Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BRUNSWICK

US and UK record labels. Piano makers Brunswick-Balke-Collender started Brunswick USA '16; artists incl. Arturo Toscanini and bandleader Isham Jones, whose 'Wabash Blues' was a big hit '21. Strong film links were invented by label boss Jack Kapp, for decades one of the most important label bosses in the USA; it was allegedly his idea to combine Al Jolson's 'Sonny Boy' and 'There's A Rainbow Round My Shoulder', both from his second film The Singing Fool '28, a huge hit. (Brunswick also made Rudolf Valentino's only record, so bad it was never released.) Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire were Brunswick stars early '30s. Warner Brothers bought the label '30, sold it to American Record Corporation (ARC) '31; it became the group's flagship label (and one of the most important in the USA, albeit during the Depression, when the record industry had almost disappeared), with stars like Crosby, the Mills Bros, Andrews Sisters. Many of these artists were under personal contract to Kapp, who took them with him when he was hired to run the new American Decca label '34. Harry James's version of 'One O'Clock Jump' was the label's last big hit before CBS bought the group '38, closed Brunswick down in favour of reactivated Columbia and sold Brunswick to Decca '42, who reactivated it '57: label's acts then incl. the Crickets, Jackie Wilson and Chicago doo- wop group the Chi-Lites, whose songwriter, producer, singer Eugene Record was responsible for no. 1 soul 'Have You Seen Her' '71, 'Oh Girl' '72. Nat Tarnopol bought Brunswick '69, added it to his Dakar label; Record became A&R vice president; Tarnopol sold label back to MCA '84. In UK Chappell Piano Co. launched Brunswick Cliftophone '23; had success with US import Mound City Blue Blowers (e.g. 'Arkansas Blues' '24). Rights to Brunswick UK passed to Count Antoni de Bosdari '27, Duophone Syndicate '28, Warners '30; in '32 ARC sold UK Brunswick to Decca UK, who used it as outlet for US imports: hence Bill Haley's '50s hits were on Brunswick in UK, and the label acquired the Who because in '65 only US Decca would give them a contract. In USA MCA bought US Decca in '59, later closed down all labels in favour of world-wide MCA logo; UK Brunswick came to an end when UK Decca's contract with US Brunswick ended '79. When MCA reacquired Brunswick USA in '84 the label was retired there as well.