Broadway Records

Broadway Records was an American record label that operated mainly during the 1920s and 1930s. It was not the modern musical-theatre label that shares the Broadway name, but a historical budget imprint associated with several record-manufacturing and distribution companies. The label's earliest records were manufactured by the Bridgeport Die and Machine Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and appeared in the early 1920s. Much of this initial repertoire came from masters recorded for Paramount Records, giving Broadway access to performances produced elsewhere rather than relying entirely on its own recording operation. A major change occurred in 1925, when Bridgeport Die and Machine entered bankruptcy. The Broadway label was then acquired by the New York Recording Laboratories, despite that company's misleadingly New York-oriented name: its operations were based in Port Washington, Wisconsin. New York Recording Laboratories was owned by the Wisconsin Chair Company, which also controlled Paramount Records. This ownership connection helped explain Broadway's continuing relationship with Paramount-related material. Broadway discs were sold through Montgomery Ward, the large American mail-order retailer, although available evidence does not establish that Montgomery Ward was the label's exclusive distributor. Some copies also carried the imprint of a Chicago drugstore, indicating that the label reached other retail channels. The label's repertoire and supply arrangements changed over time. Broadway releases from approximately 1925 through 1930 were predominantly sourced from Plaza masters. From 1930, the label supplemented Crown Records masters with recordings from New York Recording Laboratories' own L-matrix series, including sides recorded in Grafton, Wisconsin. These arrangements placed Broadway within the highly interconnected American recording industry of the period, in which companies regularly reused, licensed, or repackaged masters across budget labels and distribution networks. New York Recording Laboratories ceased operations in 1932, after which the Broadway name was briefly taken up by the American Record Corporation. This ARC series was short-lived. The label resurfaced again in the mid-1930s when Decca introduced several unsuccessful early labels, including Champion and Broadway. The Decca Broadway series used L-1200 catalog numbers and included masters associated with Champion and Gennett Records, but did not continue beyond 1935. The ARC and Decca activity may have been connected to the fulfillment of an existing Montgomery Ward contract, although the precise contractual history is not fully documented. Broadway's technical reputation varied according to the period and manufacturing organization. Records from the Bridgeport era were generally regarded as well pressed and comparatively well recorded. By contrast, the New York Recording Laboratories or Paramount period was associated with pressing quality and audio fidelity that were below the standards of many contemporary records. The ARC issues were technically comparable to other low-priced ARC labels such as Melotone, Perfect, and Oriole, while the Decca-era Broadway records were comparable in quality to contemporary Decca releases. The historical Broadway Records label therefore represents a succession of related imprint uses rather than a single continuously controlled company, and it disappeared from the market after the brief Decca series in 1935.

Broadway Records emerged in the early 1920s as an American record label manufactured by the Bridgeport Die and Machine Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Its earliest issues drew substantially on masters recorded by Paramount Records. This arrangement allowed the label to participate in the expanding market for inexpensive commercial records while relying on existing recording resources. In 1924, Broadway broadened its source material with masters connected to Emerson and Banner. The label's first manufacturing phase ended after Bridgeport Die and Machine entered bankruptcy in 1925. Broadway was acquired by the New York Recording Laboratories, a company located in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and owned by the Wisconsin Chair Company. The same parent company controlled Paramount Records, preserving Broadway's connection to Paramount-related production and distribution networks. During the New York Recording Laboratories era, Broadway records were marketed through Montgomery Ward, although the available historical record does not confirm whether Ward was the exclusive distributor. Copies bearing a Chicago drugstore imprint show that the label was also sold through at least some independent retail outlets. Most Broadway records issued between 1925 and 1930 used Plaza masters. Beginning in 1930, the label also used Crown masters and recordings from New York Recording Laboratories' own L-matrix sequence. Some of those company recordings were made in Grafton, Wisconsin. New York Recording Laboratories ceased business in 1932. The Broadway name was subsequently used for a short-lived series issued by the American Record Corporation. Later, in late 1934 or early 1935, Decca introduced Broadway as one of several early labels that did not achieve lasting success. Decca's Broadway releases formed an L-1200 series and used masters associated with Champion and Gennett Records. The series ended by 1935. The ARC and Decca uses of the imprint may have been motivated partly by an effort to satisfy an existing Montgomery Ward arrangement, though the exact commercial terms are uncertain. The label's sound and manufacturing quality changed across these phases. Bridgeport-era discs were comparatively well pressed and recorded. Broadway records from the New York Recording Laboratories or Paramount period were generally less impressive in both pressing quality and fidelity. The ARC series was technically similar to other ARC budget labels, including Melotone, Perfect, and Oriole. The later Decca issues were broadly comparable to Decca's own records of the period. After the end of the Decca series, the historical Broadway Records imprint ceased to have a significant continuing presence.

• 1935

  The Decca Broadway series ends

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  Decca's short-lived Broadway L-1200 series, launched in the mid-1930s, does not continue beyond 1935.

• 1932

  New York Recording Laboratories closes

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  The label's principal owner and operator goes out of business, after which the Broadway name is briefly used by the American Record Corporation.

• 1930

  Crown and in-house masters are added

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  Broadway begins using Crown masters alongside New York Recording Laboratories' L-matrix recordings, including sides recorded in Grafton, Wisconsin.

• 1925

  New York Recording Laboratories acquires the label

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  Following the bankruptcy of Bridgeport Die and Machine, Broadway is acquired by New York Recording Laboratories, a Wisconsin-based company owned by the Wisconsin Chair Company.

• 1924

  Emerson and Banner masters enter the catalog

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  Broadway expands beyond its initial Paramount-related sources by issuing material connected with Emerson and Banner.

• 1920

  Broadway Records appears in the early 1920s

  [1]Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org

  The label begins issuing records manufactured by the Bridgeport Die and Machine Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

A low-priced American record imprint distributed through mail-order and other retail channels, with repertoire assembled from masters supplied by affiliated or third-party recording companies.

• 78 rpm records

  Bridgeport-era Broadway 78s

  The earliest Broadway records were shellac 78 rpm discs manufactured by Bridgeport Die and Machine in Connecticut. Much of the material came from Paramount masters, with additional Emerson- and Banner-related material appearing from 1924. These records are described as comparatively well pressed and recorded for their period.

• 78 rpm records · 1925

  New York Recording Laboratories Broadway series

  The main Broadway catalog of the late 1920s and early 1930s was issued under New York Recording Laboratories ownership. Most releases used Plaza masters, while later records also drew on Crown material and the company's own L-matrix recordings made in Wisconsin. The series was distributed through Montgomery Ward and other retail outlets.

• 78 rpm records · 1932

  ARC Broadway series

  After New York Recording Laboratories ceased operations, the American Record Corporation used the Broadway name for a brief series. Its technical quality was broadly comparable to ARC's Melotone, Perfect, and Oriole labels, placing it within the company's budget-recording segment.

• 78 rpm records · 1934

  Decca Broadway L-1200 series

  Decca revived the Broadway name in late 1934 or early 1935 for a short L-1200 series. The releases used masters associated with Champion and Gennett Records. The series was unsuccessful and ended by 1935.

1. 1Broadway Records (1920s)en.wikipedia.org