[78-L] Alvino Rey and The Kings

[Steven C. Barr]

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From: "Dan Van Landingham" <danvanlandingham at yahoo.com>
> The Kyser version of "Bell Bottom Trousers" came from an album I bought 
> back in the early '80s called
> "Screwballs of Swingtime".It was one of those that disappeared thanks to 
> my sister in law selling off my
> records several years ago.The album also had a recording called "Seven 
> Years With the Wrong Leander"
> by Horace Heidt.Did Lunceford record his Majestic sides at Decca?I've got 
> his "Hi Spook" on Decca
> which I also have on a CD of Lunceford's music.John Lewis led the 
> orchestra.Lewis' "Hi Spook" was
> slowed down somewhat compared to the original version on Decca.By the 
> way,who organised Majestic?
> I was of the impression it was former bandleader Ben Selvin who did a 
> review of the record business that
> led to the recording ban of August,1942 until November,1944.Yvonne King 
> was another great favourite
> of mine.I heard her on a Victor 78 of "I Never Knew" by Rey with a Herfurt 
> clarinet solo and an unkno-
> wn trombone soloist.Did May do that arrangement as well?I once spoke to 
> Yvonne King shortly after
> Skeets Herfurt's death and told her so.She was better known as "Vonnie 
> Burch" as I recall.I believe she
> was married to the late pianist Buddy Cole.
>
Majestic was a radio manufacturer; they revived the brand that had been
manufactured by Grigsby-Grunow (who bought Columbia in 1932 and
then went broke in 1934). The record label was originally started by
Oberstein as Hit (and may have set up some non-union sides during
the ban...?!). Majestic apparently decided to sell records as well as
radios, and bought the Hit label (continuing the catalog-number
sequences); this whole operation went under in 1947-48.

Steven C. Barr