This is all coverd in the book, "Folkways Records" by Tony Olmstead, in exquisite detail. He used his access to Moe's business papers at Smithsonian Folkways as his basic source. The book is in print. Amazon prices it at $ 33.95. Enjoy.
Steve Smolian
----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Stern" <sternth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 12:52 AM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] J Folksay records label vs. Stinson records
I believe It is incorrect to describe Stinson as Moses Asch's label.
The Stinson Trading Company which distributed Asch & Disc, was a creditor of Asch, and received some of the Asch/Disc masters in the bankruptcy settlement. Those masters were NOT available to Folkways (Moe Asch's new label after the Disc collapse) nor Smithsonian Folkways, which acquired the Folkways assets from Moe Asch's estate (after another affiliation - some company
in New Jersey, might have been Scholastic?? which was unable to properly care for the label).
Disc went bankrupt in 1947, before the advent of the Lp. Stinson released Asch and Disc 78's masters using the Stinson label with the old catalog numbers (still on 78).
In the early 50's, Lp's displaced 78rpm recordings, Stinson transferred the old albums to 10" lp's. Very early 10" pressings
have no back liner notes, but do have the booklet notes which had been supplied with the 78rpm albums. These early
albums used the Stinson 78rpm label design. Later pressings had a label stating manufactured by the mid-town record corp.
Later (can someone provide a date?????) the 10" lp's were expanded with additional cuts and issued on 12" lp's (these 12" Stinson LP's issued from the New York based company had textured green jackets with the slick for the 10" (which was also the album cover for the old 78 albums) glued on the front, and no liner notes, though sometimes the notes for the 10" lp's were inserted).
I've never seen a proper album for these 12" releases. Does anyone know of one?
Sometime, perhaps in the early 60's, Stinson moved to California (Can someone provide a date??) and reissued some of the 12" albums in a gatefold 'collector's series' generic pale green jacket. The jacket inside contained song texts, the back a catalog of available titles, a small white paper label pasted on the front wrapping around the spine and extending slightly onto the back of the jacket. The pressings were translucent red vinyl.
Sometime later, the California company issued the records on black vinyl, with standard jackets with laminated cover slicks and
liner notes on the back. (can someone provide the date??)
In the 50's, the Stinson company also started recording new material which was issued on 10" lp's, many edited by Kenneth S. Goldstein (such as the Harry and Jeanie West albums). Some of these were expanded to 12" with added tracks. Sometimes two
10" albums were released on one 12" album-these used the SLPX prefix with the catalog number.
The 10" albums I've seen bearing the FOLKSAY imprint, have the same front covers and catalog numbers as their STINSON
equivalents, except the prefix is FLP, not SLP. Remaining price stickers seem to indicate same price as Stinson. I have only seen low numbered releases (into the teens), none of the higher numbers. The Stinson catalog went at least into the 90's, much of it new recordings). If anyone can provide factual information about the Folksay issues and their relation to Stinson it would be appreciated.
I'd also like information about the principals of the company. In New York, the name Bob Harris is frequently referred to as being the person for whom the recordings were produced. When the company re-emerged in California, the owner was Jack Kall.
Best wishes, Thomas.
Roger and Allison Kulp wrote:
From what I recall Folksay,was a reissue label,for Asch,and Disc.A budget label perhaps ?You know all of these were Moe Asch's labels,and he just kept reissuing the same stuff.
Roger Kulp
Thomas Stern <sternth@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Below I've transcribed the liner notes from the 10" LP JOSH WHITE Folksay Records FLP-15.
"Josh White sings Easy" by Langston Hughes.
More fuel for the folksinger/folksong controversy, from the literary viewpoint......
Some questions:
1.Is Langston Hughes' liner note also on the STINSON issue of this Josh White album?
If Not, what is on the Stinson lp?
2.Elijah Wald notes the following JW-LH connection, what others?
Josh also acted in a BBC radio play about black soldiers, The Man Who Went to War, written by Langston Hughes, and one of his most popular songs of this period was a war-and-integration number from Hughes' pen, "Freedom Road." This was not a strict blues, but both Hughes and Josh worked to make it fit his style:
3.Can someone provide information about the FOLKSAY record label (appear to be
same as Stinson 10" lp's. So far I've only seen LOW catalog numbers). 4.Are the Folksay and Stinson issues RIVAL issues of this material (anyone remember
the situation during the 60's blues rediscoveries era when the Piedmont albums were issued on
different labels by the feuding principals in that enterprise), OR simply a label change
at some point in time? Why?
5.Can someone provide accurate dates when Stinson started releasing their albums on 12"lp's,
and when they moved from New York City to California?
Thanks! Best wishes, Thomas.
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