THOSE NEW INDEPENDENTS

In the mid-fifties the first generation of the 45 was slowly transforming the American record industry, partly due an unexpected wave of independent teens demanding their own music. 1953 through 1955 would witness new labels created in all parts of the nation. Most were producing some truly bad music, songs that would never hear the sound of day on any radio. Unless the record company was in a large metropolitan area with a good talent pool to draw from, chances are that the performers were those high school favorites who could not cut it professionally, and there were plenty of unscrupulous operators to lure those hopefuls into a recording studio for which these kids parents would pay big bucks to satisfy their vanity. Radio stations received hundreds of 45s each month and most wound up in the trash when program directors, who'd  been raised in an era of big band singers, failed to see any potential in these new artists. To them it sounded as if these kids were off key, stuck with meaningless lyrics or just blithely making noise. Some major labels were buying up the competition or financing new upstarts while demanding distribution and publishing rights. The record and radio industry was beginning to feel growth pains and looking for ways to ease into profit as the music continued to accelerate on 45.

It was Country Music that started the 45 revolution

Hi Ya'all, Did you know that it could be said that it was country music fans who first got the chance to make the 45 popular? RCA Victor, in 1949, released Eddy Arnold's "Boquet Of Roses" as the first commercial 45 available to the public. Other labels parlayed the early popularity of 'hillbilly' music into success at Mercury, MGM, Goldband and King record labels with many releases by other artists like Hank Williams, Johnny Horton, Eddie Shuler and Curley Fox & Texas Ruby. Not only did hillbilly music include Country, Blue Grass and Western. but also Rock-a-billy and Swampbilly. Eventually it was just labeled Country and Western or C & W for short. In the early formative years of the 45 markets, a few labels specialized in C & W and over time found it in their best interest to include a wider variety of artists. Most C & W labels picked up on gospel music, but some began to include other southern regional genres like Zydeko, Blues and Rhythm music. The major labels during the reign of the 78 had set up specific groupings and labels to handle their hillbilly artists as well as what was termed 'race' music, classical music and international popular music. The 45 would slowly blur the lines and begin to eliminate the need to separate artists onto separate labels. Soon, race music became Rhythm and Blues and the performers were R & B artists equal to C & W  or popular artists in terms of promotion and sales. Classical and specialty music would still be treated as separate. As this evolution progressed, the lines almost disappeared for a while before becoming more distinct in future years. The music was alive and so was the 45.

The 45 opened the door.

The game for smaller record companies was changing for the better –– but it wasn't always that way.

Back in the 1930s and 1940s, music executives neatly packaged their predetermined standards in music to appear inclusive and non-judgmental. What was popular would only be what the big four decided upon and the independents had to follow since the major labels controlled the distribution and production processes beside being the contractual overlords of the musicians who recorded for them. After 1949 the evolution of the 45 opened more doors for struggling independent labels allowing them to get their music to the public at a cheaper price –– a price that young people could afford.
The 45 made it possible for the introduction of the portable record player, and juke box operators welcomed the smaller more resilient discs that allowed a greater selection of music to be heard by larger audiences everywhere. By the mid-fifties the top selling records included smaller independents and heretofore ignored audiences but that's not to say that the major labels had thrown in the towel. To the contrary, they created their own subsidiary labels to handle rhythm and blues or rock music kicking off a race to gain the crown as leader of the 45 market.

Memorial Day, May 30, 1949. William Higgins, a surviving U.S. military member who served in the Spanish American War was the grand marshall in the NYC Memorial Day Parade and the 45 RPM was just a month old.  The top ten on the Billboard chart were still only available on 78 RPM.  Number one for the past 3 weeks had been Ghost Riders In The Sky by Vaughn Monroe on RCA Victor Records. By this date only RCA had issued records in the new 45 RPM format, mostly promotional discs and free discs with the purchase of a new Victrola 45 record player. The first commercially available 45 was by Eddy Arnold and anyone who had the means to play a 45 could buy it, ordering it from a catalogue in a record store. Most record stores wouldn't be stocking the new format for several more months. Columbia Records had refused to adopt the new seven inch, 45 format in this "war of the speeds" between Columbia and RCA. Columbia promoted it's 33 1/3 speed issuing their seven inch discs in that speed but would give in a year later and make the switch to 45. Soon Decca, Capitol and Mercury would make the switch as well as a few smaller independent record labels that had or soon would. On this Memorial Day let us take time out from this "war of the speeds" to remember and salute all veterans who served, those who gave their lives, and to support and honor the men and women who are still proudly serving this great nation.

Mother Day 65 years ago.

This blog takes as break in the forward progress of the story of the 45rpm to reminisce and pay tribute to mothers everywhere on the blogosphere. Sixty-five years ago it was Sunday May 8th, Mother's Day. The 45rpm had been out for a little over a month and most records were still on 78rpm. The number one song on May 8, 1949 was Riders In The Sky by Vaughn Monroe. It had been at number one for eleven weeks, released on both 78 and 45. Only RCA VICTOR was issuing 45rpm singles. Columbia would begin releasing seven inch singles at 33 1/3rpm soon. Mothers everywhere could for the first time watch the Emmy Awards on television. A few lucky mothers received the first ever Polaroid Camera as a Mother's Day gift.  South Pacific was on Broadway and Mother's Day tickets would have been a very special  gift. If mom was receiving that new RCA VICTOR Victrola phonograph as a gift, she had a wide range of records to choose from, even though they were all from RCA.  The next year would bring many more 45s from a few more companies to choose from for that special Mother's Day gift. This year I hope all the mothers received great gifts from their children, spouses and relatives. I'd like to thank Thomas Edison's mother (posthumously) because without that first tin foil phonograph in 1877, the 45rpm may never have arrived when it did. To mothers everywhere Happy Mother's Day.

Five years into the 45

By 1954 there were easily more than one-hundred and twenty record labels putting out 45s, competing in every genre for a market share.  The market for the 78RPM which had held on through these years as a choice for consumers was finally beginning to erode. More and more radio stations added the equipment upgrades needed to play the 45 and jukebox operators continued to abandon the 78 with record speed (no pun intended). The main driving force in convincing radio stations to adopt the 45 was the emergence of the a teenage listening audience whose focus was on non-traditional music. The music scene was rapidly changing. The  charts of music sales showed a marked increase in sales of Jazz, Doo Woop, Rock-a-Billy, and Rhythm & Blues plus Bill Haley was shaking it up along with a young Mississippi truck driver who'd released another four singles in Memphis. Rock 'n' Roll was becoming mainstream.  It was as if the big bands and their singers disappeared overnight. Radio was not broadcasting classical, opera or theater as before and it all can be traced back to that one spark in 1949 that pushed the music forward onto the 45.

45s at 65: A new time had begun

45s at 65: A new time had begun: 1954 saw a rather convoluted top hits list with three versions of the Ballad Of Davy Crocket, schmaltzy instrumentals, romantic big band bal...

A new time had begun

1954 saw a rather convoluted top hits list with three versions of the Ballad Of Davy Crocket, schmaltzy instrumentals, romantic big band ballads, and not much in the way of young peoples music. 1955 changed all of that forever. Elvis, The Platters, Carl Perkins, Bill Dogget, Fats Domino, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Patience & Prudence, Gene Vincent, Buchannan & Goodman, Little Richard, Stanford Clark, Otis Williams, Pat Boone, The Caddilacs, Clyde McPhatter, Johnny Cash, The Crew Cuts, and The Diamonds all became household names with American teens.  One more name rose to the top, thanks to the movies. Bill Haley and His Comets revived the 'B' side of a failed release when "Rock Around the Clock" became the opening theme of the film, High School Confidential. Mom and Dad had no idea who these interlopers were and didn't care to know, so they were relegated to their Airline console's record changer if they wanted to play their favorite 78 because the radio was being transformed right before their ears and more likely because television had now taken over the entertainment of most adults in their free time. For young America, the music was really living on in the 45.

45s at 65: The hangers on.

45s at 65: The hangers on.: The more things change, the more they stay the same or so the executives in charge of major record labels believed. In spite of an ever chan...

The hangers on.

The more things change, the more they stay the same or so the executives in charge of major record labels believed. In spite of an ever changing landscape in popular music, some labels refused to give in and accept that rock 'n' roll was here. These were not labels specializing in regional ethnic music, they were the established majors. Columbia Records, London Records and Decca Records all maintained that stiff upper lip, so to speak. Traditional good music was foremost on the minds of the A & R directors at those labels. Mitch Miller was known as the king of generic album music in an age of expanding 45 rock and roll markets. Sir Edward Lewis of British Decca, parent of the London subsidiary, preferred the Mitch Miller approach toward popular music and resisted attempts to expand the popular catalogue to include rock and roll, instead preferring Mantovani and established popular artists. U.S. Decca early on in the 45 expansion followed suit keeping mainstream pops and country on Decca while leaving other genres to their Brunswick and Coral subsidiary labels who parlayed their way to success with the new 45 R&B and Rock 'n' Roll markets. All three of these hangers on would eventually succumb and join the music revolution that began in 1949 when the music first spun on 45.

One man's 78rpm music is another man's 45rpm junk.

Not all's fair in love and war or in the 45 record business. Some executives at major labels, unhappy with their perceived lack of respect or compensation, took it upon themselves to form their own label and hijack as many master discs of the artists that they'd signed up while at the major label. There were lax infringement laws regarding trademark and proprietary rights at the beginning of the decade, so the new 'junk' label owners could get away with openly pressing new 45rpm records of older 78rpm releases with impunity. These same junk label operators misappropriated music from overseas and packaged it as their own and were not challenged for failing to pay fees or royalties, thereby making themselves a lot of money. These early days of the 45 opened the door to many more operators who began making covers of current popular songs as another solid revenue stream. They enticed unwitting teenage buyers to grab these cover records without first playing them, so as to hide the records poor quality and lousy musical imitations. It all does have a better ending because a few legitimate artists got their feet in the door recording as an unnamed artist on some of those poor quality imitations and they are now among some of the most sought after collector 45s today. So in more than one way, one man's junk has become another's sweet music on 45.

Musical integration happens

Between 1950 and 1955 something unique happened long before the civil rights movements recognized intolerance and attempted to correct years of injustice. Savvy businessmen, hard line capitalists and musical geniuses, all without government interference, recognized the equality of music and began the smooth integration of styles, genres, sounds, and differences; even if it was to  benefit their own pocketbooks. It also benefited the American public who was hungry for great new music. Say what you will about capitalism, but sometimes it is the answer. Suddenly names like blues singers, Jackie and Walter began appearing alongside cowboy, Gene Autry while Gospel diva, Edna Gallmon Cooke and Latin orchestra leader, Don Jose were on favorites lists in addition to Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Chris Connor and the Du Droppers. The corner had been turned and would never be the same or regress to what it had been. This is not to say that all was good in the record business because we all know it wasn't and still isn't. Much has been written about the socially depraved, drug addled thugs and executives who made life miserable for some artists along the way as the music was transformed through the 45 RPM.

The music lives on.

Hey hep-cats, hipsters, guys and gals, boys and girls, and all you out there in blogville, The vinyl 45 RPM is now over sixty five years old yet it continues to inspire  entertain and delight listeners of all ages. Who knew in 1949 that a seven inch round disc of vinyl would usher in the greatest revolution in music since Edison. Without the 45 rock 'n' roll would not have happened when it did. Top 40 radio could still be an idea in someone's thoughts. FM Radio might still be an experimental alternative and bloggers writing about the 45 would have no audience. There are plenty of websites to visit and learn about the 45 and it's impact on us. Collectable vinyl is bigger than ever. You can still buy brand new knockoffs or repros of legendary hits as well as new 45s of some new artists. When the Chevy went to the levee the music never really died. Elvis may have left the room but his old 45s still live on and delight millions. Look through the attic, basement or closet and discover music history that may have been forgotten there. Remember a first dance or first kiss. Kids, pull out some of those old 45s and watch your parents or grandparents eyes light up. Listen to the pure unpretentious melodies that fueled the soundtracks of so many lives. Not all of it was Grammy worthy but it all was 45 worthy and proof that the music lives on.