Wikipedia:Featured sound candidates/Gershwin - Swanee

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Gershwin - Swanee[edit]

Swanee
Al Jolson's hit 1920 recording of George Gershwin and Irving Caesar's 1919 "Swanee". Sheet music is available at Wikisource.

This is George Gershwin's first hit, and, I believe, the only major song of Gershwin's in the public domain. Better still, this is the recording that popularised it and made it a hit, which is also out of copyright.


One thing that must be addressed: While I'm told that the term "mammy" now has racist connotations, I believe it only meant "nursemaid" at the time, gaining the negative connotations through increasingly-exaggerated portrayals of black nursemaids and similar. I obviously have no desire to support racism in this nomination, but feel that this song, where the singer is simply looking forwards to seeing his mammy again, probably was not intended as racist. Certainly, Gershwin went on to write Porgy and Bess and other such works, and is usually considered a major promoter of black culture.

As the only major song of Gershwin we could possibly have on Wikipedia for the next... what is it, twenty-five years? I feel this piece is too important not to at least consider for featured sounds, particularly as I believe the sound fidelity is far better than phonograph cylinders normally achieved. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 17:55, 18 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

  • Nominate and support. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 17:53, 18 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support As this is the recording that made it famous. Zginder 2008-10-18T18:53Z (UTC)
  • Support even though the noise does not please me, but I like the tune. :) Off the topic, could you get a file of Rhapsody in Blue in PD?--Caspian blue 00:34, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I'm afraid not. Basically, Wikipedia's an American corporation, Gershwin's American, and American copyright law is really ridiculous. For instance, nothing more will come out of copyright in America for the next 15 years. So, basically, we can use Pre-1923 American works, a few things that didn't have copyright renewed, and that's it.
Almost all of Gershwin's work is after 1923, including Rhapsody in Blue. Barring the copyright holders having acted foolishly - forgetting to renew copyright, say - or copyright reform, this is the only reasonably well-known Gershwin work we'll be able to use until 2033.
Obviously, this is presuming you live in America. If you don't, everything above still applies to Wikipedia (servers n America) but may not apply personally to you. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 00:58, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
P.S. I'll see if I can get any more noise removed, but there is a balancing act to run between removing noise and keeping the richness of the voice. But if I find any more pops or clicks I'll zap them, and I'll play with the balance a bit. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 01:02, 19 October 2008 (UTC). Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 01:00, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I mistakenly thought that the US copyright law applies to materials in pre-1932 something; 23 is reversed The work was composed and performed in 1924 and you brought this up here, so I assumed we can have a same chance on the most famous piece by him. I also forgot about my failed attempt to add a score image to Die tote Stadt for the nick of time (just one year gap!) Anyway, thank you for the reply and hard work--Caspian blue 01:12, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, what's the problem with Die tote Stadt? It'd have to be uploaded here, not on commons, but it's from 1920, and English Wikipedia allows PD-US foreign works. Great opera, byt he way. I have a recording. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 01:36, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I mean the score was published in Germany 1920, but in Chicago, 1924. Therefore, I could not upload the image to Commons (because I wanted to add it to other language wikipedias) As for the recording, do you have a pre-1923 recording of the opera? @.@ --Caspian blue 01:41, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
God, I wish. Just a modern one. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 12:46, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Why 1933? I thought it was 95 years not 110. Zginder 2008-10-19T02:28Z (UTC)
From death, I fear: Gershwin died in 1937, and copyright expires at the start of the next year, so 1938 + 95 = 2033. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 12:46, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
From death only applies to works published after 1978, before that 95 years for publication is what all works that were renewed follow. If it was from the death of the author all his works would have been in the PD on 01-01-1988 as it was 50 years after death until the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Zginder 2008-10-19T18:57Z (UTC)
That's confusing, but, well, let's see if it gets extended at the end of those 95 years. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 21:02, 19 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support But I've heard this recording (and I do mean this recording) with a 'brighter' sound. Difficult? --Kleinzach 01:02, 23 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    • It's probably possible, but I think that this is more accurate. Making it sound brighter would presumably be done with equalization. I could have a go if you want, as an alternate? Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 14:46, 23 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support. An important and interesting recording. The other side of Gershwin being "a major promoter of black culture" is the argument that his work contributed to negative stereotypes of black culture. We don't have to defend Gershwin's motives or the politics of the work to appreciate its encyclopedic value.--ragesoss (talk) 15:29, 24 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support Agree with Ragesoss, we don't have to defend motives to recognise encyclopedic value. ++Lar: t/c 19:43, 1 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]


Promoted Al Jolson, George Gershwin, Irving Caesar, Swanee 1920.ogg. --MZMcBride (talk) 22:29, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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