Big Bill Broonzy Archives

Perfect Record Label 1922-Apr. 1938

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.

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.

Perfect Record Label: Note the Sun Worshippers

Perfect Record Label: 1937-1938. Blue and Silver.

1941-1945s Label: None

Post-WW2 Label: None

Numbers from start to 1945: #100-16000. A listing of records from 1928-1931 can be found here:
http://www.78discography.com/PE15000.htm

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.

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.
—Perfect Race Record Blues Encyclopedia Entry
–Discography of Perfect Race Record Numbers

Conqueror Record Label

Produced from 1926-March 1942 exclusively for Sears at a price of 39 cents. Designed as an expensive label to complement the Silvertone, Supertone, and Challenge labels. Pressed by Regal Record Company from 1926-June 1929 and then pressed American Record Company (ARC) from 1929 onward. When ARC took over the pressing, they dropped all mention of Sears on the record.

The trumpeters were removed in 1934 and replaced by a simplified shield design. When ARC was bought by CBS in 1938, CBS kept the Conqueror label and packaged the label in sets. In the label’s final days (1938-1942) the Conqueror’s shield appeared as black rather than red. Many of Conqueror’s artists used pseudonyms and because Sears was at various times contracting three different record companies to produce music and those record companies often drew from the same catalogs or master records there is considerable duplication of music. However, some records may be alternate takes, and records produced after the 1938 acquisition tended to be artists from the CBS catalogs.

Music Genres: Country, Jazz, Blues, Swing, Pop.

Pre-WW2 Label: Red background with decorative rim and trumpeters.

Record Label: 1929-1934. Note the absence of Sears. May be in red or orange. — Conqueror Record Label: 1929-1934. Note the absence of Sears. It may be in red or orange. This indicates it was made by ARC.

From 1934-1938 the record label has a basic red shield without the trumpeters.

Record Label: 1934-1938. Red color with shield. Notice the lack of trumpeters.

1941-1945 Label: After being bought by CBS, the label switched to being all-black.

Post-WW2 Label: None.

Numbers from start to 1945: 7000-10000. Numbers 7254-7277 are race and country artists.

Notes: Famous artists found on this record label include: Big Bill Broonzy, Lucille Bogan (aka: Bessie Jackson), Amos Easton aka Bumble Bee Slim, Lil Johnson, and Memphis Minnie. Other important artists include Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Gene Autry.

Listen to Dear Old Western Skies by Gene Autry on a 1934 Conqueror Record.

Listen to My Gage is going up by Memphis Minnie on a Conqueror Record most likely from the early 1930s.

Sources:
http://www.mainspringpress.com/sears-labels.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.

The Blues Encyclopedia

Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942