Bluebird Records
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Founder | Eli Oberstein |
| Fate | Label phased out and revived multiple times; currently active as a reissue label |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Children's tunes, blues, jazz, swing records |
| Parent | Sony Music Entertainment |
Bluebird Records is a U.S.-based record label recognized for its affordable releases of children's tunes, blues, jazz, and swing during the 1930s and 1940s. Established in 1932 as a cost-effective division of RCA Victor by executive Eli Oberstein, Bluebird became famous for its unique "Bluebird sound," which had a significant impact on the development of rhythm and blues and early rock and roll. Presently, it is owned by Sony Music Entertainment, the parent company of RCA Records.
History
Bluebird was launched to rival other budget labels by offering records produced rapidly and at low cost. The signature "Bluebird sound" emerged from utilizing a session band on numerous recordings to keep expenses down, featuring artists such as Big Bill Broonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Washboard Sam, and Sonny Boy Williamson I. Producer and talent scout Lester Melrose brought many blues musicians to RCA Victor and Bluebird, helping the label become a major force in Chicago blues.
The label also focused on recording and reissuing jazz and big band music, showcasing performers like Ted Weems, Rudy Vallée, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, and Earl Hines. During World War II, Bluebird re-released works by Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, and Bennie Moten. Its country music lineup included groups such as the Monroe Brothers and the Delmore Brothers, along with reissues of recordings by Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.
After World War II, Bluebird ceased to operate as an independent label, with its catalog reissued under RCA Victor. The brand was revived in the 1950s to issue budget jazz albums, children's records, and the RCA Victor Bluebird Classics series. The Bluebird name was again phased out during the 1960s, with some titles reissued under RCA Victor or the budget-friendly RCA Camden. In the mid-1970s, RCA brought back Bluebird for two-LP collections featuring big band, swing, and jazz reissues overseen by producers Ethel Gabriel and Frank Driggs. Today, Bluebird serves as a label for CD reissues of select jazz and pop recordings originally released on RCA Victor.
Labels and discs
RCA Victor initially entered the budget segment with the 35¢ Timely Tunes series sold exclusively through Montgomery Ward stores, issuing 40 titles from April to July 1931 before discontinuation.
The earliest Bluebird records were launched in July 1932 alongside Electradisk discs with matching catalog numbers. These rare 8-inch records were test-marketed at select Woolworth stores in New York City and may have retailed for as low as 10¢. Bluebird discs featured black text on a medium blue background, whereas Electradisk used blue text on an orange background.
The 8-inch series ranged from catalog numbers 1800 to 1809; later that year both labels reappeared as 10-inch records: Bluebird from 1820 to 1853 (until April 1933), Electradisk from 2500 to 2509 and 1900 to 2177 (until January 1934).
Electradisk's 2500 series was recorded over two days in June 1932, consisting of dance-band tracks assigned Victor matrix numbers but resembling those issued by Crown Records, an independent label pressed by Victor. These scarce discs were probably sold only within New York City.
In May 1933, RCA Victor relaunched Bluebird as a general-interest budget label priced at 35¢ (three for $1), beginning with catalog numbers B-5000 onward. This iteration featured a blue-on-beige "buff" label used until 1937 in the United States and until 1939 in Canada. Most earlier releases were reissued under this label, which operated alongside Electradisk.
A brief contemporary label named Sunrise existed concurrently, possibly targeting specific artists or smaller retail outlets; few records survive and little information is available about it. By early 1934 both Sunrise and Electradisk were discontinued, leaving Bluebird as RCA Victor's exclusive budget label until the introduction of RCA Camden in 1953. Additionally, RCA Victor distributed Bluebird titles on the Montgomery Ward label, which was sold solely through Ward stores.
Noteworthy Musicians
- Charlie Barnet
- Big Bill Broonzy
- Willie Bryant
- Bo Carter
- Wilf Carter
- Cedar Creek Sheik
- Virgil Childers
- Arthur Crudup
- Billy Daniels
- Sam Donahue
- Shep Fields
- Harry Gozzard
- Lil Green
- George Hall
- Lionel Hampton
- Joe Haymes
- Fletcher Henderson
- Earl Hines
- Dan Hornsby
- The Ink Spots
- Curtis Jones
- Spike Jones
- The King Sisters
- Sonny Boy Williamson I
- Ted Weems
- Vincent Lopez
- Bert Lown
- J. E. Mainer
- Wingy Manone
- Tommy McClennan
- Big Maceo Merriweather
- Glenn Miller
- Mississippi Matilda
- Vaughn Monroe
- Ozzie Nelson
- Sonny Boy Nelson
- Robert Petway
- Jimmie Rodgers
- Tampa Red
- John Serry Sr.
- Artie Shaw
- Dinah Shore
- Frank Sinatra
- Ruby Smith
- Roosevelt Sykes
- Rudy Vallee
- Washboard Sam
- Cy Walter
See also
Further reading
- The American Record Label Book by Brian Rust (Arlington House Publishers, 1978)
- American Record Labels and Companies - An Encyclopedia (1891–1943) by Allan Sutton & Kurt Nauck (Mainspring Press, 2000)
- The Victor Master Book, Vol. 2, authored by Brian Rust (Walter Allen, 1974)