1923-1926 Rudolph Valentino Sings-Kashmiri Love Song/El Relicario 78rpm Record

$

77

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See above for photos of the record Record/Artist: - Rudolph Valentino 78 RPM 10 inch Record Side 1: Kashmiri Love Song (In English) Side 2: El Relicario (In Spanish) Recorded in New York May 14, 1923 Released in 1926 (after his death)   Info below from Falcon Lair, The Rudolph Valentino Homepage (with thanks)

While in New York during the spring of 1923, Rudolph Valentino paid a visit to the Brunswick studios and recorded two songs. El Relicario in Spanish and The Kashmiri Song in English. According to legend, Valentino recorded these songs for his new bride, Natacha Rambova since they had recently wed after a few very tense years of legal difficulties concerning Valentino's divorce from Jean Acker.

It was reported that after he heard his voice, he quipped "There goes my opera career!" It is difficult to imagine what his true speaking voice would have been based solely on the evidence of his two extant vocal recordings. The recordings were made using the acoustical process (singing into an acoustical recording horn). Because of this, the sound is far more primitive than the far superior technical process which came a mere 2 years later, the birth of the electrical process (microphone recording). Had Valentino chosen to try his hand again at making a recording during the electrical period, we would have had a truer voice picture from which to judge.

Nevertheless, many contemporary accounts state that Valentino's speaking voice was very pleasant with an accent leaning more towards Spanish/French rather than a heavy Italian. It is his Italian accent that can be heard very clearly on the recording of the Kashmiri Song. Most particularly in his pronunciation of the word "whom" in the phrase "Whom do you lead on rapture's roadway far?" -- which sounds more like "oom-ma" (illustrating the problem experienced by many native Italian speakers with the Americanized "who" sound).

Since these two recordings are the only known extant recordings of Rudolph Valentino's voice, one can hardly speculate on his future had he lived to make talking pictures with any real accuracy. The quality of his singing voice aside, I would like to think he would have succeeded well into the sound era, he just would not have been a musical star! He would have adapted himself to acting in sound films with aplomb. By the time he made Son of the Sheik in 1926, his acting style had matured and he, like many silent other stars, had refined and raised his acting ability far above the norm. He had a patrician elegance and grace that transcends. Once moviemaking had past the 1928-1932 awkward "talkie" stage, and Valentino himself aged a little bit, he would have perhaps fulfilled his dream of producing and directing in the later years of his career. Rudolph Valentino was a far thinking man and had planned to retire the romantic hero not too far in the future, he knew that being a romantic idol was not a career of longevity. Death cut his aspirations short and we are left only with speculation of which direction his career would have turned.

  Condition: -Record sounds like an old 78, noticible background noise (a lot of this might disappear with a proper cleaning), but the recordings sound fine (but remember, recorded a long time ago, doesn't sound like a modern day recording). Record has numerous surface scuffs and marks, also a couple of pressing dimples, but none deep and they don't affect the play, no skipping (see last two photos above I try to show the surface marks. Photos taken under harsh bright light to shpow marks, not as noticible in regular lighting). Surfaces still have nice luster to them.  Labels in in nice shape, light wear, minimal spindle marks, still shiny, strong image and lettering. Please examine the photos, I think they are accurate in showing condition.     Shipping Weight:  1 pound   USA Buyers: FREE Media Mail Shipping.

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