From 1907, vaudeville star Helen Trix sings the hit comic song,
The Bird on Nellie's Hat.
The Bird on Nellie's Hat
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| Company |
Edison's National Phonograph Company
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| Cylinder # |
9450
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| Category |
Comic song
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| Title |
The Bird on Nellie's Hat
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| Performed by |
Helen Trix
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| Circa |
January 1907
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| Announcement |
"The Bird on Nellie's Hat, sung by Helen Trix. Edison record."
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Helen Trix was a versatile vaudeville actress whose singing was very much
in the style of the "queen" of comic songs,
Ada Jones,
but Trix recorded only 6 two-minute wax recordings (for Edison).
This month's selection was her most popular record and a big seller for Edison.
The Historical Society of Berks County [Pennsylvania] remarks:
Helen Trix (1886-1951), a contralto, was very famous in her day
and started making discs and cylinders for Victor and Edison in 1906.
[Trix's sister] Josephine (1898-1992), a soprano, later teamed with
Helen--but often sang on her own.
Both were major vaudeville
stars in America, England, and Paris (where they ran a casino).
Helen wrote much popular music, most of which was widely published.
They recorded extensively in England in the late
1920’s for both the Columbia and HMV companies.
— Courtesy, Historical Society of Berks County.
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To hear
The Bird on Nellie's Hat —
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For help playing these sounds, click here.
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No. 9450, "The Bird on Nellie's Hat," by Helen Trix,
is a new comic song by Alfred Solman (music) and Arthur J. Lamb (words).
The little bird on Nellie's hat sees and comments on the love making of Nellie's various beaux.
Miss Trix sings with orchestra accompaniment and in her usual clear and distinct voice.
The chorus:
I'll be your little honey, I will promise that,
Said Nellie as she rolled her dreamy eyes,
It's a shame to take the money,
Said the bird on Nellie's hat,
Last night she said the same to Johnny Wise,
Then to Nellie Willie whispered as they fondly kissed,
I'll bet that you were never kissed like that.
Well he don't know Nellie like I do,
Said the saucy little bird on Nellie's hat.
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— November 1906 Edison Phonograph Monthly [announcing the January records]
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— This cylinder of the month is from the collection of Art Guenther —
To hear other examples of wax cylinders, see the
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