Thoughts on Labor Day

Here’s a treat for your Labor Day weekend enjoyment: “Everybody Works but Father,” by Bob Roberts on Edison 9100, released in October 1905. The Edison Phonograph Monthly had this to say about the number:

No. 9100, “Everybody Works but Father,” by Bob Roberts, is now being sung by Lew Dockstader in performances by his minstrel organization. This is one of the biggest hits that Mr. Dockstader has had. in years, being repeatedly encored wherever he sings It. The song humorously tells how the various members of the family work with the exception of father, who sits on the front porch all day. Mr. Roberts’s unusually clear articulation makes every word clearly understood. The Record will be found one of his best efforts and will b: one of the best sellers on the October list. Mr. Roberts is accompanied by the orchestra. “Everybody Works but Father” was written by Helf and Hager.

A favorite with record collectors, Cincinnati-born Bob Roberts (1871-1930) was a comic singer very much in demand about the time he recorded this cylinder. Victor, Columbia, Edison, and others all sought his services in the 1903-07 range, after which his output fell off sharply. Roberts recorded a lot of “coon” songs and other humorous selections, often the same material that Billy Murray was singing. In fact, Roberts famously took Murray aside when the latter was starting out, warning him not to muscle in on his territory.