Contemporary reviews of some records issued December 1914
from the trade paper Talking Machine News

Columbia 2483
Mark Sheridan: Here We Are Again / Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser
The great Mark makes his bow to the Columbia-Rena public. Wthat the 'Kibosh' is exactly we do not know, but it is certainly something the Kaiser doesn't like. The reverse number, known as the artiste's recruiting song, is cleverly sung, you will not be downhearted after hearing this excellent number.

Favorite 757
Jack Charman: Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts / Jack Smithson: Farewell Isabel
The sentimental and amusing sides of war. Isabel comes as a reminder of the sacrifices which are gallant boys are making, while the tongue twisting comic gives in an amusing way the experiences of Tommies' sisters, who are so sedulously sewing at home, garments to keep him warm.

Coliseum 884
Billy Whitlock & Co: In the Trenches / The Soldier's Return
We have a terrible cannonading, light hearted talk and banter, laughing and joking in the midst of which an aeroplane brings a message from the general ordering the men to occupy German trenches. Then comes the charge and the routing of the enemy. In the other, Darby and Joan are talking about their absent son, father waxing sarcastic because mother worries about not hearing from him. In the midst, the son comes home and there are general rejoicings.
The same record was issued on Beka 921 ("grim interpolation of the death- dealing effects of the artillery"). Also on Favorite 759 ("two grim numbers, both striking pieces of realism, with pathos and humour combined").

Scala 624
Victor Norbury: We're All Plain Civilians / Tommy's Tournament
If you want to cut a dash with the girls, my boys, you'd better join the army. The plain civilian is determined to do his duty for his country, capitally sung.

EXTRA ARTICLES Giuseppe Lenghi Cellini
He recorded frequently on a variety of labels. His first records were for the Beka Meister label, and these were duplicated on to other labels such as Coliseum.
Born in Modena near Bologna in Italy, he graduated with a law degree at the local university. But he then trained as a singer, among his teachers was Commandatore Vincenzo Lombardi.
His career in England commenced in October 1909, singing for a season at the Ballad Concerts in London run by Chappell and Co. His reputation established, he appeared at Covent Garden in the 1912 season as principal tenor on the opening night as Don Jose in Carmen. His most celebrated role was in Pagliacci.
After more success, he was engaged by Signor Campanani to sing in Chicago in the autumn of 1914. He was booked to play opposite Tetrazzini as the Duke in Rigoletto. But the outbreak of war cancelled that engagement, and he returned to his native country and when Italy joined the war in 1915 he enlisted. He fought in the Battle of Plave and in the Battle of Vittoria Venitor, where he was seriously wounded. But he returned to the trenches for the last fourteen months and was awarded the Military Cross.
In 1919 he toured England with Madame Tetrazzini, with a final wonderful concert at the Albert Hall in November that year.
In the early 1920s, he was an exclusive Vocalion artiste, while at the end of that decade he made his final recordings for the Piccadilly label. In 1924 he toured Australia and New Zealand. He married Vivian Levy, but they had no children.

Old Gramophone Societies: Oakwood Hill and District
This was a Surrey based society in the Dorking area, that began after the first war.
The interesting meeting in December 1919 was devoted to a demonstration of "the new Bull Dog records, kindly given by Messrs Bull Dog Records of Farringdon Road." From what follows, one suspects that someone who was in with the ailing company must have seen the meeting as a great chance to do good business. Whether "new" is an accurate description of a label that had been around for five years, I leave to you to judge.
"Our expectations were great," the report continues, "knowing as we do the organisation behind the Bull Dog, but these were more than surpassed. In point of tone in particular and general excellence of finish, they set a lead which might well be followed by the makers of highly advertised and much more expensive records."
In comparison the Bull Dog sells "at the absurdly moderate price of two shillings and sixpence. Had the writer been asked to guess the maker after listening to them, he would have had no hesitation in saying 'Odeon,' there being quite an uncanny tonal resemblance to the now defunct records." Maybe the writer was betraying his own origins?
A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Bull Dog Record Co for their kindness in providing the programme.
Note: the next few meetings of this group included the playing of some Bulldog records. No other society's reports mention this label at this period, except I did note that the Tyneside Society's April 1920 meeting consisted of "a demonstration of popular priced records, to wit Guardsman and Bull Dog."

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