Swing Time Records was a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

–based

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

active in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The label was founded by Jack Lauderdale in 1947 as Down Beat Records and was headquartered in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. In approximately October 1949 the name was changed to Swing Beat Records, and around March 1950 the name was changed again to Swing Time. The company went bankrupt in 1953 but continued releasing singles as late as February 1954.

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

, Percy Mayfield,

Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most i ...

, and other

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

and swing era artists of the 1940s first recorded for this company. It is possible to find certain releases on more than one label name.

Leasing, purchasing, reissuing, signings

Lauderdale started his label by recording the Lucky Thompson Quartet with Dodo Marmarosa in late 1946 (releasing three discs during 1947). Felix Gross & His Sextet were another early signing (releasing eight discs during 1947 through 1949). He then leased/reissued recordings by the Five Soul Stirrers from

Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm. History Bron had been producing Uriah Heep (band), Uriah Heep for Vertigo Reco ...

(releasing three discs in 1947). Next up was the leasing/reissuing of Lowell Fulson's recordings for Bob Geddins' Big Town/Down Town/Cava-Tone group of labels and the Bob Geddins/Rene LaMarre-partnered Trilon label (a total of 12 discs were released starting in 1947 through 1949). Jack also got masters of Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters from Trilon. In 1950 Lauderdale purchased all the master recordings by the Charles Brown–led Johnny Moore's Three Blazers from Leon René's Exclusive Records, plus the masters by Brown's ex-wife, Mabel Scott. Lauderdale purchased Al Patrick's defunct Supreme Records label and reissued recordings by

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...

with

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

's band featuring Louis Speiginer on guitar, Paula Watson, Percy Mayfield, Floyd Dixon with bass player Eddie Williams' Trio (AKA The Brown Buddies), Sister Emily Bram, the Stars of Harmony gospel group, and

Maxwell Davis Thomas Maxwell Davis, Jr. (January 14, 1916 – September 18, 1970), was an American rhythm and blues saxophonist, arrangement, arranger, bandleader and record producer. Biography Davis was born in Independence, Kansas in 1916. In 1937, h ...

' band with

Marshal Royal Marshal Walton Royal Jr. (December 5, 1912 – May 8, 1995) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist best known for his work with Count Basie, with whose band he played for nearly twenty years. Early life and education Marshal Royal ...

starting in late 1950 through 1951. Added to all this activity was the signing of pianist Lloyd Glenn as recording artist/house band leader/session arranger and label A&R man. Also signed-up were Pete Johnson's band with

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fa ...

, and the Maxin/Maxim Trio with

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

's quintet with

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist. Biography Early years The youngest of four children, Gray was born in Oklahoma City. He spent his early childhood years in Oklahoma b ...

recorded a session (releasing two discs), and songwriter/bass player Shifty Henry recorded for the Swing Time label (one disc released in 1950). Two late signings were Play Boy Thomas (two discs recorded/released in 1953), and the Hollywood Flames featuring Bobby Byrd (one disc in 1954). Several Swing Time recordings (i.e. all the holiday singles) were given permanent lease to

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group which focuses on pop, rock, alternative, hip hop and country genres, also specializing in recordings for a more mature audience not suitable for the flagship Wal ...

Numbering system

The Down Beat/Swing Beat/Swing Time Records numbering system ran from No. 100 (1947) through No. 347 (1954). Lauderdale also started up a subsidiary label in late 1952: his Flame Records numbering system ran from No. 1001 through No. 1009.

References

External links

Swing Time Records
on the Internet Archive'
Great 78 Project
{{Authority control Defunct record labels of the United States Record labels established in 1947 Record labels disestablished in 1954 1947 establishments in California American jazz record labels

Leasing, purchasing, reissuing, signings

Numbering system

See also

References

External links