[78-L] McCrory's--was: "heads up" for our Canuck contingent...!

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> Hey..I hadn't even noticed that BiWay had gone bi-byes.
>
Yup...long since defunct...?!
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylex
> -The BiWay stores chain was acquired by Hardof Wolf Group, a shell company 
> for
> the United States-based McCrory Stores, a dollar store chain.
>
McCrory, of course was NOT originally a "dollar store chain"...!
They started out as a "dime store" chyain, trying to compete with
F. W. Woolworth and S. S. Kresge (and I recall a McCrory's
dime store on the "square" in Clinton, Ill's., in my youth...!)

For all the shellacophiles out there in Radio-Land...McCrory's
were the purveyor of "Oriole" phonorecords, from c.1922 until
January, 1937 (7-01-xx)!

The first dozen or so Orioles were pressed by Cameo, using
various matrices which WEREN'T theirs, but used a prefix which
indicated the source...! From there until Or 250, the records
were pressed by Grey Gull, mostly using "borrowed" matrices.
They were notable for using VERY strange pairings...a "hit"
recording would be paired with something from their "standard"
recordings...!

At Or 250, the label started drawing from Plaza recordings. These
have their own discographic challenges...Plaza cut a small group of
"non-hit" sides, which were intended as B-sides for Oriole, Challenge
and other "super-bargain" labels. Since most of these issues did NOT
use their actual matrix numbers, there is NO reliable list of which
sides were actually issued under which control numbers...?! These
recordings, like Grey Gull B-sides, were issued under various titles...
as well, they do NOT fall under the "existing ledgers" group of Plaza
recordings...!

...stevenc