Regal Records

Regal Records was an American record-label imprint established in 1921 and associated with the Plaza Music Company. It operated during the formative period of the United States recording industry, when labels competed to make recorded music available through broad retail distribution and at accessible prices. Regal releases were generally sold through chain stores for approximately 50 cents, placing the imprint within the low-priced segment of the market. The label did not generally function as a wholly independent recording operation. Its masters were recorded by Emerson Records, after which recordings were issued under the Regal name. This arrangement reflects the period's common practice of using separate labels, manufacturing organizations, and distribution channels to reach different customer segments without maintaining a completely separate studio and production infrastructure for every imprint. Regal's catalog covered popular music and jazz-related performances. Artists whose recordings appeared on the label included Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, Eubie Blake, Miss Frankie, the Original Memphis Five, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. The presence of these performers connects Regal with important strands of early American popular music, particularly jazz, dance-band, and piano traditions, although the label's commercial identity was primarily defined by its economical retail positioning rather than by a narrowly specialized genre focus. In August 1922, Regal Records was acquired by the Scranton Button Company. The transaction illustrates the broader industrial links surrounding early record production: companies outside the recording business could participate in the sector through ownership, manufacturing, or distribution relationships. Regal continued issuing records after the acquisition and remained active until 1931. It is therefore best understood as a historical American record imprint rather than a continuing modern label. Detailed information about its corporate organization, executives, headquarters, and final closure is limited in the available reference material.

Regal Records emerged in the United States in 1921, during a period when phonograph records were becoming a mass-market form of entertainment. The imprint was owned by the Plaza Music Company and was designed in part for distribution through chain stores. Its records were offered at about 50 cents each, a price point that positioned the label toward economical, high-volume retail sales rather than premium presentation. The label's production model was connected to Emerson Records. Masters for Regal releases were recorded by Emerson, meaning that Regal could issue a catalog without necessarily operating a fully separate recording studio. Such arrangements were characteristic of the early record business, in which labels and companies frequently shared recording, manufacturing, and distribution resources. Regal's role was therefore both a brand identity and a channel for bringing selected recordings to a particular retail audience. Its catalog included performances associated with several important American musical traditions. Documented artists with Regal releases include Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, Eubie Blake, Miss Frankie, the Original Memphis Five, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. These names indicate that the imprint participated in the circulation of jazz, ragtime and piano-based repertoire, dance music, and other popular forms during the 1920s. The available reference material does not establish a complete catalog or show that Regal maintained an exclusive roster in the modern record-label sense. In August 1922, only about a year after its launch, Regal was acquired by the Scranton Button Company. The acquisition placed the imprint under a new corporate owner while it continued to issue records. The involvement of the Scranton Button Company also reflects the varied industrial background of early recording enterprises, where firms involved in manufacturing and related commercial activities could become connected with record-label operations. Regal Records remained active through 1931, after which it ceased issuing recordings. No current successor operation, active corporate headquarters, or continuing ownership structure is established in the supplied references. The label is consequently treated as defunct. Its historical significance rests on its role as a budget-oriented American imprint and on the appearance of recordings by performers who later became important figures in jazz and popular music history.

• 1931

  End of release activity

  [1]Regal Records (1921)en.wikipedia.org

  Regal Records stops issuing recordings after a decade of operation.

• 1922

  Scranton Button Company acquisition

  [1]Regal Records (1921)en.wikipedia.org

  The Scranton Button Company acquires Regal Records in August, changing the imprint's ownership while its release activity continues.

• 1921

  Regal Records is established

  [1]Regal Records (1921)en.wikipedia.org

  Regal Records begins issuing recordings in the United States under the ownership of the Plaza Music Company.

An accessible, low-priced American record imprint distributed largely through chain stores, with a catalog spanning popular music and early jazz-related performances.

• Budget phonograph records · 1921

  Regal Records catalog

  The label's principal product was a series of low-priced phonograph records, generally sold through chain stores for approximately 50 cents. Recordings were made from masters associated with Emerson Records and released under the Regal imprint. The catalog included popular music and performances connected with early jazz, dance bands, piano traditions, and related American genres.

• 1922

  Acquisition by Scranton Button CompanyM&A

  Background

  Regal Records was a young budget record imprint operating under the Plaza Music Company.

  Action taken

  The Scranton Button Company acquired the label in August 1922.

  Aftermath

  Regal continued issuing recordings after the acquisition and ultimately remained active until 1931. The available source does not provide transaction terms or a detailed account of operational changes.

  Source

1. 1Regal Records (1921)en.wikipedia.org