Q-R-S Autograph Word Roll
LOCATION: "Made In U.S.A."
OWNER(s): QRS Music Technologies
TIMESPAN: 1900...
MISC NOTES: The Q-R-S Music Company was founded in 1900 by Melville Clark, who also invented the Q-R-S Marking Piano, a machine used to record live performances onto paper piano rolls. The early 20th century saw a surge in popularity for player pianos, and Q-R-S became a major supplier of music rolls. This unique machine, a modified piano with a recording stylus, captured performances by notable musicians of the era, including Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington.
Here is the text of a QRS magazine ad from 1913: “Up to the advent of the Q-R-S Autograph Roll all player piano music rolls were much alike—all made the same mechanical way. . . The Q-R-S Autograph Music Roll is hand played—it is practically a photographic record of the hand playing of an artist. And its playing on your instrument is identical with the manual playing of the artist who made it in the first place. The leading pianists of the country are represented on Q-R-S Autograph Music Rolls with all their individuality faithfully recorded.”
Although the rise of commercial radio around 1918 and into the Roaring '20s, and then the Great Depression (1929-1941) caused a decline in player piano sales, QRS persevered and in the 1950s there was resurgence in demand for piano rolls, largely from antique collectors. Today, QRS remains the sole manufacturer of piano rolls, offering a vast catalog of titles - including, "Seattle", the 1968 theme song from the popular TV show, Here Come The Brides.
MISC NOTES: This is a rendition of the theme song for the Here Come The Brides ABC-TV show which aired 1968-1970 and was set in the old lumber-camp Seattle of the 1850s-1860s. The original version of "Seattle" -- as composed by Hugo Montenegro -- was an instrumental, as recorded by a studio orchestra conducted by Montenegro. Soon after, Montenegro led a second recording session, this time adding vocals (as written by Jack Keller),and sung by the New Establishment. In 1969 Perry Como scored a Top-40 radio hit with his version, and was followed by the record release of New Establishment's version, then another by Bobby Sherman, and even a country version by Connie Smith.
LOCATION:
RECORDING PERSONNEL: Doug Roe (piano)
RECORDING STUDIO:
RECORDING ENGINEER:
FORMAT: player-piano roll
SPEED: Tempo: 80
NOTES: Lyrics / words included.
MISC NOTES: The packaging on this unit incorrectly notes Alice Nadine Morrison as "Alice Nading" Morrison, and Nellie Morrison as "Millie" Morrison. As the pianist who created this roll is uncredited, we have opted to list it here under Alice Nadine Morrison's name.
LOCATION:
RECORDING PERSONNEL: unknown
RECORDING STUDIO:
RECORDING ENGINEER:
FORMAT: piano roll
NOTES: Piano roll is encased in its original black cardboard box.
COMPOSER: Words by: Alice Nadine Morrison - Music by: Millie Morrison
A-SIDE PUBLISHER: Forster Music Pub. Co. Inc.