[78-L] capitol Label Types

[david.diehl at hensteeth.com]

The earliest East Coast Capitols were pressed by the Clark Phonograph Co. in New Jersey. These typically have a small circle around the spindle hole. Early Scranton pressings usually show a small, mirror-image "S" at the 3 o'clock position in the runout. This was shortly replaced by a sheild-like device which is actually a keystone, Pennsylvania being known as "The Keystone State." Scranton engineers later set up Capitol's Hollywood plant, whose products have a raised star in the wax.
 DJD
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-----Original Message-----
From: Geoffrey Wheeler [mailto:dialjazz at verizon.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 02:39 PM
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Subject: [78-L] capitol Label Types

Cary Ginell writes: “I believe that Capitol's East Coast pressing facility was located in Scranton, PA. ...Here’s some background on Capitol and Scranton. On March 30, 1944, Capitol signed a production agreement with Scranton Record Manufacturing Company, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Down Beat reported in its June 15, 1944 edition [page 9] that Capitol Records had signed an exclusive contract with the large Scranton Record Manufacturing Company pressing plant. “[It] has other small disc firms sitting up nights with the jitters... firms like Signature, Commodore, Keynote, Blue Note, and Savoy are worried because Scranton does most of their pressing. Two manufacturers are safe. Oberstein (Hit) has a five-year pact with Scranton. Bob Thiele... has solved the problem by signing with Asch records. Asch is creating a special Asch-Signature label for his records. The arrangement will continue for 18 months, during which time Thiele will set wax dates for Asch. First cuttings include: Billy Strayhorn with several of Duke’s men; Yank Lawson’s group; a Will Bradley band of studio men...” Oberstein had contracted with Scranton Record Manufacturing Co. to press discs for United States Record Corp., which was formed in April 1939. As reported in Down Beat, its original corporate name was to be Discs Inc. but this was soon changed to United States Record Corp. Oberstein had resigned from Victor Records effective Wednesday, March 1, 1939. U. S. Records began pressing its first records under the Varsity imprint at the Scranton plant on Friday, August 4, 1939. A color photograph of the plant taken in the mid-1940s shows a large, long, flat-roofed, redbrick building divided into three sections of four, five, and six stories. The longest part of the building is the four-story section, which may have been the production area where pressing was done. A report in Variety [page 35] notes Oberstein had extended his contract for pressing with Scranton Wednesday, November 1, 1944.Scranton becomes Capitol’s main plant. Effective Sunday, April 1, 1945, Scranton became Capitol’s main manufacturing facility, and ceased pressing the records of a number of small labels. Capitol released its first albums in May. Extensive new equipment was installed in 1951, and on Friday, August 1, 1952, the city of Scranton celebrated “Capitol Records Day.” During the day, 15,000 Scranton residents visited the plant in guided tours. A half-page ad in the December 1940 issue of HRS Society Rag promotes it services: “We invite you to use our facilities for the processing and manufacture of finished records in any quantity. Write for Bulletin describing procedure and cost involved in converting your original recordings into high quality commercial records.” The address for its Sales Department was 1775 Broadway, New York City. From 1973 to 1978, the plant operated as North American Records. The plant closed in 1978. Today the former Capitol building is now occupied by Olympic Chimney Supply, which makes stainless steel chimney lining systems. Scranton Record Manufacturing Co has played a major role in the record industry since the early 1920s when it was the largest manufacturer of so-called budget labels. The company was founded in 1885 as the Scranton Button Company. Before it got into the record business, it manufactured hard rubber and shellac buttons, electrical insulators, and various novelty items. Starting in the 1920s, it began pressing records as a third-party vendor to such companies as Emerson Phonograph, the Regal Record Co., and Plaza Music Co. In the next few years, it expanded its business operations by acquiring several labels and more private-label accounts. Between the mid-1920s and the mid-1940s, Scranton continued to press records for various companies. Until Capitol acquired Scranton, it was the largest independent record pressing facility in the U.S._______________________________________________78-L mailing list78-L at klickitat.78online.comhttp://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l