Projects Archive

Velvet Tone Records (1925-1932)

Velvet Tone was introduced in 1925 by Columbia as a budget label. It was discontinued in 1932. The label recorded 1,500 records and focused mainly on pseudonymous performances by Columbia stars and miscellaneous free-lance musicians. The exception was that in 1930 a 7000 series was introduced devoted to blues and race items. The label relied on acoustic recordings rather than the newer technology of electrical recordings.

Sources
—http://www.columbiarecords.com/timeline/#!date=1893-09-14_09:55:12!
—http://lp-originales.info/documents/online_editable_page_1.php
–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.

Harmony Records (1925-1932)

Columbia introduced Harmony as a budget label in Sept. 1925. It was discontinued in June 1932. Between 1925 and 1932, Harmony focused mainly on pseudonymous performances by Columbia stars. Harmony was priced at 50 cents mainly because the Harmony label did not record in the electrical recording technology. In the summer of 1949, CBS will revive the Harmony label in a puce color but will discontinue it by early 1950 after only about 100 reissues of Columbia material. By mid-1957 CBS will introduce a new redesigned Harmony label in a 45 format and LP format.