Re: [ARSCLIST] History help needed

[david diehl <david.diehl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 10/27/2005 7:18:57 PM >>>
Thanks David.

<snip>

By the way, speaking of Majestic, who were their main artists? I know
very
little about them.

Majestic was an old name in phonographs but didn't get into the disc
biz until Feb. 1945 when it purchased Eli Oberstein's Hit label.
Majestic was one of several operations that hoped to join the ranks of
the majors by cashing in on post-war prosperity. (Didn't matter that the
war wasn't over). Louis Prima had done well on Hit (once Italy switched
sides it was OK to be Italian again) and stayed until Oberstein could
sign him for Victor. Eddie Howard was probably the leading artist. The
Three Suns did well and Alfred Newman did some very successful albums of
show and movie tunes. Rose Murphy (the Chee Chee Girl) enjoyed some
success and Ray McKinley's band did alright. Mildred Bailey made quite a
few sides but never clicked with the public. Foy Willing and the Riders
of the Purple Sage did well in their niche. Majestic had Jimmie
Lunceford replacing Cootie Williams as their leading black band and
bought masters from Bel-tone to shore up their race catalog. They signed
George Olsen late in the game so much of his work never even got into
the catalog. 

Majestic went belly-up in 1948 and was purchased by Mercury. I had
assumed the new studio was probaly the biggest asset. Mercury kept the
Eddy Howard and Alfred Newman material but sold the rest back to Eli
Oberstein's new Wright Record Corp. in 1949. Unissued sides by Bud
Freeman, Dale Evans and George Olsen crop up on all of Obie's later
labels.

David J. Diehl
Library Director
Texas State Technical College