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Vinyl
Vinyl

Laughter
Laughter
by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher
by Maxine Carter-Lome, publisher

ome of the earliest albums recorded for commercial distribution never supposed to listen
were comedy albums. Various collections of humorous short stories to hidden away some-
Srecited by vaudeville comedian Cal Stewart were released by where in the home.
Edison Records as early as 1898, according to Ronald L. Smith, author Radio and television
of Comedy on Record: The Complete Critical Discography. Cal Stewart played an instrumental
recorded monologues of jokes as the rustic “Uncle Josh.” His banana role in commercializing
peel jokes on the album “Uncle Josh in a Department Store,” recorded comedy from the 1950s-
in 1903, are considered some of the earliest recorded jokes of this genre. 1980s, introducing
For the most mainstream and later
part, early com- counterculture comedi-
mercial comedy ans to a wider listening
recordings were audience, and turning
what were called the more successful
“party records,” comedians into popular
with Belle Barth, figures of their day.
Moms Mabley, or Fans wanted more
Skillet & Leroy than the one routine
saying all those Mort Sahl The Future Lies Ahead they heard broadcasted
wonderfully A copy of this record is currently selling on Amazon and were looking for
naughty things for $189, with other copies selling for $65-$200 more from their favorite
that you weren’t comedians. Record
supposed to say in companies saw the production of these albums as a way to capitalize on
public. If you’re that demand by taping routines. Comedy albums became a respectable
of a certain age, segment of the recording industry thanks to comedians and record
your parents producers who had a head for comedy and business.
probably had a
stash of these NORMAN GANZ, VERVE RECORDS, AND MORT SAUL
records you were
The first comedy album of the modern age
Cal Stewart ad for his 1919 gig with second wife Rossini was Mort Sahl’s The Future Lies Ahead, released
Waugh Stewart, aka Gypsy Rossini and her violin, in on the Verve record label in 1958.
Lyons, KS. Stewart passed away on December 10 of that Verve Records was founded in 1956 by
same year and it was written in his obituary that Norman Granz (1918-2001), an American jazz
“His photograph records are probably in every home record producer and concert promoter, who
with a machine and it was with these monologues he represented such early noted African-American
gained country wide popularity.”
It was reported he died from a “tumor of the brain.” artists as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald,
Count Basie, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie,
Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, and more.
Although known primarily as a recording
At right: Moms The Word, 1964 label for jazz musicians, Ganz signed the noted
According to the liner notes, comedian to record his routines in front of a live
“Moms Mabley started audience. Sahl pioneered social satire that poked
in show business in 1924 when she was fun at political and current event topics using
already a mother of three.” improvised monologues and satire.
She also sings on this album, and is referred to
as “a sort of Grandma Moses of song.” The Future Lies Ahead was a satirical take on
the 1956 presidential campaign. Both Richard

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