This series attempts to create information for records that would’ve been around for any adult living during World War Two. The age range will be from 1900 to 1945.
About the 78 Record Project Series:
Collecting 78 Records is a recent hobby of mine. I enjoy going into antique stores and finding 78 Records and playing them on my record player. There is just something enjoyable about listening to the snaps, crackles, and pops on vintage record players that digital cannot capture. I think for me, it is the connection to the past. That shared experience of selecting a record, setting it, adjusting the needle, and playing it that digital music lacks. Digitized music can come across as impersonal (after all, it is nothing but 1s and 0s), whereas music in a physical format is deeply personal.
Project Purpose and Organization:
The purpose of this article is to provide historical reenactors with some basic information regarding period-correct records. The idea is to give a reenactor who may not know enough about records some “rules of the record” to visually identify a period-correct record.
This project series will be organized around record labels. It will focus more on the common record companies before and during World War II. Any record from any company (including some of the smaller record companies/labels and the companies/labels that were defunct by WW2) could have been played on a player. Budget labels and older-named labels will be included where relevant.
The labels of this project will include only the following 78 Record Labels:
The article will not cover musicians or bands unless mentioned specifically. This article will not cover Edison discs or cylinders, as Edison records require a specific Edison player rather than a generic record player. This article does not cover Canadian, British, or other European 78 record labels and companies unless relevant. The dates for the record label and the catalog numbering of the records are not designed to be completely accurate, but provide a general time frame.
Finally, I will cover some Post-World War II records, as they have a tendency to be grouped together with Pre-World War II records. This is an important consideration as the discerning historical reenactor may seek to exclude those that are beyond the dates of World War II (1939-1945).
For a brief historical narrative of the US record industry between 1925-1950, as well as a survey of retail pricin,g see: THE U.S. RECORD INDUSTRY AND THE RETAIL PRICE OF POPULAR RECORDS, 1925-50 by Steven Lasker, who helps run the Vintage Jazz Mart website.
Below is a link that describes how the records were made, along with notes for anyone interested in collecting 78s.
The Starr Piano Company produced the budget Champion Label from 1925 to Dec. 1934 and would often feature a release of a Gennett artist under a different name to avoid paying royalties. In 1927, the Champion label appeared with the word “Electrograph.” Champion records may be blue, black, or red. The Champion label was sold to Decca in June 1935. Decca would remove the word “Electrograph” and add the phrase “Electrically Recorded.” Decca discontinued the Champion label in April 1936.
Music Genres: Country, Jazz, Blues, “Race-Records”, Gospel, novelty, obscure, Hopi Indian Songs, political speeches, sound effects, Christmas greetings, and Klu Klux Klan Propaganda (pressed on the KKK’s labels 100%, 100% American, Hitch, or KKK)
Early Champion Label
Champion Record Label: 1925-1927.
Late Champion Label
Record Label: 1927-1936. Note the word “Electrograph” beneath the Champion label.
While not on a Champion Record, the song Mickey Mouse and Minnie’s in Town is just too cool not to hear:
1941-1945 Label: None
Post-WW2 Label: None Numbers from start to 1945: #15000-16832
Notes: none
Sources: –http://www.starrgennett.org/stories/history/1.htm -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.
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.
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.
Brunswick 1916-1924
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.
Brunswick 1924-1928
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.”
Brunswick 1928-1940. Note the phrase “Brunswick Radio Corporation” at the bottom.
A Hall of Fame series made by Brunswick came out between 1924-and 1934. Yellow/Gold in color.
Brunswick Hall of Fame Series
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 Aeolian-Vocalion was created by the Aeolian Piano Company in 1916. The Piano company produced, besides pianos, phonographs. Having a record label was the natural extension. In Aug. 1920 Aeolian introduced reddish-orange pressings. In 1921 the title label “Aeolian-Vocalion” was replaced by just the “Vocalion” title label in a black and gold color scheme. Acquired by Brunswick Records in 1925, Brunswick would keep the black and gold color scheme and add the phrase “Brunswick Record Corporation” at the bottom. American Record Company (ARC) would acquire leasing rights to Brunswick Records (including Vocalion) in late 1935 and create a glossy black design. It would stay that way until 1937 when the label turned a bright blue.
The bright blue label would last until 1940 when Vocalion was acquired by Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and discontinued. The Vocalion catalog was then re-leased under the CBS name. Delta Blues singer Robert Johnson first recorded on the Vocalion label in 1936-1937.
The Aeolian-Vocalion recording studio was located at Aeolian Hall in New York. There were pressing plants in New York and Meridan, Connecticut.
Music Genres: Race-Records, Blues, Specialties, Swing, Country, Western swing.
Pre-1941 Label: Some are in black shellac and some are in reddish-brownish shellac.
Aeolian-Vocalion Record Label: 1916-1920. This record is pressed in black. Tiger Rag by the Original Dixieland Jass Band was first released on the label.
Record Label: 1916-1920. Label colors: Tan, Gold, Black.
Tiger Rag-
Aeolian-Vocalion Record Label: 1920. Pressed in red. The song titled “You are Free: From Apple Blossoms” is recorded by John Charles Thomas who was a baritone with a “beautiful voice”. Though, Fritz Kreisler and Viktor Jacobi initially wrote the song.
Record Label: Aug. 1920. Red Record color.
“The Profiteering Blues” was written by Irving Bibo and sung by Bill Murray. Bill Murray was an early 20th-century singer and entertainer.
Profiteering Blues
Record Label: Jan 1920
“The Profiteering Blues” on Aeolian-Vocalion by Bill Murray
Aeolian-Vocalion Record Label: In 1921, the label drops “Aeolian-Vocalion” in favor of just “Vocalion”. When it was bought by Brunswick Records in Nov. 1924, the phrase of “Brunswick Record Corporation” is added at the bottom.
Record Label: 1925-1935 Black and Gold scroll. Note “Brunswick Record Corporation” at the bottom.
Aeolian-Vocalion Record Label: In the mid-1930s, Brunswick redesigns the label to have a glossy black finish with the label name, artist, and other record information in a scroll-like shape. The song on this label, “In That Vine Covered Chapel (In the Valley)” was sung by Lee O’Daniel and his Hillbilly Boys. The group is an example of western-swing.
Record Label: 1935-1937. Glossy black.
Aeolian-Vocalion Record Label: Late 1930s, the label goes to a Blue and Tan color scheme.
Record Label: 1937-1940. Bright blue label.
“There’s a Blue Sky Way Out Yonder” by the Saddle Tramps
1941-1945s Label: None
Post WW2 Label: None
Numbers from start to 1945: 1000-70000
Notes:#1000 is the race-record series. The Hoosier Hot Shots, a string quartet band known for their unusual instruments, is also recorded on the label.
Sources:
-John Charles Thomas Biography Sheet from the University of Iowa —www.78rpmrecord.com –Aeolian-Vocalion Discography : For a complete discography see “Vocalion” at the bottom. —http://www.capsnews.org/barrbru.htm: Brunswick and Vocalion –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
A budget brand of the Pathe-Actuelle Label. The Perfect Record Label operated under the Pathe-Actuelle controlled Perfect Record Company. Early Perfect labels were black for popular music or maroon for classical. These early labels used an octagonal border. By 1923, the label design changed to two nude sun-worshippers. Red shellac pressings were introduced in late 1924 but discontinued in 1931 in favor of black shellac. Perfect created a series called Perfect Star Series for higher-end talent. After being bought by the American Record Company (ARC) in 1929 the label remained the same until a re-design in 1937 to an undistinguished blue-and-silver label without a pictorial trademark. Perfect would be discontinued by ARC in April 1938.
Music Genres: Pop, Orchestra, Classical, Band, Blues
Pre-1941 Label:
Perfect Record Label: 1922-1923. Notice the octagonal border.
Perfect Record Label. Early
Uncle Josh (Cal Stewart) was a monologuist known for telling humorous stories with a unique laugh. I’ve included a link to the audio of Uncle Josh at the Circus below. It is on a Columbia record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GvmVTtZy6g
Perfect Record Label: 1923-1937. The record may be black, blue, green, or red shellac with nude sun-worshippers.
Notes: The Race record series was called Perfect 100s. It was started in July 1926. These were duplicates of Pathe’s race series (#7500). Rosa Henderson and Mary Staffard would feature prominently on the Perfect race-record series. Another race artist include Big Bill Broonzy (operating under the pseudonym of Sammy Sampson). Big Bill would also have a side project with Tommy Dorsey, called The Famous Hokum Boys.
Founded in France and came to the US in 1914 as the Pathe-Freres Phonograph Company. Pathe-US would introduce a short-lived budget brand called Sapphire in 1915. Another label called Actuelle would be created in Sept. 1920. The Actuelle label was at first red, black, and gold on a buff, white, or another color background. They were replaced by a similar label in 1922 of gold and black for popular music or gold and maroon for classical. In 1922 the Pathe-Freres Phonograph Company went bankrupt.
By Nov. 1922 Pathe-Freres was re-organized as the Pathe Phonograph and Radio Corporation. They would introduce two new labels: Perfect and Pathe-Actuelle. The Pathe-Actuelle (sometimes referred to as Pathe) label had a race record series that was introduced in 1924. Pathe-Actuelle and Perfect were merged with the Cameo Record Corporation in Oct. 1927. Two years later, Cameo was bought by the American Record Corporation (ARC) in 1929. ARC dropped Pathe in March 1930 and Perfect in 1938. The Perfect record label can sometimes be seen in red shellac rather than black.
Music Genres: Pop, Orchestra, Classical, Band, Blues
Pre-1941 Label:
Pathe Record Label would last from 1914-1922. In 1922, Pathe-Freres would reorganize as a different company and created a different label.
Pathe Label, 1914. Note the Chicken
The Sapphire Record Label, 1915.
Sapphire Record 1915
Actuelle Label, 1920. This would replace Sapphire as a budget brand label.
Actuelle Label redesign in 1922. This redesign would not last for long as Pathe-Freres would reorganize as a different company the same year.
Actuelle Label, 1922
Pathe-Actuelle Label, 1922. This was the new label of the former Pathe-Freres company, now reorganized as the Pathe Phonograph and Radio Corporation. After ARC buys the corporation in 1929, they would drop the label.
Pathe-Actuelle Label, 1922.
1941-1945 Label: None Post-WW2 Label: None Numbers from start to 1945: 10000-60000
Notes: The Perfect Record Label went from #100-16000
Sources: -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.
Paramount Records (1918- Aug. 1932; 1934; 1948-1970)
Paramount Records was produced by New York Recording Laboratories (NYRL) which were owned by the Wisconsin Chair Company, which was headquartered in Port Washington, Wisconsin. The last Paramount label records were sold in Aug 1932.
The Black Swan Record Label was bought by Paramount in May 1924. They then discontinue it and re-introduce it as the Paramount Black Swan Label in June 1924. A redesign of the Black Swan Label would be introduced.
The following year, in 1925, Paramount Records would acquire the Broadway Record Label from Bridgeport Die and Machine Company of Bridgeport Connecticut.
America Record Company (ARC) would buy the Paramount label in 1934 and released a few records before discontinuing the label. ARC would also drop the Broadway Label in 1934. Decca would pick the Broadway label up for a brief time in 1935 only to discontinue it within the year.
Paramount was revived in 1948 by the Wisconsin Chair Company and by 1952 was producing reissues of older recordings. By 1970, the recordings of Paramount were sold to the Jazzology Records group but the name “Paramount Records” was sold to Paramount Pictures.
During the first 7 years until Aug 1926, all Paramount label records were blue and gold. The Paramount logo was an eagle with spread wings. In 1926 the color changed to black with the phrase “Electrically Recorded” in lowercase type near the right of the spindle hole. Labels printed before 1925 state the following phrases “This Record is Made Entirely in Our Own Laboratories in New York City and Grafton Wisconsin” or “This is a Vertical Cut Record Made in our own Laboratories” around the rim of the record. After 1925 the phrase along the record-bottom rim changed to “The New York Recording Laboratories Inc.”.
Music Genres: Race Records, Country, Blues.
Pre-1941 Label: 1918-Aug 1926. Consists of blue and gold coloring.
Paramount Record Label: 1918-Aug 1926. Note the blue and gold coloring Sometime after Aug. of 1926 the label had a redesigned to black and gold.
Paramount Record Label: 1926-1932. The spindle-hole phrase “Electrically Record” came about in 1926. The phrase along the bottom, “The New York Recording Laboratories Inc.”, came about in 1925. Note the black and gold coloring.
Black Swan: Black Swan, an almost exclusively “race record” label. This label may be seen in orange and black, yellow, red, blue, black, purple, or red. Paramount would buy the Black Swan Label in May 1924, discontinue it, and then re-introduce it as the Paramount Black Swan Label (keeping the black swan logo but adding the Paramount wings) in June 1924.
Black Swan Record Label: Note black swan icon at top.
Record Label: Black Swan label as bought by Paramount in 1924.
Broadway Record Label: This record label was in production by Paramount from 1925 to 1933. ARC would drop the label. Decca would pick the Broadway label up for a brief time in 1935 only to discontinue it within the year. Note the black and gold coloring.
1941-1945 Label: None
Post World War II Label: 1948 redesign. Silver and black coloring.
Paramount Record Label: Post-WW2 production
Numbers from start to 1945: 1-20000 Notes: The 12000- series is the label’s “Race Record” series.
Oriole (the US label not the UK label which is separate) was a budget label that was sold exclusively in McCrory’s chain of stores. This store was one of the many “five and dime” style stores. Records sold for $25 cents. McCrory’s started in Pennsylvania but went out of business in 2002. Manufactured by Scranton Button Company.
In 1929 American Record Company would take over Oriole. The first Oriole records were black on orange with 1923 displayed. By mid-1924 the 1923 copyright date disappears. The orange label would be replaced in 1927 by a design in gold on black and white. ARC would keep the label colors but shrink the label size.
In 1935, the colors change to gold on maroon but retaining the original design. Oriole Records would be dropped in 1938. The label contained my anonymous and pseudonyms. Indeed, Fletcher Henderson recorded under the pseudonym Sam Hill.
Music Genres: Pop, Country, “Race” records, Blues.
Pre-1941 Label: Orange, Black, and Maroon
Early Label 1924-1927
Record Label: 1924-1927. Orange and black.
Mid Label: 1927-1935
Record Label: 1927-1935. Gold, black, white color scheme.
Late Label: 1935-1938
Record Label: 1935-1938 Gold on maroon
1941-1945 Label: None
Post-WW2 Label: None
Numbers from start to 1945: 100-8000
Notes: The 8000 series are the race records.
Alabamy Bound: Fletcher Henderson Orch as “Sam Hill & His Orchestra” (take #3, with Louis Armstrong) / Bookers Dixie Jazz Band on Oriole 347.
Sources:
-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.
Melotone was owned by Brunswick Record Corporation and marketed as a budget-brand record. It was discontinued by 1938. Melotone labels were silver on blue, but in 1934 the colors were switched to gold on dark green. By late 1936 or early 1937 the label went back to silver on blue. Melotone would often carry duplicates of music found on other labels. Many of Melotone’s recordings were done under pseudonyms or anonymous. Several important artists recorded under this budget brand: Blind Boy Fuller, Eddie Cantor, Annette Hanshaw, Lead Belly, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter.
Pre 1941 Label: A combination of silver on blue or gold on dark green.
The original label was silver on blue. This color scheme was in production between 1930-1936.
Record Label: Early label. Original silver on blue. 1930-1934.
Sometime in 1934 they made a switch to a gold and dark green label. This would be in production until 1936.
Record Label: 1934-1936. Gold and dark green.
In the label’s final years they would switch back to the original silver on blue label. Note the “Full Range Recording” at the top.
Record Label: 1936-1938. Back to the original blue and silver.
Blind Boy Fuller: I’m Goin’ to Move
1941-1945 Label: None
Post-WW2 Label: None
Numbers from start to 1945: 12000-13457. Prior to 1935 Melotone records started with an M. However, by 1935 some started with a “35” or a “5.” Some numbers for 1936 start with a “6.” Some numbers for 1937 start with a “7.” Some numbers for 1938 start with an “8.” The early label Melotone’s numbering system would include the date as representative as the last 2 digits (12030 would mean a record was made in 1930).
Notes: None
Sources: -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.
Emerson Records was founded by Victor H. Emerson a former employee of Columbia records. Emerson Records were part of the Emerson Phonograph Company (also founded by Victor Emerson). The first Emerson discs were 5.5in. and 7in. discs of various New York musicians recorded under the band name “Emerson Symphony Orchestra”. After World War One the business expanded to include 9in. and 10in. records. To market to the immigrants they created a line of 12in. classical records. Emerson then began to contract with musicians such as Eddie Cantor to record exclusively for the label. The rapid expansion after World War One coupled with a newly opened recording studio in Los Angeles over-extended the company.
It would be bought up by the Scranton Button Company in 1924. The company produced buttons made out of shellac so it had the production to also make shellac records out of the same material.
The Scranton Button Company would eventually stop selling Emerson Records and apply the Emerson name only to radios. Late Emerson records are very rare and are identified by an “Electrosonic Emerson” meaning Emerson switched to using microphones to record. This switch occurred as the Scranton Button Company was phasing the line out. By 1928 Emerson was no longer a label and parts of the catalog were sold or leased to other companies.
While the record branch would no longer exist the name Emerson and the factories that produced phonographs would be used to produce household electronics graduating from phonographs to radios to TVs, air-conditioners, and now other small consumer electronics. Indeed, Emerson exists today as Emerson Radio and includes the iconic oversized treble clef as part of its logo.
Music Genres: Classical, Pop, Ethnic, Foreign, Jazz, Urban Blues, and “Race-Records”.
Numbers from label start to 1945: 300-10903 with the 19000 series being ethnic German music and the 12000 series being ethnic Italian music.
Pre-World War II Label: Black, Blue, Red (being the Premier label designed to compete with Columbia’s Red Seal), or Maroon always with a shield.
Black, Blue, Red (for Premier), or Maroon always with a shield.
Emerson would have a label change in mid-1923. The label would drop the shield and favor an oversized musical treble clef. Colors would be the same as the early Emerson label.
Record Label: Mid-1923. The New Emerson label. Black or Red or Blue. With an oversized treble clef.
1941-1945 Label: None
Post-World War II Label: None
Notes: None
Sources:
-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.
