Ecstatic & Wingless: Bird-Imitation on Four Continents, ca. 1910-44

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

Almost an hour of commercial early 20th century recordings of human beings imitating birds, a practice probably pre-dating anything resembling music or language, from France, India, Australia, and the United States.

download includes over 1,700 words of notes, including a Post-Natural Chronology of Bird Imitation, Recording, and Reproduction, recording information, and relevant quotes.

for Rich Pell of the Center for Post-Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, obviously.
Thank you David Murray.

Tracks 10-13 were added July 2018 and are not reflected in the notes. All are by Edward Avis, recorded for Columbia in early 1920.
Track 3 was added May, 2020 and was recorded May 14, 1914.

Annotation last modified on 2024-11-11 21:35 UTC.

Tracklist

1▼Digital Media
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Imitations d’oiseaux
recording of:
Imitations d'oiseaux (in 1910)
Monsieur Alexandre de l’Alhambra2:56
2Imitation of Birds
recorded in:
Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, India (in 1920)
miscellaneous support:
HMV (in 1920: task: recorded by)
recording of:
Imitation of Birds (in 1920)
Abdul Waheed & Others2:53
3Imitations of the Mocking Bird
recording of:
Imitations of the Mocking Bird (on 1914-05-14)
Sherman Sherry Powell3:06
4How Birds Sing
recording of:
How Birds Sing (on 1919-01-14)
Charles Kellogg3:24
5Bird Chorus
recording of:
Bird Chorus (on 1919-01-14)
Charles Kellogg2:17
6Songs of Our Native Birds, No. 1
recording of:
Songs of Our Native Birds pt 1 (on 1915-02-15)
Charles Kellogg4:04
7Songs of Our Native Birds, No. 2
recording of:
Songs of Our Native Birds pt 2 (on 1915-02-15)
Charles Kellogg3:21
8Songs and Calls of Our Native Birds, No. 3
recording of:
Songs and Calls of Our Native Birds, No. 3 (on 1915-01-30)
Charles C. Gorst3:12
9Songs and Calls of Our Native Birds, No. 4
recording of:
Songs and Calls of Our Native Birds, No. 4 (on 1915-01-30)
Charles C. Gorst3:37
10Birds’ Morning Concert
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (in 1920: task: recorded for)
recording of:
Birds' Morning Concert (in 1920)
Edward Avis3:05
11Birds’ Evening Concert
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (in 1920: task: recorded for)
recording of:
Birds' Evening Concert (in 1920)
Edward Avis2:59
12Evening in Birdland
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (in 1920: task: recorded for)
recording of:
Evening in Birdland (in 1920)
Edward Avis3:21
13Birdland Melodies
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (in 1920: task: recorded for)
recording of:
Birdland Melodies (in 1920)
Edward Avis2:52
14A Day With the Birds
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (task: recorded for)
recording of:
A Day With the Birds (in 1920)
Edward Avis2:51
15Spring Birds
miscellaneous support:
Columbia (owned by Sony Music Entertainment, worldwide except JP; formerly owned by CBS between 1938–1990 within US/CA/MX) (task: recorded for)
recording of:
Spring Birds (in 1920)
Edward Avis2:57
16Bird Imitations
recording of:
Bird Imitations (from 1925 until 1929)
Margaret McKee2:48
17Bush Melody, pt. 1
recording of:
Bush Melody, pt. 1 (in 1942)
Alex Walker2:57
18Bush Melody, pt. 2
recording of:
Bush Melody, pt. 2 (in 1942)
Alex Walker3:03
19Bush Melody, pt. 3
recording of:
Bush Melody, pt. 3 (in 1942)
Alex Walker2:56
20Bush Melody, pt. 4
recording of:
Bush Melody, pt. 4 (in 1942)
Alex Walker2:46
21A Suitable Teacher for Young Roller Canaries
flute and pipe organ [water organ]:
[unknown] (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
miscellaneous support:
Gennett Records (task: privately recorded and released by)
recording of:
A Suitable Teacher for Young Roller Canaries
International Roller Canary Breeders Association3:11

Credits

Release

liner notes:Royal Dixon (in 1917)
William Gastang (writer) (in 1922)
Robert Bridges (poet) (in 1929)
Ludwig Koch (broadcaster and sound recordist) (in 1940)
Sir Mislom Ress (laryngologist) (in 1956)
purchase for download and stream for free:https://canary-records.bandcamp.com/album/ecstatic-wingless-bird-imitation-on-four-continents-ca-1910-44 [info]
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/release/32263830 [info]