[78-L] Department of Pseudonyms and Solos?

[Steven C. Barr]

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Julian Vein" <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
> Taylor Bowie wrote:
>> Julian wrote:
>> In the 1920s and early ’30s, how was the decision made to apply
>> pseudonyms to mainly dance band records? Did the record companies employ
>> people to meet, say once a month, to discuss which pseudonyms to use on
>> individual records, or was there a formula they used?
>>
>> Similarly, who made decision whether to include solos on dance band 
>> records?

>> I have always wondered the same thing,  Julian.   Some of the pseudonyms
>> were very creative and one has to imagine that there were a few people in
>> the front office who had the enjoyable  task of thinking them up.
>> Some could be quite droll.  One pseudonym I have for Arthur Fields is 
>> Arthur
>> "Rivers."  Names on the Radiex/Van Dyke/Grey Gull records really could 
>> get
>> out there,  e.g. Ginger Ale and his Sparklers,  The Joy Dispensers,  and 
>> my
>> own personal favorite,  The Kitty Cat Jazzers.
>> I'd always assumed that solos on these records were called for by whoever
>> was fronting the session,  or by whoever wrote the arrangement (often a
>> doctored stock).
>> Taylor
> ===================
> Taylor,
> The Grey Gull names I can understand--presumably they were intended to
> reflect the music on the records.
> I can imagine a guy returning home from a day's pseudonyming work, being
> greeted by his wife: "Thought up any good names today, darling?" I doubt
> if any politician could be as obfuscating as these fellows.
>
> I can't see that much point in pseudonymising names such as Ben Selvin,
> Fred Rich, Sam Lanin (unless they were under contract to another
> company) etc, but see the sense in Plaza and ARC/Brunswick using them
> for studio bands to give their catalogue a semblance of character.
>
Selvin, of course, worked for Columbia (and may have before that worked
for Vocalion?) both as a&r person and leader of the "house band." The
same spot at Plaza (and later ARC) was held first by Glantz?, then by
Adrian Schubert, and finally by (I think) Lou Gold; in 1931 or so ARC
was musically reorganized (the depression made better musicians
cheaply available!), and many of their musicians helped set up the
Crown label (which lasted two or three years).

Also, back in the twenties, VERY few artists were under contract to, or
even exclusive to, one specific label. Recording artists in those early
days were almost all "free-lancers," who went from label to label
recording for so much (often NOT very much!) per session. Label
exclusivity began to appear around 1936, when a new generation
of record buyers paid MUCH more attention to WHO made the
records.

Note also that prior to that, all the record companies tried to offer
EVERY "hit tune" to buyers; also, most record dealers were franchised
to labels. If you wanted a Victor (or Bluebird?) record, you visited
your local Victor dealer!

I'm still trying to establish exactly when "record stores" began offering
ALL (or as close as they could come) the different record labels...?! I
have paper copies of record-store promo listings which include all
(or nearly so) brands of records, dating from around 1940 or so...!

Steven C. Barr
> Regarding solos, did they help sell records or not? If they did, then
> include them, if not don't.
>
>      Julian Vein
>
>
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