British Values - Other Labels

this page first published by John Wright, 3 Dec 1997
last update 14 Mar 2005vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

Note: values quoted are typical prices paid at a record fair stall where the stall-holder knows the demand for music and records.

The less common labels

There were many record labels issued during the 78rpm era. Compared to the big record labels, the less common labels issued a lot of poor quality music on records, but there are also a many surprises in store for the collector.
For example:

(Slide the frame left in order to see the table better)

Cat. No.	Band or Artiste	Issue Date	Typical Value	Comments
Aco
G15154	Harry Topping Hart & Shaw	1924	£2	an example of American vocal items issued in UK. Here Harry Topping is a pseudonym for Irving Kaufman
G15706	Jeffries and his Rialto Orch	1925	£2	British recordings
G15749	Cleveland Society Orch	1925	£3	pseudonym for American danceband
Ariel
4461	Ariel Dance Orch	1929	£4	pseudonym used for: Jazz Pilots, a Harry reser group playing hot dance a Justin Ring group playing a waltz
4483	Ariel Dance Orch	1929	£6	this is jazz, Frankie Trumbauer's band
4484	Ariel Dance Orch	1929	£2	less interesting titles, one is a Joe Green band (US), the other is European
Broadcast
147	Harry Bidgood's Broadcasters	1927	£1	fairly dull British dance titles
167	Victor Vorzanger's Famous Dance Band	1927	£2	one title is quite lively
305	Original Havana band	1928	£2	nice titles from some of the former Savoy band
505 Four-Tune	Jay Wilbur Rhythm Rascals	1933	£2	.for dance titles on one disc
3008	Ferrachini's Hawaiian Band	1931	£5	actually a Len Fillis group, with Al Bowlly vocals
3036	Marius B. Winter Orch	1931	£3	lively dance titles
3260	Blue Mountaineers	1932	£3	good dance titles from a section from the Bert Ambrose Orch
Coliseum
1824	Maryland Dance Orch	1925	£4	good American danceband titles, Tuxedo Orch, Ben Selvin Orch.
Crown
3	Ben Hammond Orch	1935	£2	good dance titles from Jay Wilbur
7	Rhythm Rascals	1935	£5	jazz from jay Wilbur
Currys
142	Bohemian band	1928	£4	early recordings by Billy Cotton
203	Syd manser Wm Manns	?	£1	dreadful recordings, unknown vocals
Dominion
A.71	Elsie Carlisle	1929	£2	popular British female vocalist
A.119	Jay Wilbur Varsity Eight	1929	£3	Varsity Eight is the California Ramblers
A.156	Deauville Dance Orch	1929	£8	Jay Wilbur band featuring Sylvester Ahola, trumpet
Duophone
B-5083	Ben Russell's Dance Band	1925	£2	Leslie Jeffries Band
M-101	W.S. Greening and his band	1927	£2	an 'unbreakable' record
D4036	Donald's Yankee Club Orch Tex Brewster's Orch	1928	£4	American recordings, the latter may feature the Dorsey Brothers
Durium
EN-0	Durium Dance Band	1932	£6	another 'unbreakable' record. Lew Stone directed some titles. Al Bowlly vocals are on EN-0,EN-8,EN-9,EN-11,EN-12,EN-13.
EN-10	Durium Dance Band	1932	£4	Arthur Lally directed some sides, these fine recordings feature Sam Browne vocals
Eclipse
25	Hottentots	1931	£3	fine sides from jay Wilbur
58	Connecticut Collegians	1931	£1	Wilbur again. vocals from Les Allen, Sam Browne
Edison Bell Radio
849	Harry Hudson's Melody Men	1928	£5	hot dance titles
1238	G H Elliot	1929	£1	polpular artiste
1458	Harry Hudson's Melody Men	1931	£4	features vocal duo, Al Bowlly and Les Allen
Edison Bell Winner				for earlier issues see Winner
4485	Diplomat Novelty Orch	1927	£2	on this disc the straight titles are by a British studio band
4696	Diplomat Orch	1927	£4	the US titles on this disc feature Red Nichols with Sam Lanin's band
4853	Beth Challis	1928	£6	an American vaudevile star, recorded in England, with good jazz accomp.
5189	Al Vocale and his Crooners	1930	£6	these Harry Hudson Band titles feature vocal duo Les Allen and Al Bowlly
Homochord
C778	Swanee Syncopators	1925	£4	quite a hot number from a British studio band (Wag Abbey)
C789	Nathan Glantz Orch	1924	£6	hot American dance numbers, one is Glantz, the other is the California Ramblers!
H569	Homochord Dance Orch	1923	£4	lively dance numbers
Mayfair
DC2012	West End Players	1931	£8	well played titles by a group of top British musicians?
G2003	Club Albany Orch Tom Reynolds Orch	1930	£4	pseudonyms for American bands,Red Nichols, Will Osborne
G2045	Fifth Avenue Dance Band	1931	£2	pseudonym for British band, Jerry Hoey
Metropole
1024	Herman Darewski Band Jay Whidden Band	1928	£2	pleasant British band titles
1045	Billy Cotton's London Savannah band	1928	£5	very good early Billy Cotton titles
Parlophone
E5631	Vincent Lopez Orch	1926	£4	good American dance numbers
E6099	Comedy Dance Orch	1928	£1	early Ronnie Munro band
R448	Louis Armstrong Hot Five Eddie Lang's Orch	1928 1929	£5	classic jazz issued in Britain
R849	Miff Moles Molers Harlem Footwarmers	1929 1930	£5	classic jazz, the Footwarmers are Duke Ellington Orch
R2660	Teddy Wilson Orch	1939	£5	with Billie Holiday
R2817	Harry Parry Radio Rhythm Club Sextet	1941	£2	popular British jazz group
F118	Valaida with Billy Mason Orch	1935	£4	super female jazz trumpeter
F161	Nat Gonella and his Georgians	1935	£4	British jazz
F394	Maurice Winnick Orch	1936	£1	pleasant dance numbers
F500	Harry Roy Orch	1936	£2	popular British band
F1214	Joe Daniels Hot Shots	1938	£2	British jazz
Pathe Actuelle
10882	Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)	1925	£3	popular American artiste
11213	Victor Sterling Band	1926	£1	dull dance titles(Nat Star)
Perfect
P316	Meyer's Dance Orch	1927	£3	pleasant American dance numbers, both Lou Gold
P414	Sam Lanin's Orch	1928	£3	pleasant American dance numbers
Piccadilly
128	Tony Young's Ramblers Bohemian Band	1928	£4	George Fisher, Billy Cotton
579	White Star Syncopators	1930	£4	American titles from Grey Gull label
Regal
G8095	Regal Novelty Orch	1923	£2	Califormia Ramblers, Ted Lewis Orch
G8330	Corona Dance Orch	1925	£2	British titles, Stan Greening Band
G8628	Corona Dance Orch	1926	£4	.American titles, Broadway Bellhops
G8866	Fred Douglas	1927	£1	British comic singer
G9442	Linn Milford and his Hawaiian Singers	1929	£5	Len Fillis group with Al Bowlly vocals
MR221	Billy Cotton and his Band	1930	£10	sought after British jazz
MR222	Billy Cotton and his Band	1930	£1	.not so sought after
Regal Zonophone
MR771	Blue Lyres	1932	£4	these are the Ambrose orch without strings. Good recordings.
MR794	The Velvet Voice	1932	£2	pseudonym for Jack Plant
MR837	Syd Lipton Orch	1933	£4	a very good band, here featuring Nat Gonella
MR1140	Billy Cotton and his Band	1933	£2	nice recordings
MR1335	Jimmie Rodgers	~1930	£4	vintage country
MR1567	Six Swingers	1935	£4	British jazz studio outfit
MR2199	George Formby	1936	£1	popular British comedian
MR3156	Gracie Fields with the troops	1939	£2	WW2 record
MR3243	Joe Loss and his Band	1940	£1	British swing band
Rex
8008	Chick Bullock	1933	£4	fine jazz musicians accomp.
8017	Lew Sylva and his Band	1933	£1	pseudonym for Jay Wilbur band
8088	Ed Lloyd and his Band	1933	£2	pseudonym for Gene Kardos band (US), good recordings
8627	Cab Calloway Orch	(1931)	£4	American jazz entertainer
9906	Billy Cotton and his Band	1941	£2	WW2 songs
Winner				see also Edison Bell Winner
3592	Southern Rag-A-Jazz Orch	1921	£5	early jazz
4174	Pavilion Players	1924	£2	American dance titles
4266	Edison Bell Dance Orch	1925	£2	British dance titles
Zonophone
2298	Jack Hylton's Jazz Band	1922	£2	early Hylton
2818	Cabaret Novelty Orch	1926	£6	Bert Firman outfit
5047	Devonshire Restaurant Dance Band	1927	£6	very good Firman recordings, Maurice Elwin vocal
5170	Harry Reser's Banjo Band	1928	£5	American dance band
5199	Rhythmic Eight	1928	£8	hot Firman numbers, Ahola trumpet
5375	Maurice Elwin	1929	£4	pleasant vocal numbers, with Ahola in accomp.
5459	Arcadians Dance Orch	1929	£6	another Firman outfit, with Ahola again
6159	Jimmie Rodgers	1931	£4	country blues

These records are only examples of what kind of values are put on some of the less common record labels. There will be some records by the same artistes worth more or less, depends on the quality of the music and on how many copies of the records were sold.
Many other record labels could be found in Britain in the 1920's and 1930's. I have some information on most of them, if you want to know anything E-mail me.

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