Tim Gracyk's video: The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine Manuel Romain Edison Blue Amberol 1743 1913 Laurel and Hardy

Laurel and Hardy sing "The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine" in the classic film "Way Out West." Manuel Romain sings it here. Maybe this is the original recording known to Laurel and Hardy, eh? Edison Blue Amberol 1743 1913 On a mountain in Virginia stands a lonesome pine. Just below is the cabin home of a little girl of mine. Her name is June, and very very soon she'll belong to me, For I know she's waiting there for me 'neath that lone pine tree. In the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia On the trail of the lonesome pine In the pale moonshine our hearts entwine Where she carves her name and I carved mine-- Oh, June--like the mountains I am blue! Like the pines, I am lonesome for you! Manuel Romain was born on October 1,1872, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to a book by Edward Le Roy Rice titled Monarchs of Minstrelsy (Kenny Publishing Company, 1911). Jim Walsh noted that one source identified Romain's birthplace as Boston while other sources suggest Gibraltar or Spain. Romain spent much of his youth in the Boston area. He worked in a jewelry store for a time, then pursued a singing career. The April 1916 issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly states that he confined himself to church and concert work until 1893. It also states, "Then he went into the minstrel field, appearing with Primrose and West, W. S. Cleveland, Primrose and Dockstader, W.H. West and Lew Dockstader's Minstrels--covering in all fifteen seasons. In 1906 he made his vaudeville debut and scored a tremendous 'hit' with some of his original compositions." Rice reports, "In 1907 Mr. Romain entered the vaudeville field with an elaborate production entitled 'Down in Music Row,' and met with flattering success. Two years later he produced 'Before and After the Ball,' which, if possible, achieved even greater success..." He was a composer as well as a performer. Songs written by the tenor include "I Would If I Could But I Can't," published in 1903, and, with lyricists Leighton and Leighton, "The Message of the Old Church Bell." The latter was published in 1905 by the Helf & Hager Company, owned by J. Fred Helf and Fred W. Hager. In his first few years as a record artist he cut many ballads written by Helf as well as other songs published by Helf's company. Romain was more closely associated with Edison than any other company during his recording career. He made his debut with the two-minute cylinder "When the Blue Birds Nest Again, Sweet Nellie Gray" (9628), issued in September 1907. The July 1907 issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly announcing its release identifies Romain as "a member of Dockstader's minstrels." That first cylinder was followed in October by "Meet Me Sweet Kathleen in Honeysuckle Time" (9664). His first four-minute cylinders were "Roses Bring Dreams of You" and "Belle Brandon," made available on October 1, 1908, when Edison's new four-minute Amberol cylinders were introduced to the market. In late 1909 the first of several Victor discs was issued: "When We Listened to the Chiming of the Old Church Bell" (16363), backed by Walter Van Brunt's "When I Dream in the Gloaming of You." Romain recorded it on August 20, 1909, along with three other songs. Following these releases, Romain signed an exclusive Edison contract. "When You Were Sweet Sixteen," issued in January 1910, was the first cylinder to appear under this new arrangement. Though he was a popular Edison artist, a special list of 500 "slow selling" cylinders issued by the firm on September 15, 1910, which authorized dealers to charge only 20 cents apiece in order to clear out inventories, contained a higher percentage of his titles than by any other singer. Walsh suggested that most of Romain's cylinders sold well when first issued but then sold poorly as newer material came out. Romain was exclusive to Edison for one year. He began working for Columbia in July 1912. Songs he recorded for the company include "When I Lost You" (A1288, 1913), "I Miss You Most of All" (A1454, 1914), and "You're More Than the World To Me" (A1577, 1914). Columbia literature called him a counter-tenor despite his voice being a rather deep, chesty tenor, close to the baritone range. He does not seem to have worked with a duet partner or in ensembles though occasionally he was assisted by a mixed or male chorus. Soon after recording engineer Victor Emerson left Columbia to start his own firm, Romain began working for the new company, producing in 1916-1917 a string of double-faced seven-inch Emerson discs. In 1917 he sang "My Own Iona" on a vertical-cut Starr record. He also worked for Rex around 1915 to 1917 and for Imperial around 1918. On December 22, 1926, Manuel Romain died in a hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts, of acute anemic hemorrhage and cancer of the bladder.