[78-L] Swing Time, Down Beat questions

[Cary Ginell]

Jack Lauderdale started the Downbeat Record Company in 1947. For the first couple of years Downbeat (or Down Beat) was challenged by legal problems because of the famous jazz magazine that bore the same name. This resulted in a series of label name changes; first to Swing (there was only one release with this name), then Swing Beat for the Christmas 1947 catalog and subsequent recordings after the 1948 strike and into 1949. In October 1950 it was changed again to Swing Time. Ray Charles' first release was on Down Beat 171. 

As for the numbering system, I believe that the numbering was not interrupted by the changes in the label names and continued, but I can't be certain of this without doing more research. The only Down Beat record I own is the aforementioned disc above by The Maxin Trio (actually the McSon Trio, with a misheard name), which included Brother Ray's first vocals: "I Love You, I Love You" and "Confession Blues."

Cary Ginell

> Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 21:44:51 -0700
> From: 78rpm at sbcglobal.net
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: [78-L] Swing Time, Down Beat questions
> 
> I've run across Swing Time, Down Beat, Swing and now Swing Beat (combining the 2 names!) labels from the 1940s. All with the same label design, so I'm guessing the same ownership. I can't figure out if certain artists only appeared on 1 label or several. Was the numbering system shared between the labels? Is there any rhyme or reason to all those labels?
> 
> Thanks,
> Philip Fukuda 
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