QRS Automatic / Clark "Red X" / Seeburg XP EXPRESSION ROLLS: All three of these roll types use exactly the same expression coding. The first two were intended for the home market while the latter (Seeburg XP) were originally rolls of up to 8 or 10 titles which were intended for public use - the rolls have a shutoff slot which would be needed for coin-slot machines; Seeburg X pianos and Phonogrand pianos used these rolls. The good news is that many titles were issued as a result of this variety of sources, and I have located examples of all three types which appear below. In most cases these rolls are issued from QRS masters, and the cross-references are indicated here (however a number of XP rolls have been found with no known QRS equivalent). Note in particular that most of these rolls are exactly the same arrangements as a QRS equivalent, and this is a great opportunity to attain these titles (ie. it is unlikely that they will be recut from the standard QRS roll)! Follow this link to my dedicated Melville Clark page, on which you will find a more detailed overview of all Automatic roll types, an illustrated survey of all known roll label variations, and technical information (tracker bar layout, service manuals, and other information on adjusting Apollo expression pianos).

Playing Automatic rolls on regular 88-note player pianos: automatic rolls are layed out so that they will play fine on any standard 88-note player. If you wish, you can use a piece of Scotch tape to cover channels 3-6 on the bass end so that no extraneous notes are played on your piano. For details please take a look at a brief BluesTone Tracker Bar Comparison. Note that the automatic sustain channel will still operate normally in this case.

Auto-001 / One-Step Medley for Dancing $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100231 / September 1915)

including The Sweetest Girl in Monterey (Paley) Charlie Straight - QRS 100222
The Debutante (Pete Wendling) Pete Wendling - QRS 100220
and I Love to Tango With My Tea (Egbert Van Alstyne) Charlie Straight - QRS 100221

Don't let the unassuming titles of these individual tunes dissuade you from listening to these rolls! Many of these World War I - vintage dance rolls were issued on QRS Automatic rolls, and are excellent arrangements! They are full of raggy devices such as double-time measures and lively filagries sprinkled throughout the piece . This medley roll comprises three complete individual tunes which were issued separately as shown above. Of particular note is The Debutante which was written by Pete Wendling; the roll says it was recorded by Walter Redding, but there is no doubt that the recording is by Wendling!

Auto-002 / Fox Trot Medley for Dancing played by Max Kortlander $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100287 / ca. 1915)

including When Old Bill Bailey Played the Ukulele - (individual QRS # unknown)
Hello Hawaii, How Are You? - QRS 100286
and When You're Down in Louisville Call On Me - QRS 100289

Again don't be fooled by the unexciting titles of these tunes! Although the label indicates this is played by "Harold Ivers", it is unmistakably the work of Max Kortlander, and full of his exciting devices. It is difficult to describe Kortlander's style without getting bogged down in terms that don't really describe the feeling that results, so I won't waste your time. But after you hear a few of them you'll start to see what I mean. Oddly, I was unable to find any reference of the first tune as being issued individually on either a QRS Autograph roll or a QRS word roll.

Auto-003 / Fox Trot Medley for Dancing played by Max Kortlander $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100375 / ca. 1916)

including Come On to Nashville Tennessee - (individual QRS # unknown)
Asia Minor and You - (individual QRS # unknown)
and Put Your Arms Around Me Lindy Lou - (no known individual QRS # 's)

Here is another fine Kortlander dance medley. In this case the three tunes are strung together into one continuous medley, and none of them was issued separately on any other roll! Hot, snappy versions of these tunes make this a very nice roll.

Auto-004 / Grieving For You (Gibson, Ribaud & Gold) played by Zez Confrey $12
(originally issued on Clark Red X 7198 / December 1920) - same as QRS 1262
lyric sheet included with roll

This excellent Zez Confrey roll has never been recut before! This arrangement is exactly the same as QRS Word Roll 1262. I know collectors who don't collect Confrey rolls but still have this because the tune is great and this is one of Zez's best rolls! The QRS roll was issued with words, but to my knowledge Clark Red X rolls were NEVER issued as word rolls. I have located an original QRS copy of this roll and copied the lyrics for inclusion with this recut, so it is now available with Automatic expression and WORDS for the very first time!

Auto-005 / Wimmin (Cantor - Fisher) played by Max Kortlander- same as QRS 1884?
and Baltimore Buzz (Sissle & Blake) played by James P. Johnson- same as QRS 1738 $15
(originally issued on Seeburg XP 188 - tunes 1 & 4 / ca. 1922)
two lyric sheets included with roll

These two fine tunes appeared on Seeburg XP roll #188. Most of us have probably heard the Johnson roll, but Wimmin is quite obscure and an EXCELLENT roll -- one of the best Kortlander rolls I have ever heard! I have yet to locate an original QRS word roll of Wimmin, but I was able to copy the lyrics from a Connorized roll of the tune. Baltimore Buzz is the same as the standard QRS release except a repeat of the chorus was deleted. This recut is the cream of the crop from this XP roll!

Auto-006 / One-Step Medley for Dancing played by Charlie Straight $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100210 / ca. 1915)

including Dublin Bay - (individual QRS # unknown);
Alabama Jubilee - (individual QRS # unknown);
It's Tulip Time in Holland - (individual QRS # unknown);
Listen to That Dixie Band - (QRS 100207);
and My Tom Tom Man - (QRS 100208)

This is one LONG roll! The first three tunes appear to be the only time the tunes were released as played by Charlie Straight, and the last two appeared on individual rolls as indicated above. All five are lively Charlie Straight performances and make for a great medley roll.

Auto-007 / Midway Trot (Meinken) played by Max Kortlander - (QRS 100331) $18
Bantam Step (Jentes) played by the composer Harry Jentes - (QRS 100340)
and Let's Trot (Gustin) played by Max Kortlander - (QRS 100332)
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100345 / ca. 1916)

This is another LONG roll! All three tunes appeared as individual QRS rolls; Bantam Step is so good that I recut it from the individual composer-played roll on my first list, back in1988! The first and third tunes are top-notch Kortlander arrangements, as you might suspect.

Auto-008 / Blue Fox Trot Medley for Dancing $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100811 / June 1918)
lyric sheet included with roll

including Hesitation Blues (Middleton-Smythe) played by Pete Wendling - (QRS 533);
Those Draftin' Blues (Maceo Pinkard) played by Pete Wendling - (QRS 479);
and Has Anybody Seen My Corrine (Johnson) played by Max Kortlander - (QRS 100780);

Another LONG roll! Ed Sprankle dug this out of his collection for us. This roll (100811) had not previously been accounted for in my QRS Autograph roll research, so it was a particular pleasure to find such a good roll among the unaccounted-for! Hesitation Blues is the best tune here, and I was able to copy the lyrics for it from the QRS word roll. So far I haven't turned up a copy of Those Draftin' Blues; Corrine is the same as100780. Great stuff!

Auto-009 / Rag Medley for Dancing $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 31386 / ca. 1913?)

including Moose Rag (Ted Johnson);
My Irish Romeo (Al. W. Brown);
Contagious Rag (Edw. Mellinger);
Notoriety Rag (Kathryn L. Widmer);
and Grizzly Turkey Trot (Roth-Roberts)

Auto-010 / Dance Medley $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 31388 / ca. 1913?)

including American Tango (Nat Osborne);
Grace & Beauty Rag (James Scott);
Old Hickory March (Harry J. Lincoln);
Dixie Doodles (Joseph Ruben);
and Leg O' Mutton (S. Rohmberg)

I knew these two medley rolls existed from a 1916 QRS Automatic roll catalog, but I was pleasantly surprised to find actual copies! Before a friend offered them to me for recutting use, I had never run across any arranged Automatic rolls in anyone's roll collection. Both rolls are continuous medleys as opposed to individual tunes with pauses, and the arrangements are all very good.

Auto-011 / Fox Trot Medley for Dancing played by Max Kortlander $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100434 / ca. 1916)

including Come Back to Arizona (Herman Paley) - same as QRS 100420;
If You Love Your Girl in the Summertime (Piantadosi) - same as QRS 100418;
and Down Honolulu Way (Burke) - same as QRS 100421

Don't let the unexciting titles of these individual tunes fool you! This medley roll consists of three complete, terrific Max Kortlander arrangements which were issued separately as shown above; Come Back to Arizona in particular is just raggedy as hell! Many of these World War I - vintage dance rolls were issued on QRS Automatic rolls, and are excellent arrangements. They are full of raggy devices such as double-time measures and lively filagries sprinkled throughout.

Auto-012 / Fox Trot Medley for Dancing played by Max Kortlander $18
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100484 / ca. 1916)

including Moonshine Sally (Santly) - same as QRS 100467;
On A Summer Night (Gus Edwards) - same as QRS 100460;
and My Pirate Lady (Sigmund Romberg) - same as QRS 100464

This is a VERY long roll (over 78 feet!!) with three more complete, great Max Kortlander arrangements. And again, the titles don't do these hot performances justice; they all sizzle.

Auto-013 Fox Trot Medley $18
(originally issued on Seeburg XP 187-1, 2 & 3 / ca. 1921-22)

including Molly-O (Emery-McNeil) played by Max Kortlander- same as QRS 1840
My Darling (Leslie-Monaco) played by Pete Wendling- same as QRS 1744
and Everybody Step (Irving Berlin) played by Max Kortlander - same as QRS 1741

As with my Auto-005 recut above, these are a bit later than most of the other Automatic rolls I've recut. These are taken from Seeburg XP roll #187 and feature more of a swing feel than the WWI-era one-step feel dominant in most of the earlier rolls.

Auto-014 "A World of Pleasure" Fox Trot Medley played by Max Kortlander $15
featuring Ragtime Pipes of Pan, Girl of the Fan, and I'll Make You Like the Town
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100288 / ca. 1915) - sheet music is included for "Ragtime Pipes of Pan"

Auto-015 Pete Wendling Dance Medley No. 1 played by Pete Wendling $15
featuring Poor Butterfly (Raymond Hubbell),
Yaddie Kaddie Kiddie Koo (George W. Meyer),
From Here To Shanghai (Irving Berlin),
I Know I Got More Than My Share (Johnson), and
Pray For The Lights To Go Out (Will E. Skidmore)
(originally issued on QRS Automatic 100562 / February 1917)

If you like Pete Wendling and Max Kortlander rolls (and I know you do, if you've EVER heard any) then you're going to love these two fox trot medleys. "A World of Pleasure" was a Broadway show with tunes written by Sigmund Romberg. One of my good customers located the original sheet music to "Ragtime Pipes of Pan" for me, so it is now included with the roll! These tunes are great and the roll is nice and long. The roll label says "played by Walter Redding" but I think it's Max Kortlander.

Pete Wendling Dance Medley No. 1 is another outstanding roll which readily lives up to the great reputation of Wendling, who is one of the most popular of hot piano roll artists. I promise you are really going to like these rolls!

These dance medleys are nice and long, and both feature outstanding, lively arrangements as were typical of the best rolls of the mid-teens. QRS Automatic rolls will play on all standard 88-note players, and they have expression coding for the Melville Clark Apollo expression piano system. If you happen to have one of these expression pianos, you will be especially pleased with these two selections