Annotation

This group released as the American Quartet on Victor releases, as the Premier Quartet on Edison releases, and as the Premier American Quartet on releases by Emerson. Pathé releases used the name Premier American Male Quartet. Columbia used both the Premier American Quartet and American Quartet names. Okeh releases used the American Quartet name. Aeolian-Vocalion used both Premier American Quartet and the Murray Quartet. Edison releases appeared for this group using both the "Premier Quartet" and the "Premier Quartette".

Via contracts with Billy Murray, they were contracted to Edison for cylinder releases only, while also contracted to Victor for disc releases only, but each contract using the different name for the group. In 1914, Edison and Victor worked out an agreement regarding Billy Murray's contract, such that Edison also would be allowed to release discs with Billy Murray as a member of the Premier Quartet.

In July 1920, the members of the Peerless Quartet (which shared some of the same members as the first group), Billy Murray, and Henry Burr together signed an exclusive contract with Victor Records. With Murray now exclusive to Victor, the version of this group which recorded for Victor split from the version of this group which recorded for Edison, such that the American Quartet and the Premier Quartet were no longer the same group.

The post-split Premier Quartet released on other labels as the Harmonizers and as the Harmonizers Quartet.

Annotation last modified on 2008-05-12 05:30 UTC.

Discography

Unspecified type

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1909Medley of Popular ChorusesPremier Quartette1

Album

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1919Everybody Wants a Key to My Cellar / TurkestanAl Bernard / Premier Quartet1

Single

YearTitleArtistRatingReleases
1909Denver TownPremier Quartette1
1909Good Night, MoonlightPremier Quartette1
1909Little WilliePremier Quartette1
1909Swanee BabePremier Quartette1
1910Wedding BellsPremier Quartette1
1910Angel EyesPremier Quartette1
1911The NightingalePremier Quartette1
1911In the Land of HarmonyPremier Quartette1
1911The Washington WaddlePremier Quartette1
1912The Red Rose RagPremier Quartette1
1912That Mysterious RagPremier Quartette1
1912Oh, You Beautiful. DollPremier Quartette1
1912Moonlight BayPremier Quartette1
1912The Ragtime ViolinPremier Quartette1
1912I Would Like to Try It, but I'm Just AfraidPremier Quartette1
1912Everybody's Doin' It NowPremier Quartette1
1912Skeleton RagPremier Quartette1
1922A Darktown Quartet Rehearsal / Operatic SyncopationPremier Quartet / Billy Jones and Ernest Hare1

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