Brunswick Records: Where Is The Label Now?

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The company first began producing phonographs in 1916 and then started marketing its own line of records. The first Brunswick Records were produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1920, a new line of Brunswick Records was introduced in the US and Canada that employed the lateral cut system. In 1930, Brunswick-Balke-Collender sold Brunswick Records to Warner Bros. In 1932, the UK branch of Brunswick was acquired by British Decca. In 1943, Decca revived the Brunswick label, primarily for reissues of recordings from earlier decades. After World War II, American Decca releases were issued in the United Kingdom on the Brunswick label until 1968. In 1952, Brunswick resumed releasing new material, initially focusing on rock and roll before transitioning to R&B and soul music in the late 1950s. The label has worked with artists such as Jackie Wilson, The Chi-Lites, and Buddy Holly.

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1916

In January 1920, a new line of Brunswick Records was introduced in the US and Canada, employing the lateral cut system that 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 Brunswick line of home phonographs was also a commercial success, with their Ultona phonograph capable of playing Edison Disc Records, Pathé disc records, and standard lateral 78s.

In 1924, Brunswick acquired the Vocalion Records label. The audio fidelity of early-1920s Brunswick discs was above average for the era, pressed into good-quality shellac. The company expanded its popular music recording activities, working with popular artists and orchestras in Chicago and New York. In 1925, Brunswick introduced its own version of electrical recording, the "Light-Ray" process, though these early discs had harsh equalization.

In 1930, Brunswick-Balke-Collender sold Brunswick Records to Warner Bros., and the company's headquarters moved to New York. In 1931, Warner Bros. leased the Brunswick record operation to Consolidated Film Industries, the parent company of the American Record Corporation (ARC). In 1939, the American Record Corporation was bought by the Columbia Broadcasting System, which discontinued the Brunswick label in 1940 in favor of reviving the Columbia label. In 1941, Warner sold the Brunswick label to American Decca, which revived the label in 1943 for reissues of earlier recordings.

After World War II, American Decca releases were issued in the United Kingdom on the Brunswick label until 1968. In the 1950s, Decca made Brunswick its leading rock and roll label, featuring artists such as Buddy Holly. In the 1960s, the label primarily featured African-American acts. The label was discontinued in 1973 when all labels owned by MCA, including Decca, were merged into MCA Records.

The company first manufactured sporting equipment and pianos

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

In 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 cut for 78-disc records. This new line of records was extensively marketed by the parent company, and within a few years, Brunswick became a competitor to America's "big three" record companies: Edison Records, Victor, and Columbia Records.

The Brunswick line of home phonographs was a commercial success. One of their hits was the Ultona phonograph, which could play Edison Disc Records, Pathé disc records, and standard lateral 78s. By the early 1920s, Brunswick had expanded into popular music recording activities, and in 1925, they introduced their own version of electrical recording, which they called the "Light-Ray" process.

In 1920, a new line of records was introduced in the US and Canada, using the lateral cut system

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, based in Dubuque, Iowa, first produced records under the Brunswick label. The company had been manufacturing products ranging from pianos to sporting equipment since 1845. In 1916, they began producing phonographs and subsequently started marketing their own line of records. These first Brunswick records were recorded in the United States but sold only in Canada and used the vertical cut system, like Edison Disc Records.

In January 1920, a new line of Brunswick Records was introduced in the US and Canada, employing the lateral cut system. This system was becoming the default for 78 discs. The new line started with a standard popular series that began at 2000 and ended at 8517 in 1940. The parent company marketed the new records extensively, and within a few years, Brunswick became a competitor to America's "big three" record companies: Edison Records, Victor, and Columbia Records.

The lateral cut system was becoming the standard for 78 discs, and Brunswick's adoption of this system was likely a strategic move to increase their market share and compete with the major record companies. The switch to the lateral cut system also aligned with the technological advancements and innovations of the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic prosperity and cultural dynamism in the US and Europe. This new line of records contributed to Brunswick's success in the early 1920s, with their discs offering above-average audio fidelity for the era.

The introduction of the lateral cut system in 1920 marked a significant shift for Brunswick Records, allowing them to expand their reach and establish themselves as a major player in the American and Canadian music industries.

In 1930, Brunswick Records was sold to Warner Bros

The roster of artists under Brunswick Records included Duke Ellington, Red Nichols, Nick Lucas, Al Jolson, Earl Burtnett, Ethel Waters, Abe Lyman, Leroy Carr, Tampa Red, and Memphis Minnie. Soon after the sale to Warner Bros., the label signed rising radio and recording stars Bing Crosby, Mills Brothers, and Boswell Sisters.

Unfortunately, the dual impact of the Great Depression and the introduction of broadcast radio harmed the recording industry. Sales crashed, dropping by around 90% from more than 100 million records in 1927 to fewer than 10 million by 1932. This forced major companies to halve the price of records from 75 to 35 cents.

In December 1931, Warner Bros. offloaded Brunswick to the American Record Corporation (ARC) for a fraction of its former value. Warner maintained ownership of Brunswick, which reverted to them after ARC was sold to CBS in 1939. In 1941, Warner sold Brunswick and Vocalion to American Decca, with all masters recorded prior to December 1931.

The UK branch of Brunswick was acquired by British Decca in 1932

Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. The UK branch of Brunswick was acquired by British Decca in 1932, following a series of sales and leases.

In April 1930, the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company sold Brunswick Records to Warner Bros., and the company's headquarters moved to New York. Warner Bros. then leased the Brunswick record operation to Consolidated Film Industries, the parent company of the American Record Corporation (ARC), in December 1931.

In 1932, the UK branch of Brunswick was acquired by British Decca. This acquisition added stars such as Bing Crosby and Al Jolson to the Decca roster. Decca continued to run the UK branch of Brunswick under the Brunswick name.

Between early 1932 and 1939, Brunswick was ARC's flagship label, selling records for 75 cents while all other ARC labels sold for 35 cents. During this time, many artists moved from Brunswick to Decca, including Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. This caused Brunswick to reissue popular records by these artists on the ARC dime store labels to compete with Decca's lower price point.

In 1939, the American Record Corporation was bought by the Columbia Broadcasting System, which discontinued the Brunswick label in 1940 in favour of reviving the Columbia label. This violated the Warner lease agreement, resulting in the Brunswick trademark reverting to Warner. In 1941, Warner sold the Brunswick label to American Decca.

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