[78-L] Sparton and Quality

[David Lennick]

Polygon was eventually sold to Nixa/Pye. I think I've seen Pet Clark on Quality 
in Canada, early to mid 50s..Sparton and Quality picked up all the indy labels 
they could get and Apex and London had many of them as well. Phonodisc began 
making inroads around 1956 and grabbed Kapp (originally with Quality on the Reo 
label) and used Regency for most of the little labels. Sometimes the Canadian 
label dealt directly with the UK..Sparton had direct access to Oriole, for 
instance, and issued Russ Hamilton's "Rainbow" without a stop groove. And I 
think the two parts of Cozy Cole's "Topsy" are split between Quality and 
Sparton. Could be wrong about that one.

dl

Royal Pemberton wrote:
> I'd wonder if that Canadian Sparton was at any time related to, or connected
> with, the old Sparks-Worthington Co that made the US Sparton radios (and
> owned Columbia Phonograph Company from c.1931--1934)?
> 
> Strange about the Laurie/Pye thing....but wasn't Pet still on Polygon in the
> UK in the late 1950s?  And when she was on Pye in the UK that material was
> all licensed from the French Vogue label, to which she was signed....
> 
> On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 6:24 PM, agp <agp2176 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
>> Based on the recent discussion that involved Dickie Goodman and the
>> Flying Saucer records I acquired a copy Flying Saucer the 2nd as
>> released on 78 by Sparton in Canada (as opposed to the Luniverse
>> pressing). Nice thing is that it came with a Sparton sleeve. The
>> sleeve has the legend 'HEAR .. SEE.. SPARTON T.V.'
>>
>> Not knowing a lot about Sparton, I have some questions. Were they
>> similar the UK's Pye in that they also made consumer electronics?
>>
>> Also -- apart from ABC Paramount, did they have fixed agreements with
>> US companies for release in Canada, or did the US indies shop their
>> releases to Apex, Quality, and Sparton, and who ever gave the best
>> deal got the release.
>>
>> A side note -- I picked up a 78 on Quality of Petite Fleur by Chris
>> Barbers Jazz Band and was surprised to see that it said 'by
>> arrangement with Laurtie Records, USA. While it was a release on
>> Laurie in the states in 58 (not on 78), and on Pye (on 78!) in the UK
>> in 59, I am surprised at the label credit. Did Pye not have a
>> Canadian deal of its own at that time for artists such as Petula Clark?
>>
>> T
>>
>>
> 
>