[78-L] "HitsByBarron"and"HitsByHutton"

[Han Enderman]

All Elite 5000 series labels (Hits by ...) state "The Classic Record Co., New York" along the upper rim,
but in the (early) range 5001-5005 I have seen labels stating "The Imperial Record Co., ...".
Apparently the first pressings by an earlier Obie company. 
Hit 7000/8000 series say "Made by ELITE ...", but high cat.nrs refer to Classic Rec Co.
All label types shown in ARLIE, though not all in correct chronological order.
- Han Enderman
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>>> The Blue Barron titles were recorded in mid-November, 1941. All of the Elite 'Hits By...' discs were released as singles.
Eli Oberstein's Classic Record Co. introduced the 50 cent black label Hit in early May 1942. Hit began releasing albums in late July, 1942. 
Elite releases continued to dribble out but they were all reissues of Varsity sides in an X-prefixed series.
Effective March 1, 1945 Majestic took over the entire operation.
 DJD
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BLUE BARRON & HIS ORCHESTRA:
	Hits By Barron  5003 (W 102)  "This Love Of Mine"
	Hits By Barron  5003 (W 103)  "Why Don't We Do This More Often?"

      INA RAY HUTTON & HER ORCHESTRA:
	Hits By Hutton  5007 (W 113)  "Madelaine"
	Hits By Hutton  5007 (W 114)  "A Sinner Kissed An Angel"
	Hits By Hutton  5008 (W 115)  "Everything I Love"
	Hits By Hutton  5008 (W 116)  "You Made Me Love You"
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FWIW, I'm looking at Johnny Jones & His Orchestra on Hit 7038 "I Dreamt 
The War Was Over" (mx W255), from 1945 per Billboard. Is it likely "Hit" 
masters and "Hits By..." masters came from the same place?
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I think these were all Eli Oberstein labels. The "Hits By Bunny Berigan" label 
definitely was, and the HIT label followed..and was eventually absorbed into 
Majestic.
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These "Hits By" records were one of "Obie's" projects; they eventually 
credited
"Elite" as the label. The "W" matrices also appear on Hit, and eventually on
Majestic. There were a few of them that were surreptitiously recorded during
the AFM ban, in 1942-43...?!
Steven C. Barr 
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