The Oldest Recorded Sound in the World

[Alan]

1) Frank Lambert - Talking Clock Experiment (1878) Actually recorded on tin foil (!), this was to be built into a prototype "talking clock" of some sort, and is believed to predate Edison's first recordings. Sounds like crap, but you are hearing history itself.
2) Excerpt from "The Messiah" (Crystal Palace, London, 6-29-1888) Get ready for this...it's the oldest recorded music in the world! Sounds even more like crap, but again, unbelievable. What's also hard to believe is it took another TEN YEARS before somebody thought to do this, but technology moved much slower then.
3) Thomas Edison - Around the World on the Phonograph (October, 1888) This, too, blows my mind. It's actually Thomas Edison speaking! How cool is that? I mean, there are no time machines, but imagine if George Washington called and left you a voice mail! That made no sense.
4) BONUS: I Am the Edison Phonograph (1906) Store demo record to be played whilst unsuspecting customers investigated the new technology. Five bucks says somebody yelled out that it was possessed by an evil spirit and destroyed it with a hatchet.

Frank Lambert - Experimental 1878 Talking Clock (possibly oldest surviving recorded sound).mp3

Messiah Excerpt, Crystal Palace, London, 6-29-1888 (oldest recorded music).mp3

Thomas Edison - Around the World on the Phonograph (Oct 1888).mp3

[Alan]

I Am the Edison Phonograph (store demo, 1906).mp3

[abby]

Thanks, Alan, an interesting tidbit for my audio collection!!! Abby :)