Author: Pat Costa

Brunswick Records (1916-1950s)

Founded by Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company in 1916. In 1924, Brunswick dropped a multi-colored label in favor of a simple black and gold coloring scheme with a shield. In the same year, Brunswick would introduce the Hall of Fame series. The Hall of Fame series would be produced from 1924-1935.

Brunswick would buy the Vocalion label in 1924. By 1928, they dropped the “A” – “B” side designations in favor of underlining the preferred side. In 1930, Brunswick Records were sold to Warner Bros. Warner Bros became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner Bros Pictures.

Warner Bros. leased Brunswick to ARC in 1931. Records between 1930-1938 would carry a statement that they were “Manufactured in the USA by Brunswick Radio Corp.”. To get more precise, records produced between 1930-1932 said “Brunswick Radio Corporation” on the labels, and between 1932-1940 “Brunswick Record Corporation” is seen.

For an interesting look at the ARC corporate headquarters which housed Brunswick see: this 508 Park Avenue, Dallas blog posting.

American Record Company was bought by Columbia Broadcasting System in Dec. 1938. Brunswick would introduce the Melotone budget label in 1930 and CBS would discontinue it in May 1938. CBS would discontinue the Brunswick label in April 1940. This violated the lease agreement and resulted in Brunswick being transferred to back to Warner Bros. Pictures. Decca would by the label in May 1941.

In 1943Decca revived Brunswick mostly to reissue past recordings primarily from the 80,000 series as a Collector’s Series (mostly blues and jazz from the 1920s/1930s).

Decca would produce the Brunswick label in an LP and 45 formats in the 1950s.

Music Genres: Blues, Pop, Jazz, re-issues.

Pre-1941 Label:  The first label was between 1916-1924. Note the “B” side. The record came in many colors including black, purple, yellow, green, and blue. All have a similar design.

A second label redesign occurred between 1924-1928. Note the “B” side. Brunswick design now black and gold shield with a scrolled border. Colors may be tan or purple.

A slight modification occurred between 1928-1940. Brunswick would underline the preferred side.  If the record has an underlined side and has the phrase “The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company” at the bottom, it was made probably between 1928-1930. That is the time after the underlining was introduced yet before being leased to ARC. After being leased to ARC, records between 1930-1938 would carry a statement that they were “Manufactured by in the USA by Brunswick Radio Corp.”

A Hall of Fame series made by Brunswick came out between 1924-and 1934. Yellow/Gold in color.

1941-1945s Label: When the record label was sold to Decca in 1944, they adopted the Brunswick label to sell their Collector Series. The collector series is displayed predominately at the top. Decca also released reissues under the Brunswick label. These labels display the phrase “Subsidiary of Decca Records, Inc.”.

The above record, Buddy’s Habits by Red Nichols and his Five Pennies may be heard below:

Post-WW2 Label: Brunswick would release 45s and eventually LPs.

Numbers from start to 1945: 100-55000

Notes: Frank Sinatra first recorded on the Brunswick Label in 1939 with the song From the Bottom of my Heart (#8443).

Sources:
—http://www.45-sleeves.com/USA/brunswick/brun-us.htm
—http://www.capsnews.org/barrbru.htm
—http://bsnpubs.com/decca/brunswick/brunswick.html
–Rust, Brian. The American Record Label Book. Arlington House Publishers, NY. 1978.
–Sutton, Nauck. American Record Labels and Companies: An Encyclopedia (1891-1943). Mainspring Press, CO.2000.