraham
It Is Enough		 Thomas Howell (bass)  
51 5193 Asleep In The Deep Thomas Howell (bass)  
52        
53   Nobody Knows, Nobody Cares
You Eyes Have Told Me So		 Stanley Kirkby (baritone)
Thomas Jackson (tenor)		  
54 40733
40736		 Sing Me To Sleep
Sleep And Forget		 Philip Ritte (tenor)  
55        
56        
57        
58        
59        
60 5081
.		 Come, My Sweet Queen
A Southern Lullaby		 W.G Callinan (tenor)  
61        
62        
63        
64        
65        
66 5229
5237		 My Bungalow In Bond Street
Oh, The Girls I Left Behind Me		 Jack Charman
Charles Denton (= Harry Bluff)		  
67        
68 5227
5228		 Put On Your Ta-Ta Little Girlie
Fall In And Follow Me		 Jack Charman  
69 5246
5247		 If I Had The World To Give You
You Taught Me How To Love You		 Phillip Gordon  
70 5245
40803		 Silver Bell
Nellie Dean		 Phil Gordon
James Hudson		  
71 5263
5264		 I'll Be Out In The Life Boat
I'm Setting The Village On Fire		 Ben Merry  
72        
73        
74 5248
5249		 Come To The Ball
I Wonder If You Miss Me Sometimes		 Harry Thornton (baritone)  
75        
76        
77 5107
5186		 He Was A Prince
The Choir Boy		 Florence Bruce (mezzo-soprano)
Florence Bruce (mezzo Soprano) (= unidentified male singer)		  
78 5099
5113		 Hush, My Little Coon
My Honolulu Queen		 Florence Bruce (mezzo-soprano)  
79 5098
5110		 My God And Father
Be Thou Nigh		 Florence Bruce (mezzo-soprano)  
80        
81        
82 5100
5112		 Samson And Delilah
In The Shadow Of The Pine		 Florence Bruce (mezzo-soprano)  
83        
84 5156
5157		 Whisper And I Shall Hear
Sing Me To Sleep		 (Florence) Venning (contralto)  
85        
86 5159
5160		 Love's Old Sweet Song
Darby And Joan		 Florence Venning (contralto)  
87        
88 5153 / E-153
5154 / E-154		 Abide With Me
The Lost Chord		 (Florence) Venning (contralto)  
89        
90        
91        
92        
93        
94        
95        
96 5070
5074		 Massa's In De Cold, Cold Ground
Old Black Joe		 Quartette  
97        
98        
99        
100 10520 / E-52
10540 / E-54		 Everybody's Doing It
The Gaby Glide		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
101        
102 10272 / E-27
10302 / E-30		 Waiting For The Robert E. Lee
I'm Going Back To Dixie		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
103 10283 / E-28
10293 / E-29		 Hitchy Koo
Ragging The Baby To Sleep		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
104 10304 / E-30
10454 / E-45		 I Want To Be In Dixie
Piccadilly, Piccadilly		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)
Orchestra with Chorus		  
105 10365 / E-36
10405 / E-40		 Alexander's Ragtime Band
The Ragtime Goblin Man		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
106 10396 / E-39
10406 / E-40		 Ragtime Cowboy Joe
The Ragtime Goblin Man		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
107 10477 / E-47
.		 Mysterious Rag
Dicky Bird		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)  
108 10328 / E-32
10358 / E-35		 Ragtime Soldier Man
Puppchen		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)
Orchestra		  
109 10339 / E-33
10569 / E-56		 The Ghost Of The Violin
Woolloomoolloo		 Terry & Osborn (= Will Terry & ? Osborn)
Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)		  
110 11530 / E-53
11550 / E-55		 The Spaniard That Blighted My Life
Mysterious Moon		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
111 11141 / E-14
11181 / E-18		 She Makes Me Walk In Ragtime
Follow Your Leader		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
112   They All Walk The Wibbly-Wobbly Walk
Nobody Loves Me		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
113 1123 / E-2
1143 / E-4		 Oh, That Ragtime Sea
It's a Long Walk		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
114 11434 / E-43
11444 / E-44		 Cock-A-Doodle Doo
Everybody Two-Step		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
115 36666
36668		 Pucker Up Your Lips, Miss Lindy
There's Something Merry And Bright About a Sailor		 Mr. Terry (= Will Terry)  
116        
117        
118 11348 / E-34
11428 / E-42		 Take Me To That Swanee Shore
Honeymooning Honey In Bombay		 Mr. Terry (actually a duet!)  
119        
120        
121 12161 / E-16
12171 / E-17		 I Tried To Keep From Laughing
That Awful Joke		 Frank Fairley (= Charles Penrose)  
122        
123        
124        
125 E-9915/E-1
E-9935/E-3		 The Future Mrs. 'Awkins
My Old Dutch		 Bob Styles  
126 1256 / E-5
1276 / E-7		 Wot Cher! (Knocked 'Em In The Old Kent Road)
Our Court Ball		 Bob Styles  
127 1297 / E-9
12117 / E-11		 Our Little Nipper
Oh, 'Amstead		 Bob Styles  
128        
129 P-0415
P-0416		 "Barber Of Seville" - Mattinata
"Il Trovatore" - Strella		 B. Dessa (tenor) (of The Palais D'Opera, Milan)  
130        
131        
132        
133 E-61 / 20252
E-62 / 0253		 Kangaroo Hop
When Father Beat The Carpet		 Billy Williams (!) (= Jack Chaman)
Billy Melville (= Jack Charman)		 Guardsman 282
 
134 5034 ?
5189
Star Of Bethlehem
Thomas Jackson (tenor, with piano)		  
135 E-63
E-64		 The Wedding Glide
How D'Ye Do, Miss Ragtime?		 Harry Cove
The Two Rags		  
136        
137        
138        
139        
140        
141        
142 5069
5072		 Dinah Doe
Tales In Babbling Echo		 Operaphone Quartette  
143        
144        
145        
146 E-71
E-73 / 20412 		 Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy
The Trail Of The lonesome Pine		 Jack Charman  
147 E-77
E-105		 Snooky Ookums
On The Mississippi		 Jack Charman  
148 E-78
E-86		 All The Girls Are Lovely At The Seaside
Down In Dear Old New Orleans		 Jack Charman  
149        
150   P.C. Forty-Nine
Up Came Johnnie With His Ice Cream Can		 Jack Charman  
151 E-99
E-100		 Hey-Ho, Can't You Hear The Steamer?
Everybody's Doing It At The Seaside		 Jack Charman  
152        
153        
154 E-69
E-132		 A Few More Years Shall Roll
Abide With Me		 Walter Bishop  
155 E-77
E-127		 Snooky Ookums
It's A Long Way To Tipperary		 Jack Charman  
156   The Wishing Well
All For Father's Sake		 Alf Willis  
157 E-83
E-84		 While I Was Licking My Stamp
Have a Drop Of Gin, Joe		 Alf Willis  
158   I Was Holding My Cocoanut
Up Went My Little Umbrella		 Alf Willis  
159        
160 E-90
E-91		 Dan, The Cat's Meat Man
Oh, Joe Stock Out Your Toe [sic]		 Alf Willis  
161        
162        
163        
164 E-92
E-93		 Ta-Ta My Bonnie Maggie Darling
She's The Lass For Me		 Jock McCullum  
165 E-94
E-95		 Roamin' In the Gloamin'
M.A.C.G.R.E.G.O.R.		 Jock McCullum  
166        
167        
168 E-128
E-129		 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing		 Walter Bishop & Edmund Lucas  
169 E-70
E-130		 Oh! Come, All Ye Faithful
The First Nowell		 Walter Bishop & Edmund Lucas  
169 E-113
E-114		 To Cheer Him Up And Help Him On His Way
It Doesn't Matter, I've Changed My Mind		 J. Baker  
170   Those Ragtime Melodies
You're My Baby		 Charman & Cove  
171 20411
 		 Take Me In Your Arms And Say You Love Me
Ring Out Those Bells		 Charman & Cove  
172        
173 E-139
E-140 / 20447
 You Made Me Love You
If I Could Only Make You Care		 Cove & Charman
Harry Trevor (baritone) (= Robert Carr)		  
174   That Whistlin' Band
That Ragtime Postman		 Harry Cove
Jack Charman		  
175        
176 E-131
E-171		 God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
When The Christmas Bells Are Ringing		 Walter Bishop & Edmund Lucas
Harry Trevor (baritone) (= Robert Carr)		  
177 E-160
E-161		 When The Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves For Alabam
On The Mississippi (Carroll & Fields)		 Operaphone London Orchestra  
178        
179   Hot Meat Pies
As Large As Life In The Harem		 Alf Willis  
180        
181        
182        
183        
184        
185        
186        
187        
188        
189        
190        
191        
192 E-176
E-177		 A Soldier's Song
Nazareth		 Edward Lucas  
193        
194        
195        
196        
197        
198        
199        
200        

Here is the 2500- series: Some of these are 12"  and those will be noted after the catalogue number, where known.

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists
2501   The Honolulu Rag
Alexander two-step (Alexander's Ragtime Band)		 Military Metropole Band ?
2502      
2503 3243
3259		 Grizzly Bear
Turkey Trot		 Military Metropole Band
2504      
2505      
2506 (12") 1735
3181		 The Fireflies
The Skippers Song ("The Flying Dutchman" - Wagner)		 Military Metropole Band
2507      
2508      
2509 3182 (1154)
3183 (1148)		 Quand L'amour Meurt
Gold And Silver, waltz (Lehar)		 Military Metropole Band
2510 3210 (1158)
3211 (1745)		 Brooklyn Cake Walk
The Camp meeting, Cake Walk		 Military Metropole Band
2511 3186 (68)
3187 (1160)		 Estudiantine, waltz
Valse Bleue		 Military Metropole Band
2512      
2513 3192 (2089)
3193 (2087)		 Elysium, waltz
Franasco, waltz		 Piano solo
2514      
2515 3198 (1654)
3199 (1045)		 Emana
Siamese Patrol		 Military Metropole Band
2516      
2517   Entry Of The Gladiators, march (Fucik)
Under The Victorious Flag, march (Blon)		 Military Metropole Band ?
2518 3206 Whistling Rufus Military Metropole Band
2519      
2520 1158 / 3210
1745 / 3211		 Brooklyn Cake-Walk (Thurban)
Georgia Camp Meeting (Kerry Mills)		 Military Metropole Band
2521      
2522 40719
40720		 Harry Lauder Memories, part 1
Harry Lauder Memories, part 2		 Military Metropole Band
2523      
2524      
2525      
2526 5225
5226		 Rule Britannia and God Save The King
National Anthems Of France And Russia		 Military Metropole Band
2527 2530697  (3069)
2530997  (3099)		 Eva Waltz (Lehar)
Vanity Waltz		 Military Metropole Band
2528      
2529 25809 Roses Of The South, waltz Military Metropole Band
2530 3242
3243		 Down In Jungle Town
Grizzly Bear		 Military Metropole Band
2531 2530811 (3081)
2530831 (3083)		 Hobomoko (Japanese Romanze)
A Nigger's Dream (descriptive)		 Military Metropole Band
2532      
2533 (12") 1747
2510363 (1036)		 Soldiers In The Park
Old Comrades, march		 Military Metropole Band
2534      
2535 2530955 (3095)
2530965 (3096)		 Selection From Rigoletto
Selection from Traviata		 Military Metropole Band
2536      
2537      
2538      
2539      
2540      
2541 2518421 (1842)
2518451 (1845)		 Arrow Galop
Enchanter Bell		 Bells and Orchestra
2542      
2543      
2544      
2545      
2546      
2547      
2548      
2549      
2550      
2551 3037
3101 or 3109
 Nocturne (Chopin)
Serenade (Pierne)		 Senor Gomez (violin) (of the Paris Opera, Milan)
2552 P 1190
P 1193		 Titania
Waltz from The Waltz Dream		 Gialdini (whistling)
2553      
2554      
2555 3320
3324 / 788		 The Canary
Waltz Of The Fairies		 Max Wills (whistling)
Wills and Lawrence (whistling)
2556 20220 E-066
E-065		 The Rosary
The Lost Chord		 W. Sizer (cornet)
2557      
2558 P-205
P-1175		 Dreaming Lilies
Carnival Of Venice		 W. Williams (bells)
2559      
2560      
2561      
2562      
2563      
2564      
2565      
2566      
2567      
2568 5282
5283		 The Mascot Valeta
Dreaming, waltz		 Operaphone London Orchestra
2569      
2570      
2571 E-067
E-068		 Menuett
Bolero		 Cecile Stevens (vioin)
2572      
2573      
2574   Queen Of The Burlesque
Return Of The Regiment		 Copus & Hughes (banjos)
2575      
2576      
2577      
2578      
2579      
2580      
2581      
2582 E-154 / 3386
E-157 / 3388		 The Darkies Frolic
The Gladiator March		 Operaphone Military Band
2583      
2584 E-145 / 3378
E-149		 Fo Hunters
Up The Street		 The Operaphone Military Band
2585      
2586      
2587      
2588      
2589      
2580      

I understand that the following are 12" records, or the "30-4000" series are at least.

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists
30-100 3 E 10
3 E 11		 Willow Waltz
Life's Dream Is O'er		 Mary Williams (contralto)
Thomas Howell (bass)
30-101      
30-102 3 E 6
3 E 8		 Ragtime Violin
The Spaniard That Blighted My Life		 Osborne & Irvin (duet, with orch) (= Jack Charman & ?)
Richard Morton (vocal, with orch) (= Will Terry)
       
30-3001 (12") 3 E 5
3 E 7		 Hitchy Koo
Baby Rose		 Operaphone London Orchestra, with chorus
       
30-4005 (12") 5256
5257		 Valse Brune (Krier)
Gold And Silver Waltz (Lehar)		 Operaphone Symphony Orchestra
       
30-4050      
30-4051      
30-4052      
30-4053 5249
5250		 Mysterious Rag
Alexander Two Step		 Operaphone Military Band
30-4054 5251
5252		 The Honolulu Rag
Detective Dance, two step		 Operaphone Military Band
30-4055 5115
5116		 Old Comrades, march
The King's March		 The Grand Operaphone Band
30-4056 5051
5179		 Through Shade And Shadow
The Sharpshooters		 The Grand Operaphone Band
30-4057      
30-4058      
30-4059 5198
5199		 Operaphone Grand March
Cross-Bearers' Fanfare		 The Grand Operaphone Band
30-4060      
30-4061 887
888		 Waltz from the opera "Susannah" (Gilbert)
Teresa, waltz (Ch. Faust)		 Grand Operaphone Band
30-4062      
30-4063      
30-4064      
30-4065      
30-4066 893
5049		 Tango Argentina
Love Dance - Intermezzo (Hoschma)		 The Grand Operaphone Band
30-4067      
30-4068      
30-4069 5104
5169		 Souvenir
La Serenata		 Senor Gomez (violin)
30-4070      
30-4071      
30-4072      
30-4073      
30-4074      
30-4075 5253
5436 / 3 E 23		 William Tell Overture (Rossini)
Les Cloches De Corneville, selection (Planquette)		 The Grand Operaphone Band
H.M. Irish Guards Band