Brunswick Records: Valuable History

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The value of Brunswick records varies depending on their rarity and condition. For example, a 1960 Brunswick record in very good condition can be purchased for $37.60 on Etsy, while a 1918 Brunswick phonograph in excellent original condition can be priced at $5,000-$7,000.

The value of a 1917-1918 Brunswick Japanese Model phonograph

The Brunswick-Balke-Collander Company of Dubuque, Iowa, began producing phonographs in 1916, and the following year, they introduced the Brunswick Gramophone/Phonograph Model 207, a high-end phonograph that was one of the most popular on the market at the time. In 1917-1918, the company also produced the Brunswick Japanese Model, which was fitted with an Ultona Reproducer, allowing it to play all three types of records available at the time. This feature, along with its beautiful Asian motif, made Brunswick phonographs very popular.

The Model 207, which was available in oak, mahogany, and walnut finishes, retailed between $140 and $150 in 1921, which is equivalent to around $1950 in today's money. It was one of the first Brunswick gramophones to have a sound control device and to be available in a variety of finishes and styles, including Art Deco, Mission, and Neoclassical. It was also one of the first Brunswick phonographs to be able to play both lateral groove and hill-and-dale groove records due to its Ultona reproducer, which had two styli.

The Model 207 remained in production until the early 1930s when it was replaced by the Brunswick Phonograph Model 208. Today, it is considered a classic antique phonograph and is highly sought after by collectors. As for the 1917-1918 Brunswick Japanese Model, similar phonographs have sold at auction for $2,000-$3,000, while a dealer specializing in collectible phonographs might ask for $5,000-$7,000 for this model in excellent original condition.

Brunswick Records' R&B and soul music focus

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, based in Dubuque, Iowa, first began producing phonographs in 1916 and then started marketing its own line of records. These first Brunswick records were recorded in the United States but sold only in Canada.

In the 1920s, Brunswick Records expanded its popular music recording activities, recording the dance bands of Bob Haring, Isham Jones, Ben Bernie, and others. The label also had a successful jazz roster, including Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and King Oliver. In the early 1920s, Brunswick also embarked on an ambitious domestic classical instrumental recording program.

In 1930, Brunswick Records was sold to Warner Bros. and moved its headquarters to New York. During this time, the label signed artists such as Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters, and Cab Calloway. In 1939, the American Record Corporation bought the company and discontinued the Brunswick label in 1940.

In 1943, Decca revived the Brunswick label, mainly for reissuing recordings from earlier decades. After World War II, American Decca releases in the United Kingdom were issued on the Brunswick label until 1968. In the 1950s, the label added pop music to its catalogue and later made Brunswick its leading rock and roll label, featuring artists like Buddy Holly & the Crickets.

Starting in the late 1950s, Brunswick Records focused on R&B and soul music, signing artists such as Jackie Wilson, the Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin, and Tyrone Davis. Many of the recordings that established Brunswick as a major force in R&B and soul music were supervised by producer Carl Davis. The label's biggest-selling single during this period was "Higher And Higher" by Jackie Wilson, which sold over two million copies.

In the 1970s, Brunswick Records continued to record R&B and soul acts, including Hamilton Bohannon, Gene Chandler, and Little Richard. The Chi-Lites' "Oh Girl" was the label's only release from post-1957 to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. However, Brunswick and its sister label, Dakar Records, topped the R&B chart a total of 10 times during this period.

Brunswick Records became dormant after 1982 due to legal problems and financial difficulties. The label was revived in 1995 by the children of Nat Tarnopol, who had joined the label in 1957 as head of A&R. Many of the Chicago soul recordings from this era have been reissued in recent years.

Brunswick's first records

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The first Brunswick records were produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa, that had been manufacturing products ranging from pianos to sporting equipment since 1845.

In 1916, the company began producing phonographs and shortly thereafter started marketing its own line of records. These first Brunswick records used the vertical cut system, like Edison Disc Records, and were sold in Canada. They were not sold in large numbers.

In January 1920, a new line of Brunswick Records was introduced in the US and Canada that employed the lateral cut system, which was becoming the default for 78 discs. The parent company marketed them extensively, and within a few years, Brunswick became a competitor to America's "big three" record companies: Edison Records, Victor, and Columbia Records.

The first records released by Brunswick in 1920 included performances by the following artists:

• Cantor Kwartin
• Theodore Kittay
• Simon Paskel
• Sam Silberbusch
• Mischa Wachtel
• Elias Breeskin

The Brunswick-Pathéphone phonograph

The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company was established in Chicago in 1845 and initially manufactured a wide variety of products, including furniture, piano cases, carriages, and bowling balls. In 1913, a slump in the piano business led the company to shift its focus to making phonograph cabinets, and by May 1916, they had developed this business to the point of producing 16,000 machines.

While the exact date is unknown, it is believed that the company began producing records in late 1916, shortly after forming a partnership with Pathé. The first Brunswick records used the vertical cut system and were recorded in the United States but sold only in Canada. In January 1920, a new line of Brunswick Records was introduced in the U.S. and Canada that employed the lateral cut system, which was becoming the default for 78 discs.

The Brunswick line of home phonographs, including the Ultona phonograph, were commercially successful. The Ultona was capable of playing Edison Disc Records, Pathé disc records, and standard lateral 78s.

The Brunswick Panatrope

The Panatrope was sold as a radio and was considered "radio at its best, even at high noon under a blazing sun...tone that for clarity rivals the finest night-time reception." The Brunswick Panatrope met with critical acclaim and composer Ottorino Respighi selected the phonograph to play a recording of bird songs in his composition The Pines of Rome.

The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. had been making and selling the Panatrope brand record player for many years. It was considered the best player around in the early 1920s. They developed the first electrodynamic record pickup and in 1925 added it to the Panatrope player along with a Radiola 18 that provided the needed electrical amplification. They beat Radiola to the market by six months and were thus the first phonograph with an electrodynamic pickup.

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