78rpm by record label

In this section you will find all the 78rpm original records released by the labels Billie was under contract, organized by label name. It covers the period 1933 – 1954.

TABLE OF LABELS
Abbreviations
MT – Master Takes. First column represent the chronological sequence of recording dates.
LR – Live Recording (there are only 3 live trackings originally recorded in 78rpm)
Rec Date – Recording Date (when they have been taped)
RD – Disc release date (when they were distributed)
LABEL INDEX

ALADDIN

Aladdin Records was founded in 1945 by the Mesner brothers with headquarters in Hollywood, CA. Originally called Philo Records, changed to its better-known name in April 1946. Aladdin was known for its wealth of recordings of rhythm & blues and early rock & roll music; it also recorded some jazz sessions. It was virtually devoted to black music.

The label was sold to Imperial Records in 1961 and is today owned by Capitol Records. (Wikipedia)

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
215 Be Fair With Me Baby MT 04/29/51 Alladin 3094 1951
218 Detour Ahead MT 04/29/51 Alladin 3094 1951
216 Rocky Mountain Blues MT 04/29/51 Alladin 3102 1951
217 Blue Turning Grey Over You MT 04/29/51 Alladin 3102 1951
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Aladdin 3094AAladdin 3094B Aladdin 3102B2 Aladdin 3102A2

images © Cross Taro Collection

BLUEBIRD

Bluebird Records is a sub-label of RCA Victor Records originally created in 1932 to counter the American Record Company in the “3 records for a dollar” market. Still active.

MT Song Title   Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
91 Any Old Time MT 07/24/38 Bluebird 7759 1938

Bluebird B-7759ABluebird B-7759B Bluebird 7759A  Bluebird 7759B images © Cross Taro Collection

The B side was recorded only by Artie Shaw Orchestra. Notice that Bluebird used two different logos.

 

BRUNSWICK

Records under the “Brunswick” label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company and first began producing phonographs in 1916, then marketing their own line of records. In April 1930, Brunswick Records was sold to Warner Bros then in 1931 to American Record Corporation. ARC kept Brunswick as their flagship until 1939, when ARC was sold to CBS-Columbia Broadcast System.

Columbia discontinued Brunswick label in favor of their own Columbia, as well as OKeh replacing Vocalion, the cheaper ARC label. These two brands were reverted to Warner and sold to Decca in 1941 that revived Brunswick label in 1943.

Brunswick, series 7000

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
4 What A Little Moonlight Can Do MT 07/02/35 Brunswick 7498 1935
6 A Sunbonnet Blue MT 07/02/35 Brunswick 7498 1935
3 I Wished on the Moon MT 07/02/35 Brunswick 7501 1935
5 Miss Brown To You MT 07/02/35 Brunswick 7501 1935
7 What A Nigth, What a Moon, What a Girl MT 07/31/35 Brunswick 7511 1935
9 It’s Too Hot for Words MT 07/31/35 Brunswick 7511 1935
8 I’m Painting the Town Red MT 07/31/35 Brunswick 7520 1935
10 Twenty-Four Hours a Day MT 10/25/35 Brunswick 7550 1935
11 Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town MT 10/25/35 Brunswick 7550 1935
12 Eeny Meeny Miney Mo MT 10/25/35 Brunswick 7554 1935
13 If You Were Mine MT 10/25/35 Brunswick 7554 1935
14 These ‘n’ That ‘n’ Those MT 12/03/35 Brunswick 7577 1935
15 You Let Me Down MT 12/03/35 Brunswick 7581 1935
16 Spreadin’ Rhythm Around MT 12/03/35 Brunswick 7581 1935
17 Life Begins When You’re in Love MT 01/30/36 Brunswick 7612 1936
19 These Foolish Things MT 06/30/36 Brunswick 7699 1936
18 It’s Like Reaching for the Moon MT 06/30/36 Brunswick 7702 1936
21 Guess Who MT 06/30/36 Brunswick 7702 1936
20 I Cried for You MT 06/30/36 Brunswick 7729 1936
30 Easy to Love MT 10/21/36 Brunswick 7762 1936
32 The Way You Look Tonight MT 10/21/36 Brunswick 7762 1936
31 With Thee I Swing MT 10/21/36 Brunswick 7768 1936
33 Who Loves You? MT 10/28/36 Brunswick 7768 1936
36 I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby MT 11/19/36 Brunswick 7781 1936
34 Pennies from Heaven MT 11/19/36 Brunswick 7789 1936
35 That’s Life I Guess MT 11/19/36 Brunswick 7789 1936
41 He Ain’t Got Rhythm MT 01/25/37 Brunswick 7824 1937
42 This Year’s Kisses MT 01/25/37 Brunswick 7824 1937
46 You Showed Me the Way MT 02/18/37 Brunswick 7840 1937
48 My Last Affair (This Is) MT 02/18/37 Brunswick 7840 1937
45 The Mood That I’m In MT 02/18/37 Brunswick 7844 1937
47 Sentimental and Melancholy MT 02/18/37 Brunswick 7844 1937
43 Why Was I Born? MT 01/25/37 Brunswick 7859 1937
44 I Must Have That Man MT 01/25/37 Brunswick 7859 1937
49 Carelessly MT 03/31/37 Brunswick 7867 1937
50 How Could You? MT 03/31/37 Brunswick 7867 1937
51 Moanin’ Low MT 03/31/37 Brunswick 7877 1937
58 I’ll Get By MT 05/11/37 Brunswick 7903 1937
59 Mean to Me MT 05/11/37 Brunswick 7903 1937
60 Foolin’ Myself MT 06/01/37 Brunswick 7911 1937
61 Easy Living MT 06/01/37 Brunswick 7911 1937
56 Sun Showers MT 05/11/37 Brunswick 7917 1937
57 Yours and Mine MT 05/11/37 Brunswick 7917 1937
62 I’ll Never Be the Same MT 06/01/37 Brunswick 7926 1937


Brunswick series 8000

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
73 My Man (Mon Homme) MT 11/01/37 Brunswick 8008 1937
74 Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man MT 11/01/37 Brunswick 8008 1937
71 Nice Work If You Can Get It MT 11/01/37 Brunswick 8015 1937
72 Things Are Looking Up MT 11/01/37 Brunswick 8015 1937
75 My First Impression of You MT 01/06/38 Brunswick 8053 1938
78 If Dreams Come True MT 01/06/38 Brunswick 8053 1938
76 When You’re Smiling MT 01/06/38 Brunswick 8070 1938
77 I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me MT 01/06/38 Brunswick 8070 1938
96 Everybody’s Laughing MT 10/31/38 Brunswick 8259 1938
97 Here It Is Tomorrow Again MT 10/31/38 Brunswick 8259 1938
99 April in My Heart MT 11/09/38 Brunswick 8265 1938
100 I’ll Never Fail You MT 11/09/38 Brunswick 8265 1938
98 Say It with a Kiss MT 11/09/38 Brunswick 8270 1938
101 They Say MT 11/09/38 Brunswick 8270 1938
103 You’re Gonna See a Lot of Me MT 11/28/38 Brunswick 8281 1938
104 Hello My Darling MT 11/28/38 Brunswick 8281 1938
102 You’re So Desirable MT 11/28/38 Brunswick 8283 1938
105 Let’s Dream in the Moonlight MT 11/28/38 Brunswick 8283 1938
108 What Shall I Say? MT 01/30/39 Brunswick 8314 1939
109 It’s Easy to Blame the Weather MT 01/30/39 Brunswick 8314 1939
110 More Than You Know MT 01/30/39 Brunswick 8319 1939
111 Sugar MT 01/30/39 Brunswick 8319 1939


Brunswick8008B
 Brunswick8008A Brunswick8015ABrunswick8015B Brunswick8053B Brunswick8053ABrunswick8070B Brunswick8070A Brunswick8259ABrunswick8259B Brunswick8265B Brunswick8265ABrunswick8270B Brunswick8270A Brunswick8281BBrunswick8281A Brunswick8283B Brunswick8283ABrunswick8314B Brunswick8314A Brunswick8319ABrunswick8319B images © Cross Taro Collection

CAPITOL

The Company was founded in Los Angeles by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942. On June 5, 1942, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra recorded four sides. On June 12, the orchestra recorded five more, including one with Billie Holiday. Still active.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
160 Trav’lin’ Light MT 06/12/42 Capitol Records 116 1942

Capitol116 image © Cross Taro Collection

This is the only side Billie recorded with Paul Whiteman. The other side is just instrumental.

 

CLEF

Clef Records was formed in 1948 in California by Norman Granz. Originally associated with Aladdin Records (see above) became independent in the early fifties. Clef recorded jazz and popular music and was discontinued in 1957 when newly founded Norman Granz’s Verve Records became the dominant label in the jazz scene.

 

Clef-Mercury

Mercury Record Corporation was formed in Chicago in 1945. Its jazz division had two distinct and important fathers. John Hammond brought his expertise and connections when Mercury bought Keynote Records in the late 1940s. And Mercury was the issuing company and distributor for Norman Granz’s pre-Norgran/Verve recordings, including Clef. Therefore, sometimes certain titles were released by both labels.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
225 I Only Have Eyes for You  MT 04/27/52 Clef-Mercury 89002 1952
224 These Foolish Things  MT 04/26/52 Clef-Mercury 89002 1952
223 Easy to Love  MT 04/25/52 Clef-Mercury 89003 1952
222 You Turned the Tables on Me  MT 04/24/52 Clef-Mercury 89003 1952
220 Blue Moon  MT 04/22/52 Clef-Mercury 89004 1952
221 You Go To My Head  MT 04/23/52 Clef-Mercury 89004 1952
219 East of the Sun  MT 04/21/52 Clef-Mercury 89005 1952
226 Solitude  MT 04/28/52 Clef-Mercury 89005 1952
235 Lover Come Back To Me MT 07/27/52 Clef-Mercury 89037 1952
237 Yesterdays MT 07/27/52 Clef-Mercury 89037 1952

Clef-Mercury 89002B Clef-Mercury 89002A Clef-Mercury 89003BClef-Mercury 89003A Clef-Mercury 89004A Clef-Mercury 89004BClef-Mercury 89005A Clef-Mercury 89005B Clef-Mercury 89037AClef-Mercury 89037B images © Cross Taro Collection

Clef

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
236 Stormy Weather  MT 07/27/52 Clef 89064 1952
230 Tenderly  MT 05/02/52 Clef 89064 1952
238 He’s Funny That Way  MT 07/27/52 Clef 89089 1952
234 My Man (Mon Homme) MT 07/27/52 Clef 89089 1952
239 I Can’t Face the Music  MT 07/27/52 Clef 89096 1952
232 Remember  MT 05/04/52 Clef 89096 1952
233 Autumn in New York  MT 05/05/52 Clef 89108 1952
231 If the Moon Turns Green  MT 05/03/52 Clef 89108 1952
240 How Deep Is the Ocean? MT 04/14/54 Clef 89132 1954
241 What A Little Moonlight Can Do  MT 04/14/54 Clef 89132 1954
249 Stormy Blues  MT 09/03/54 Clef 89141 1954
248 Willow Weep For Me MT 09/03/54 Clef 89141 1954
247 I Thought About You  MT 09/03/54 Clef 89150 1954
243 Love Me or Leave Me  MT 09/03/54 Clef 89150 1954

Clef 89064B Clef 89064A Clef 89089B Clef 89089A Clef 89096B Clef 89096AClef 89108B Clef 89108A Clef 89141AClef 89141B Clef 89150B Clef 89150A

images © Cross Taro Collection

(Clef 89132 not available)

COLUMBIA

A premier recording label, the Columbia Phonograph Company was originally the local company run by Edward Easton, distributing and selling Edison phonographs and phonograph cylinders in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware, and derives its name from the District of Columbia, which was its headquarters.

The 78rpm era – On February 25, 1925, Columbia began recording with the new electricrecording process licensed from Western Electric. The new “Viva-tonal” records set a benchmark in tone and clarity unequaled on commercial discs during the “78-rpm” era. In 1926, Columbia acquired OKeh Records and its growing stable of jazz and blues artists.

In 1923 the company was sold to its subsidiary in UK; that in 1931 merged in a new venture called EMI and was forced to sell its American operations to Majestic Radio. At that time, the company in great decline was still producing remarkable records, specially those producued by John Hammond. Those were the days when Billie, under Hammond lead, recorded her first 78rpm in Columbia (see that chapter). However, in 1934 the company was sold to ARC – American Record Corporation. ARC premium label was Brunswick, followed by Vocalion – and this relegated Columbia as a third-class label.

The LP era – In 1938 ARC was bought by CBS – Columbia Broadcast System (curiously co-founded in 1927 by Columbia Records that soon left the society). CBS revived Columbia as its premium label over Brunswick and OKeh over Vocalion. In 1948 Columbia introduced the Long Playing “microgroove” LP record format which rotated at 33⅓ revolutions per minute, to be the standard for the gramophone record for half a century. First Billie album for Columbia was the 10-inch Favourites in 1950.

CBS sold its recording division to Sony in 1988, where Columbia Records remains a premier label.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
1 Your Mother’s Son-In-Law  MT 11/27/33 Columbia 2856D 1933
2 Riffin’ the Scotch MT 12/18/33 Columbia 2867D 1933
116 Long Gone Blues MT 03/21/39 Columbia 37586 1941
150 Am I Blue? MT 05/09/41 Columbia 37586 1941
153 I Cover The Waterfront MT 08/07/41 Columbia 37493 1942
159 Until the Real Thing Comes Along  MT 02/10/42 Columbia 37493 1942

Columbia 1 cover Columbia 2856D-A Columbia 2867DColumbia CL37586A Columbia CL37586B Columbia 37493AColumbia 37493B images © Cross Taro Collection

Note: the B-sides of 2856D and 2867D are solo instrumental, by Benny Goodman.

 

COMMODORE

Commodore Records was founded in the spring of 1938 by Milt Gabler in NYC.

After World War II Gabler went to work for Decca Records, and his Commodore label was later used by Decca for reissuing earlier jazz recordings on LP. In the early 1960s a series of Commodore albums were compiled by Gabler and part of the Mainstream label.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
119 Fine And Mellow MT 04/20/39 Commodore C-526 1939
117 Strange Fruit MT 04/20/39 Commodore C-526 1939
120 I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues  MT 04/20/39 Commodore C-527-A 1939
118 Yesterdays MT 04/20/39 Commodore C-527-B 1939
165 I’ll Be Seeing You MT 04/01/44 Commodore C-553 1944
163 I’ll Get By  MT 03/25/44 Commodore C-553 1944
164 I Cover The Waterfront MT 03/25/44 Commodore C-559 1944
170 Lover Come Back To Me MT 04/08/44 Commodore C-559 1944
169 He’s Funny That Way  MT 04/08/44 Commodore C-569 1944
161 How Am I to Know MT 03/25/44 Commodore C-569 1944
166 I’m Yours MT 04/01/44 Commodore C-585 1944
162 My Old Flame MT 03/25/44 Commodore C-585 1944
171 Billie’s Blues (I Love My Man) MT 04/08/44 Commodore C-614 1944
172 On The Sunny Side of The Street MT 04/08/44 Commodore C-614 1944
168 As Time Goes By MT 04/01/44 Commodore S 7520 1944
167 Embraceable You MT 04/01/44 Commodore S 7520 1944

Commodore 526B-S Commodore 526A-S Commodore 527A-SCommodore 527B-S Commodore 553A Commodore 553BCommodore 559A Commodore 559B Commodore 569ACommodore 569B Commodore 585A Commodore 585BCommodore 614A Commodore 614B Commodore 7520ACommodore 7520B images © Cross Taro Collection

 

DECCA

Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929. Its U.S. label was established in 1934. American Decca embraced the new post-war record formats adopting the LP in 1949. They merged with MCA in 1962.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
175 Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) MT 10/04/44 Decca Records 23391 1944
177 That Old Devil Called Love  MT 11/08/44 Decca Records 23391 1944
182 You Better Go Now  MT 08/14/45 Decca Records 23483 1945
180 Don’t Explain MT 08/14/45 Decca Records 23565 1945
183 What Is This Thing Called Love MT 08/14/45 Decca Records 23565 1945
184 Good Morning Heartache  MT 01/22/46 Decca Records 23676 1946
185 No Good Man  MT 01/22/46 Decca Records 23676 1946
187 Big Stuff  MT 03/13/46 Decca Records 23463 1946
176 No More (You Ain’t Gonna Bother Me)  MT 10/04/44 Decca Records 23483 1946
188 Baby,  I Don’t Cry over You  MT 04/09/46 Decca Records 23957 1946
189 I’ll Look Around  MT 04/09/46 Decca Records 23957 1946
192 Deep Song  MT 02/13/47 Decca Records 24138 1947
194 Easy Living  MT 02/13/47 Decca Records 24138 1947
195 Solitude  MT 02/13/47 Decca Records 23853 1947
193 There Is No Greater Love  MT 02/13/47 Decca Records 23853 1947
197 Girls Were Made to Take Care of Boys  MT 12/10/48 Decca Records 24551 1949
196 Weep No More  MT 12/10/48 Decca Records 24551 1949
199 My Man (Mon Homme) MT 12/10/48 Decca Records 24638 1949
198 Porgy (I Love You)  MT 12/10/48 Decca Records 24638 1949
200 Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do  MT 08/17/49 Decca Records 24726 1949
201 Baby Get Lost  MT 08/17/49 Decca Records 24726 1949
207 My Sweet Hunk of Trash  MT 09/30/49 Decca Records 24785 1949
206 You Can’t Lose A Broken Heart  MT 09/30/49 Decca Records 24785 1949
210 Crazy He Calls Me  MT 10/19/49 Decca Records 24796 1949
209 You’re My Thrill MT 10/19/49 Decca Records 24796 1949
211 Please Tell Me Now  MT 10/19/49 Decca Records 24857 1950
212 Somebody’s on My Mind  MT 10/19/49 Decca Records 24857 1950
205 Gimme a Pigfoot And a Bottle of Beer MT 09/08/49 Decca Records 24947 1950
208 Now Or Never MT 09/30/49 Decca Records 24947 1950
213 God Bless the Child  MT 03/08/50 Decca Records 24972 1950
214 This Is Heaven to Me  MT 03/08/50 Decca Records 24972 1950
202 Keeps On A Rainin’  MT 08/29/49 Decca Records 27145 1950
203 Them There Eyes MT 08/29/49 Decca Records 27145 1950
204 Do Your Duty  MT 09/08/49 Decca Records 48259 1951
190 The Blues Are Brewin’  MT 12/27/46 Decca Records 48259 1951

Decca 23391A Decca 23391B Decca 23483BDecca 23565B Decca 23565A Decca 23676ADecca 23676B Decca 23463A Decca 23483ADecca 23957B Decca 23957A Decca 24138BDecca 24138A Decca 23853B Decca 23853ADecca 24551B Decca 24551A Decca 24638ADecca 24638B Decca 24726A Decca 24726BDecca 24785B Decca 24785A Decca 24796BDecca 24796A Decca 24857A Decca 24857BDecca 24947A Decca 24947B Decca 24972ADecca 24972B Decca 27145A Decca 27145BDecca 48259B Decca 48259A2 images © Cross Taro Collection

 

HARMONY

Harmony Records was a label owned by Columbia Records. It was originally used as a label for low-price 78 rpm records in the 1920s and 1930s; subsequently it was revived as a label for budget albums of reissued tracks during the 1950s with nine or ten songs per album. The label was most active during the 1960s and Columbia continued to issue new repackages on the label into the mid-1970s.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
158 It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie  MT 02/10/42 Harmony 1075 1942
156 Wherever You Are  MT 02/10/42 Harmony 1075 1942

Harmony 1075B Harmony 1075Aimages © Cross Taro Collection

 

OKEH

Okeh Records (rendered by Sony Music as “OKeh”) began as the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corp., a supplier of phonographs based in the United States of America in 1916, branching out into phonograph records in 1918. From 1926 on, it became a subsidiary of Columbia Records.

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
135 Laughing at Life  MT 06/07/40 OKeh 5719 1940
134 Tell Me More MT 06/07/40 OKeh 5719 1940
139 It’s The Same Old Story  MT 09/12/40 OKeh 5806 1940
140 Practice Makes Perfect  MT 09/12/40 OKeh 5806 1940
138 I Hear Music  MT 09/12/40 OKeh 5831 1940
137 I’m All for You  MT 09/12/40 OKeh 5831 1940
133 I’m Pulling Through  MT 06/07/40 OKeh 5991 1940
136 Time on My Hands  MT 06/07/40 OKeh 5991 1940
142 Loveless Love  MT 10/15/40 OKeh 6064 1940
141 St. Louis Blues  MT 10/15/40 OKeh 6064 1940
144 Georgia on My Mind  MT 03/21/41 OKeh 6134 1941
143 Let’s Do It  MT 03/21/41 OKeh 6134 1941
146 All of Me  MT 03/21/41 OKeh 6214 1941
145 Romance in the Dark  MT 03/21/41 OKeh 6214 1941
149 God Bless the Child  MT 05/09/41 OKeh 6270 1941
151 Solitude  MT 05/09/41 OKeh 6270 1941
152 Jim  MT 08/07/41 OKeh 6369 1941
154 Love Me or Leave Me  MT 08/07/41 OKeh 6369 1941
155 Gloomy Sunday  MT 08/07/41 OKeh 6451 1941
148 I’m in a Low-Down Groove MT 05/09/41 OKeh 6451 1941

Okeh 5719B Okeh 5719A Okeh 5806AOkeh 5806B Okeh 5831B Okeh 5831AOkeh 5991A Okeh 5991B Okeh 6064BOkeh 6064A Okeh 6134B Okeh 6134AOkeh 6214B Okeh 6214A Okeh 6270AOkeh 6270B Okeh 6369B Okeh 6369AOkeh 6451B Okeh 6451A images © Cross Taro Collection

 

V DISC

The V-Disc project actually began in June 1941, six months before the United States’ involvement in World War II, when Captain Howard Bronson was assigned to the Army’s Recreation and Welfare Section as a musical advisor. Bronson suggested the troops might appreciate a series of records featuring military band music, inspirational records that could motivate soldiers and improve morale. By 1942, the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) sent discs to the troops from eight sources: special recording sessions, concerts, recitals, radio broadcasts, film sound tracks and commercial records. “V” stands for Victory.

These 78rpm discs were manufactured with some special features.The diameter was increased to 12″ instead of the usual 10″ so as to allow reproduction of classical music and the press material used in most discs was vinyl instead of shellac, fragile material that could not withstand the distribution operation.

Eleven BH songs were issued in seven V-discs. However, I will just list five of them (in four discs) as this page is dedicated only to 78rpm original records (other were reissues). All of them were from live recordings.

LR Song Title Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
14 Billie’s Blues (I Love My Man) LR 01/18/44 V-Disc 248 A 1944
15 Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me LR 01/18/44 V-Disc 672 A1 1944
16 I’ll Get By  LR 01/18/44 V-Disc 672 A2 1944
41 Do You What It Means To Miss New Orleans  LR 02/08/47 V-Disc 760 A 1947
42 Don’t Explain  LR 02/08/47 V-Disc 771 B 1947

V- disc 248A      V-disc 672A

 

 

 

images © Cross Taro Collection

 

VOCALION

Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. In 1925 the label was acquired by Brunswick Records who used it in its portfolio as a cheaper label. In April 1930, Brunswick Records was sold to Warner Bros then in 1931 to American Record Corporation. ARC kept Brunswick as their flagship until 1939, when ARC was sold to CBS-Columbia Broadcast System.

Columbia discontinued Brunswick label in favor of their own Columbia, as well as OKeh replacing Vocalion, the cheaper ARC label. These two brands were reverted to Warner and sold to Decca in 1941 that revived Brunswick label in 1943.

Vocalion 3000 series

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
22 Did I Remember? MT 07/10/36 Vocalion 3276 1936
23 No Regrets  MT 07/10/36 Vocalion 3276 1936
24 Summertime  MT 07/10/36 Vocalion 3288 1936
25 Billie’s Blues (I Love My Man) MT 07/10/36 Vocalion 3288 1936
26 A Fine Romance  MT 09/29/36 Vocalion 3333 1936
27 I Can’t Pretend  MT 09/29/36 Vocalion 3333 1936
28 One, Two, Button Your Shoe  MT 09/29/36 Vocalion 3334 1936
29 Let’s Call a Heart a Heart  MT 09/29/36 Vocalion 3334 1936
37 One Never Knows, Does One? MT 01/12/37 Vocalion 3431 1937
38 I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm  MT 01/12/37 Vocalion 3431 1937
39 If My Heart Could Only Talk  MT 01/12/37 Vocalion 3440 1937
40 Please Keep Me in Your Dreams  MT 01/12/37 Vocalion 3440 1937
53 Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off  MT 04/01/37 Vocalion 3520 1937
54 They Can’t Take That Away from Me  MT 04/01/37 Vocalion 3520 1937
52 Where Is the Sun? MT 04/01/37 Vocalion 3543 1937
55 I Don’t Know If I’m Coming or Going  MT 04/01/37 Vocalion 3543 1937
63 Me,  Myself and I  MT 06/15/37 Vocalion 3593 1937
66 Without Your Love  MT 06/15/37 Vocalion 3593 1937
64 A Sailboat in the Moonlight  MT 06/15/37 Vocalion 3605 1937
65 Born to Love  MT 06/15/37 Vocalion 3605 1937
67 Getting Some Fun out of Life  MT 09/13/37 Vocalion 3701 1937
68 Who Wants Love? MT 09/13/37 Vocalion 3701 1937
70 He’s Funny That Way  MT 09/13/37 Vocalion 3748 1937
69 Trav’lin’ All Alone  MT 09/13/37 Vocalion 3748 1937
79 Now They Call It Swing  MT 01/12/38 Vocalion 3947 1938
80 On the Sentimental Side  MT 01/12/38 Vocalion 3947 1938

Vocalion 3276A Vocalion 3276B Vocalion 3288AVocalion 3288B Vocalion 3333A Vocalion 3333BVocalion 3334A Vocalion 3334B Vocalion 3431AVocalion 3431B Vocalion 3440A Vocalion 3440BVocalion 3520A Vocalion 3520B Vocalion 3543AVocalion 3543B Vocalion 3593A Vocalion 3593BVocalion 3605B Vocalion 3605A Vocalion 3701AVocalion 3701B Vocalion 3748B Vocalion 3748AVocalion 3947A Vocalion 3947B images © Cross Taro Collection

Vocalion 4000 series

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
81 Back in Your Own Backyard  MT 01/12/38 Vocalion 4029 1938
82 When a Woman Loves a Man  MT 01/12/38 Vocalion 4029 1938
83 You Go To My Head  MT 05/11/38 Vocalion 4126 1938
84 The Moon Looks Down and Laughs  MT 05/11/38 Vocalion 4126 1938
85 If I Were You  MT 05/11/38 Vocalion 4151 1938
86 Forget If You Can  MT 05/11/38 Vocalion 4151 1938
87 Havin’ Myself a Time MT 06/23/38 Vocalion 4208 1938
88 Says My Heart  MT 06/23/38 Vocalion 4208 1938
89 I Wish I Had You  MT 06/23/38 Vocalion 4238 1938
90 I’m Gonna Lock My Heart MT 06/23/38 Vocalion 4238 1938
94 I’ve Got a Date with a Dream  MT 09/15/38 Vocalion 4396 1938
95 You Can’t Be Mine MT 09/15/38 Vocalion 4396 1938
92 The Very Thought of You  MT 09/15/38 Vocalion 4457 1938
93 I Can’t Get Started  MT 09/15/38 Vocalion 4457 1938
107 Dream of Life  MT 01/20/39 Vocalion 4631 1939
106 That’s All I Ask of You  MT 01/20/39 Vocalion 4631 1939
114 Everything Happens for the Best  MT 03/21/39 Vocalion 4786 1939
113 Under a Blue Jungle Moon  MT 03/21/39 Vocalion 4786 1939
115 Why Did I Always Depend on You? MT 03/21/39 Vocalion 4834 1939
112 You’re Too Lovely to Last  MT 03/21/39 Vocalion 4834 1939

Vocalion 4029A Vocalion 4029B Vocalion 4126AVocalion 4126B Vocalion 4151A Vocalion 4151BVocalion 4208 Vocalion 4208B Vocalion 4238AVocalion 4238B Vocalion 4396A Vocalion 4396BVocalion 4457A Vocalion 4457B Vocalion 4631AVocalion 4631B Vocalion 4786A Vocalion 4786BVocalion 4834B Vocalion 4834A images © Cross Taro Collection

Vocalion 5000 series

MT Song Title T Rec Date Orig. Vinyl Label RD
121 Some Other Spring MT 07/05/39 Vocalion 5021 1939
123 Them There Eyes MT 07/05/39 Vocalion 5021 1939
122 Our Love Is Different  MT 07/05/39 Vocalion 5129 1939
124 Swing,  Brother,  Swing  MT 07/05/39 Vocalion 5129 1939
128 You’re A Lucky Guy  MT 12/13/39 Vocalion 5302 1939
127 You’re Just a No Account  MT 12/13/39 Vocalion 5302 1939
125 Night and Day  MT 12/13/39 Vocalion 5377 1939
126 The Man I Love  MT 12/13/39 Vocalion 5377 1939
130 Body and Soul  MT 02/29/40 Vocalion 5481 1940
131 What Is This Going to Get Us? MT 02/29/40 Vocalion 5481 1940
129 Ghost of Yesterday  MT 02/29/40 Vocalion 5609 1940
132 Falling in Love Again MT 02/29/40 Vocalion 5609 1940

Vocalion 5021A Vocalion 5021B Vocalion 5129AVocalion 5129B Vocalion 5302A Vocalion 5302B Vocalion 5377A Vocalion 5377B Vocalion 5481AVocalion 5481B Vocalion 5609A Vocalion 5609B

images © Cross Taro Collection

 

© 2005-2017  www.billieholidaysongs.com – February 2017

5 thoughts on “78rpm by record label

  1. I have Billie holiday he´s funny that way/ How Am I To Know on the NEW YORK label (N.Y. 131)
    Can you tell me anything about this recording on this label. I cannot find anything

    • David, first of all, I would like to say that am not at all an specialist in non-official or compilations records with Billie Holiday.
      However, you mentioned two particular tracks that were not difficult for me to trace to the original C-569 Commodore 78 rpm disc with same songs issued in 1944 in US by Commodore. This was the label Billie choose to work for in that particular year, in between the previous Columbia and the following Decca contracts.
      Commodore Records of course used the two Master Takes, numbered MT 161 and MT 169 in my work. However, they also recorded 3 alternate versions (AT) of “How am I” and 2 of “She´s Funny”.
      It was quite common for the large studios to license the ATs to smaller record companies after some time, so this would be my guess. New York label would reproduce the original Commodore some years later.
      I have done a brief research on internet about New York label, and it seems it was a private small label in Denmark in the early 1950s.
      Hope that his was helpful to you.
      All the best, Paulo

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