[78-L] Swing Time, Down Beat questions

[Cary Ginell]

I have one disc on the "Swing" label, #178: the Maxin Trio w/Ray Charles, "Blues Before Sunrise" / "How Long Blues," which I assume was originally issued on Down Beat. 

Cary Ginell

> From: jcenderman at solcon.nl
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 15:13:17 +0200
> Subject: [78-L]  Swing Time, Down Beat questions
> 
> This is an interesting problem and information supplied by Carey (below), 
> Gart's ARLD and the 1987 Leadbitter-Slaven postwar blues dg (I do not have 
> the later and still available postwar blues dg) is contradictory and incomplete.
> I have a large series of label images and here are the ranges with some dates:
> 
> Down Beat 100-230; 401; 3002 (Western Series). - 1947-c.10/1949
> Swing (134-)231. - Only one new release: 231 Lowell Fulson. - c.10/1949
> Swing Beat (122-221).
> Swing Time (114-)234-347. - c.3/1950
> 
> Some remarks:
> - DB 100 Lucky Thompson
> - DB 128 4/48, 205 5/49 (ARLD release dates) [205 = Jay McShann]
> - (DB)/ST 228/229 Ray Charles [no images seen of the DB issues]
> - Sw 231 Lowell Fulson [not seen on ST]
> - ST 234 Lloyd Glenn 9 Nov 50
> - ST 244 12/50 (ARLD).
> - ST 347 by The Serenaders is last available image.
> 
> Apparently 231 is the only new issue on Swing, following DB 230, also by Lowell Fulson.
> I have not seen (Swing Time) 232/233.
> ST 234 by Glenn is common and a recording date (in the blues dg) of 9 Nov 50 fits with 
> a release date or announcement in Dec 50.
> Thus Swing Beat is only known from repressings !
> Probably there was no recording activity for a long time in 1950, after the release of 231
> in late 1949.
> This suggests that Swing Beat was introduced late 1949 for repressings and that the 
> namewas changed to Swing Time when new recordings were released late 1950.
> 
> Recording dates are almost absent in the available blues dg.
> Possibly there is more info in Billboard (difficult to consult here), and some searches in 
> Billboard on these artists may help.
> 
> Any comments and additional info welcome.
> Han Enderman
> ===
> >>> 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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