[78-L] Angel records in Canada

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "DAVID BURNHAM" <burnhamd at rogers.com>
> I well remember the introduction of Angel LPs in Canada.  My first 
> experience
> was in 1954 or 1955 with a recording of Peer Gynt conducted by Beecham. 
> These
> records, with the wooden rod in the spine, were pressed in England and 
> sounded
> magnificent.  I cannot think of any example of an Angel LP which wasn't 
> the
> equivalent of an HMV recording in England.  The story we got at the time 
> was
> that HMV had to use the Angel trade mark in America because they had 
> severed
> relations with Victor who owned the Nipper trademark.  Sometimes I saw an
> English HMV labeled recording with an Odeon sticker over the HMV 
> trademark.
> Saying all of that, I don't remember how English Columbias were released 
> in
> Canada - since Columbia and HMV were the same company in England, perhaps 
> they
> were also released on Angel here, however, for some reason I remember 
> Columbia
> and Philips being linked.  I also remember an imported English pressed CBS
> label.
>
>From c.1953 on, US Columbias were issued up here on the PHILIPS label; 
however
this was around the same time that Columbia's issues no longer were of any
interest to the young folks who kept the record industry prosperous...?! The 
only
"major label" who prospered during the "rock'n'roll" era was RCA 
Victor...and
that was because they wound up with Elvis Presley under contract thanks to
his manager...?!

Steven C. Barr