[78-L] Columbia Archive Series

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> When CBS bought the American Record Corporation in 1938, Brunswick was 
> part of
> the deal. They phased out the Brunswick label in favor of Columbia over 
> the
> next couple of years and that somehow violated an original contract that
> required Brunswick to continue as a 75-cent label. CBS Columbia eventually 
> got
> to keep all Brunswick and ARC material dating from 1932 on (or late 
> December
> 1931) and earlier Brunswick stuff was bought by Decca in 1942. During the 
> 30s,
> Columbia existed as a classical label with a few popular recordings, 20s 
> stuff
> still worth keeping in print and European recordings, as part of ARC.
> Probably a lot more complicated than that but you get the idea.
>
As I understand it, ARC owned only the right to use the Brunswick name...and
that was dependent on a specified number of Brunswick records being issued
in a specified time. After CBS took over the ARC operation, they logically
issued primarily Columbia records, and Brunswick issues were allowed to
fall below the specified number...thus CBS lost the right to use the 
Brunswick
name and trade-marks in 1940. Decca then acquired the use of same...and
issued both Brunswick and Vocalion records at least into the sixties.

AFAIK (and I don't have the exact data here) Brunswick finished its life
as a Black-oriented indie "pop" label based on Chicago's "South Side"...?!

Steven C. Barr