“The First RCA Victor Recording of 1948”: Petrillo,
Truman and the 1948 Recording Ban
Emil R. Pinta
Columbus OH
scritchpinta@prodigy.net
The New York Times, Dec. 15, 1948, p. 46, announced the end of
an 11.5-month recording ban by the American Federation of
Musicians. The article featured photos of James C. Petrillo,
president of the AFM, and David Sarnoff, head of RCA.
The NY Times reported: “At the RCA-Victor studios a chorus of
Metropolitan Opera Stars made a special non-commercial recording
of ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’ to be presented to President Truman.
Mr. Petrillo led the singers in their rendition of the song and also
recorded a greeting to the President.”
“The First RCA Victor Recording of 1948”
Mx. D8-MB-4077, rec. Dec. 14, 1948, at 5:26 p.m.
Twelve Identified Vocalists
1. Perry Como (1912-2001); 2. Marilyn Cotlow (1924 - ); 3. Tommy
Dorsey (1905-1956); 4. Cloe Elmo (1910-1962); 5. Thomas Hayward
(1917-1995); 6. Dorothy Kirsten (1910-1992); 7. Jan Peerce (19041984); 8. Gladys Swarthout (1900-1969); 9. Ferruccio Tagliavini
(1913-1995); 10. Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960); 11. Fran Warren
(1926- ); 12. Leonard Warren (1911-1960)
Group Photo from NY Star (unknown date)
Photo Removed
L to R: T. Hayward, L. Warren, G. Swarthout, L. Tibbett, J. Peerce, M. Cotlow,
T. Dorsey, F. Warren, P. Como, D. Kirsten, C. Elmo. Jack Priest, pianist
Opera News, Jan. 17, 1949, p. 14
Time Magazine, Dec. 27, 1948, p. 56
Time described the recording event in a brief article
entitled “One for Harry.” No photo was given. The
article described vocalists practicing words to the refrain
in RCA-Victor’s Studio One while waiting for Petrillo to
arrive. He arrived with David Sarnoff just before 5 p.m.
Petrillo muffed the first version of his Xmas greeting to
Truman and blamed it on the attractiveness of the
women present.
Time reported that nine Met “headliners” were “helped
out” by Perry Como and Fran Warren. Afterwards, Como
“rushed” to Studio Two where he recorded RCA-Victor’s
first commercial record after the ban--“Missouri Waltz,”
said to be Truman’s favorite.
James Caesar Petrillo (1892-1984)
President AFM 1940-1958
Time Cover, Jan. 26, 1948
Photo Removed
James Caesar Petrillo (1892- 1984)
Born and raised in Chicago.
Played trumpet in early years, but discovered skills were as a union organizer
and labor leader.
President of Chicago Local 10 of the AFM from 1922 to 1962.
Earned reputation as tough-talking and often controversial leader.
Elected president of AFM in 1940. Membership increased from 134,000 in
1940 to 232,000 in 1948. Petrillo became highest paid union leader in the
U.S.
Two goals as AFM pres. were to unionize the Boston Symphony Orch.,
accomplished in 1942, and to gain support for a recording ban.
Petrillo waged war against all forms of “canned music” that replaced musicians’
jobs: records and transcriptions (Muzak) in restaurants; jukeboxes in bars
and saloons; records broadcast over radio; and movie soundtracks.
In June 1942 announced that a recording ban would begin on Aug. 1st.
AFM Recording Ban of 1942 to 1944
1. Ban lasted 27 months from Aug. 1942 to Nov. 1944 for RCA and
Columbia; Decca signed earlier agreement with AFM in Sept. 1943.
2. The AFM bypassed broadcast stations, jukebox and restaurant owners
and went to point of origin of recorded music—the recording studios.
3. Petrillo wanted royalties paid by record companies for each record
made that would go into a union welfare fund for unemployed musicians.
4. Ban ended when major record companies agreed to pay 1/4 to 5 cents
for each record made and 3 percent of profits for transcriptions. In 1946
record royalties amounted to $1.7 million and $2 million in 1947.
5. Contracts expired at end of 1947.
AFM Recording Ban of 1948
1. Ban in effect from Jan. 1, 1948, to Dec. 14, 1948.
2. Although Petrillo gave several reasons for calling this second ban,
the deciding factor was conflict with the federal government over
the union-welfare fund.
3. In June 1947, a Republican congress passed the Taft-Hartley
Labor Act, restricting the power of labor unions.
4. Taft-Hartley was passed over the veto of President Truman
who called it a “slave-labor act.”
Taft-Hartley Blues, 1947
Photo Removed
AFM Recording Ban of 1948 (cont.)
5. One stipulation of Taft-Hartley was to outlaw union-controlled welfare funds
distributed to union members whose employers did not contribute to the
funds. Consequently, the AFM Union Welfare Fund was declared in violation
of Taft-Hartley.
6. In Dec. 1947, Petrillo was so enraged that he vowed no AFM musician would
ever record again!
7. In Dec. 1948, the issue was resolved when the U.S. attorney general and
secretary of labor—acting on Truman’s behalf—ruled the AFM Union
Fund would be legal if managed by a non-union trustee appointed by the
secretary of labor. Recording was restarted Dec. 14, 1948.
8. Royalties paid by record companies were similar to pre-1948 ban royalties,
although a more complicated formula was used.
“I’m Just Wild About Harry,” 1921
w/m by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Intr. In “Shuffle Along”
Photo Removed
“I’m Just Wild About Harry
Pres. Truman Campaign Song, 1948
Photo Removed
“Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here”
Truman and Petrillo Rendition, 1954 AFM Convention
The First RCA Victor Recording of 1948
Greeting to President Truman by James C. Petrillo


“Mr. President, it is a pleasure and a privilege to extend to you on
behalf of 237,000 musicians of the American Federation of Musicians
the season’s greetings. There is no one to whom we would rather
help dedicate this first recording of 1948 than to you, a fellow
musician and a great president.
“If you will pardon my rewording of a familiar wish, may I say to
you a Merry Christmas and a Truman New Year.”
The First RCA Victor Recording of 1948
Chorus of “I’m Just Wild About Harry”
I’m just wild about Harry, and Harry’s wild about me.
The heav’nly blisses of his kisses fill me with ecstasy.
He’s sweet just like choc’late candy,
And just like honey from the bee.
Oh, I’m just wild about Harry,
And he’s just wild about, cannot do without,
He’s just wild about me.
Summary
RCA-Victor Mx. D8-MB-4077 has importance in several
areas:
1. As a recording of research and discographical interest
consisting of a highly unusual combination of popular
and operatic artists that is not included in published
discographies.
2. As an vestige of the U.S. labor movement and
recording bans; and, in particular, the 1947 TaftHartley Labor Act in which President Truman
interceded on behalf of labor.
References
Anderson, Tim: Buried Under the Fecundity of His Own Creations: Reconsidering the
Recording Bans of the American Federation of Musicians, 1942-1944 and 1948.
American Music 22:231-269, 2004
Leiter, Robert D.: The Musicians and Petrillo. New York, Bookman Associates, 1953
Lunde, Anders S.: The American Federation of Musicians and the Recording Ban. The
Public Opinion Quarterly 12, 1: 45-56, 1948
NY Times: Records Ban Ends as Clark Upholds Petrillo Accords.
Dec. 14, 1948, pp. 1, 39
NY Times: First New Discs Under Pact Made. Dec. 15, 1948, p. 46
Seltzer, George: Music Matters: The Performer and the American Federation of Musicians.
Metuchen NJ, Scarecrow Press, 1989
Time: The Pied Piper of Chi. Jan. 26, 1948, pp. 18-22
Time: One for Harry. Dec. 27, 1948, p. 56
E-mail: scritchpinta@prodigy.net