Pseudonym ?

[neophone]

Folks,

Anyone have their Rust's handy? I was finally going through the records I got out of that VV-X I bought at the MOCAPS meeting a couple of months ago. In the stack is Radiex 2083, the B side is Don't Feel Sorry For Me "Sung by 'Mr. X' with Orchestra". I found a page earlier today-on Mainspring Press' site which listed pseudonyms for Vernon Dalhart on Grey Gull & Radiex. It says "Mr. X" was usually Arthur Fields on those labels. It sounds like Fields to me, but I would prefer to verify it. ;D

Regards,
J.

[maroongem]

Hi John,

Just caught this post today and checked Sutton's "Pseudonyms on American Records (2nd Ed.) and he says that "Mr. X" is usually attributed to Arthur Fields on Gray Gull and the company's related labels and goes on to say that Dalhart on GG/Rad 2116 is Mr. X and GG/Rad. 4093-B is Irving Kaufman.
If you check GG on the Online 78 Project, apparently there are others that have been identified as Mr. X on recordings. Ernie Hare, Honey Duke and Arthur Hall are just a few and seems like there were others that haven't been identified yet.
I wonder why the Mr X pseudonym. Was it because these artists were under contract with someone else and were "moonlighting" for the extra dough?

Bill

[ultona]

I don't think this was a case of "moonlighting" here. GG, Radiex, Globe, Nadsco, Buddy and a few others were all made by Grey Gull. It was common, like Banner, Melotone and all those other Plaza labels to release the same selection on each label. Many times the releases had different names on each label. Some kind of strange marketing. I forget what I've got at home, but I've seen the "Mr. "X" name on a couple of discs I have and I remember at least two of them being obviously different voices, but whose, I couldn't tell ya!

Depending on the time period, the only possible singer that may have been under contract could have been Ernest Hare (was he ever?), but that's doubtful, since he turns up on dozens of the same vintage (and not GG owned) labels. Arthur Hall too recorded for almost everybody then, too.

There is a Grey Gull researcher in your neck of the woods, John. Her name is Donna Halper and I'd bet she could offer more light on the subject! My info above is mainly from things she has written on another list that I've been able to recall from memory.

Sean

[neophone]

Bill & Sean,

Thanks so much for the confirmation. I doubt we'll ever know the reason behind this specific pseudonym. Some were for contract evasion and some were for fooling the public. ;D I always think of Duke Ellington when I think of contract evasion, I think he has an exclusive recording contract with nearly every record company!

Regards,
J.

[maroongem]

You're alive!!!!!

I've been trying to reach you for a while.

Bill