Len Spencer
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Len Spencer (February 12, 1867 – December 15, 1914) was an early American recording artist. He recorded numerous popular songs in the pre-1920s, the most popular of which was "Arkansaw Traveler" (sic!) (1902). The song is an early novelty record and consists of a back and forth banter with an Arkansas local who is playing a fiddle. Examples of the conversation include asking "How far is it to the next crossroads?", to which the answer is given, "You just follow your nose and you’ll come to it." He asks, "How long have you lived here?" The answer, "See that mule? It was here when I got here." Another, he ask him why he doesn’t fix the leak in his roof, to which the man replies that it’s been raining. He then asks why he doesn’t fix it when it isn’t leaking. The answer, it doesn’t leak when it doesn’t rain. The song ends with him completing the fiddle tune for the Arkansan.
Some of his most popular recordings include:
- "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom Der E" (1892)
- "The Old Folks at Home" (1892)
- "Little Alabama Coon" (1895)
- "Dat New Bully" (1895)
- "A Hot Time in the Old Town" (1897)
- "Hello! Ma Baby" (1899)
- "Ma Tiger Lily" (1900)
- "Arkansaw Traveler" (1902)
