45worlds



45worlds Forums  »  78 RPM  »  View Topic

Beacon Records   


Add Reply

  15th Aug 2019, 5:57 PM#1  REPORT  
KeithS SUBS

Member since Dec 2009
12492 Points
Moderator
Just now we have Beacon as starting in 1942 but there's a Cash Box article showing Joe Davis starting a 50c label "Beacon" in 1948.Cashbox, May 8, 1948


Earlier in 1948 he was reported as offering custom-made labels for those ordering from his stock of masters and said to own the "Celebrity" label. Cashbox, March 27, 1948

Anyone cast any light on this and maybe we can do some corrections?

May 1948 an article claims the new label is a big success and the first release is The Red Caps "Words Can't Explain / Strictly On The Safety Side" which doesn't match any title we have.

There is an older ad from June 1943 for Beacon 5001 Billie Hayes "Man Shortage Blues" and Davis's name and address is there.
What's he up to?

Edited by moderator on 20th Aug 2019, 12:51 AM

  16th Aug 2019, 3:36 AM#2  REPORT  
xiphophilos

Member since Dec 2013
3351 Points
Moderator

The Beacon label profile on Discogs also claims that Beacon only existed between 1942-1946. Its information is from "American Record Labels and Companies" by Allan Sutton & Kurt Nauck, which I have seen, but don't actually own.

Edited by moderator on 16th Aug 2019, 7:17 AM

  16th Aug 2019, 3:42 AM#3  REPORT  
xiphophilos

Member since Dec 2013
3351 Points
Moderator
An ad advertising "Beacon - A New 50c Record" appears in Billboard, Nov. 28, 1942, page 89. Both of the records are clearly not the first-ever issues because they have the catalog numbers 104 and 106. Beacon is also mentioned on page 84 (Record Supplies Draws Operators: B. D. Lazar in Pittsburgh distributes Beacon and Capitol) and page 91 (Talent and Tunes on Music Machines: Beacon's upcoming Buddy Clarke release).

In the Billboard Music Yearbook 1943, Beacon has a full-page ad, promoting The 5 Red Caps on Beacon 117. By now the records retail for 75c.

Billboard, April 15, 1944, page 14, has another full-page Beacon ad, this time announcing the April 14 release of Singin' Sam (Harry Frankel's) "Don't You Dare Call Me Darling" on Beacon 7150.

In October 1948, Joe Davis tells Billboard (Oct. 30, 1948, page 18) he wants to reactivate his music publishing firm Beacon Music (i.e., not the Beacon label).

By late December 1948, however, as Billboard reports in the Jan. 1, 1949 issue, he is forced to lay off his entire staff of his Beacon and Murray Wizzell publishing companies. In the same article, he claims he wants to revive Beacon Record Co. instead (Bruce Bastin, "The Melody Man: Joe Davis and the New York Music Scene, 1916-1978," page 208).

In Billboard's Jan. 22, 1949 issue (page 17), Joe Davis lays out his expansion plans. As a first step, he reports on February 12, 1949, that has hired four new staffers for both Beacon publishing co. and record co. (Billboard, Feb. 19, 1949, page 19).

I'm not sure whether anything came of this revival, however, because in 1954, Joe Davis again tells Billboard that he wants to revive his Beacon label, "which was one of the most active r.&b. labels from 1943 to 1948", for new Rhythm & Blues releases (Billboard, Nov. 20, 1954, page 13).


Edited by xiphophilos on 16th Aug 2019, 4:30 AM

  16th Aug 2019, 6:36 AM#4  REPORT  
KeithS SUBS

Member since Dec 2009
12492 Points
Moderator
Thanks for that effort..certainly seemed that he opened and closed the label as he needed.
The article linked below says he opened Beacon and reactivated the old Gennett companyexactly when war broke out and the shellac shortage that caused

Joe Davis Labels

Biog on All Music

I've ordered Joe's biography which should be an interesting read

Edited by KeithS on 16th Aug 2019, 12:44 PM

  16th Aug 2019, 4:40 PM#5  REPORT  
Jock_Girl

A girl who looks good in vinyl
Member since Dec 2012
1544 Points
Moderator
A similar thing occurred with the Varsity label. Went bankrupt in 1940 and was revived in 1948 by its original owner

Amy


  19th Aug 2019, 2:26 PM#6  REPORT  
fixbutte

Member since Jan 2013
1483 Points
Moderator
I can date it more accurately. An article in the Billboard May 9, 1942 issue (page 27) headed Song Pub Forms Own Disk House covers the recent formation of the Beacon label and specifies the date of its first recordings as May 4, 1942. I will add the article to Beacon 100 where it belongs.


  20th Aug 2019, 10:05 AM#7  REPORT  
fixbutte

Member since Jan 2013
1483 Points
Moderator
@xiphophilos
As you have corrected my updated release date for Beacon 100 from May 1942 to June 1942: It was actually released in May, see meanwhile added note linking to a review in Billboard of May 30, 1942, page 106.
June 1942 would be the release month of Beacon 101, still to be added to the database, see previously mentioned Billboard article: "One Beacon disk will be issued each month, …"

Edit: unreleased Beacon 101, later released as Beacon 108 with overstamped cat#, meanwhile found by KeithS and me (with label images!), and both numbers added to the Beacon discography.

Edited by fixbutte on 20th Aug 2019, 12:32 PM

  28th Aug 2019, 9:33 PM#8  REPORT  
xiphophilos

Member since Dec 2013
3351 Points
Moderator
The Billboard review clinches the date, of course. Thanks to you and Keith, I think our Beacon listings just got a lot more reliable and complete.


Add Reply

45cat Forums  :  45worlds Forums  : 


45worlds website ©2025  :  Homepage  :  Search  :  Sitemap  :  Help Page  :  Privacy  :  Terms  :  Contact  :  Share This Page  :  Like us on Facebook
Vinyl Albums  :  Live Music  :  78 RPM  :  CD Albums  :  CD Singles  :  12" Singles  :  7" Singles  :  Tape Media  :  Classical Music  :  Music Memorabilia  :  Cinema  :  TV Series  :  DVD & Blu-ray  :  Magazines  :  Books  :  Video Games  :  Create Your Own World
Latest  »  Items  :  Comments  :  Price Guide  :  Reviews  :  Ratings  :  Images  :  Lists  :  Videos  :  Tags  :  Collected  :  Wanted  :  Top 50  :  Random
45worlds for music, movies, books etc  :  45cat for 7" singles  :  45spaces for hundreds more worlds