This song is personal favorite of mine. Carl Martin’s humorous admonition to all prize fighters, telling them to stay off Joe Louis’ beat is a classic. There isn’t a wasted word in this song, and Martin’s delivery is as solid as a punch from the champ himself. It’s a shame the 78 has the snap, crackle, pop of an old recording.
Let’s get ready for the next baseball season with Ed Meeker’s version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” This classic recording of a hundred-year-old song extolling the virtues of America’s pastime is a must-listen.
Mr. Meeker was an Engineer at Edison Records when he was asked to record this version of a song written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. Ironically neither of these gentlemen had ever been to a baseball game before writing this classic song. We have enhanced the sound quality of the original wax cylinder digitally with Michael Rosen’s assistance.
Opening day of the baseball season always makes me think of Ed Meeker and his classic song “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. Edward Meeker served as Thomas Edison’s announcer on many of the audio recordings on the Edison label. He also performed Vaudeville skits and created sound effects in those very early days of recorded entertainment. Remember to sing along! “It’s 1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out at the old ball game.”
Check out our new Enhanced Audio version
Here’s a cool video with some historical images including the original penned lyric sheet:
