Okeh Records - Citizendia

Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918; from the late 1920s on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records. An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events March 3 - Béla Bartók 's String Quartet No 2 is premiered in Budapest May 24 - The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company

Okeh was founded by Otto K. E. Heinemann (1877–1965), a German-American manager for the U. S. branch of German owned Odeon Records. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Odeon Records was a Record label founded by Max Strauss and Heinrich Zunz in Berlin, Germany. As World War I raged in Europe, Heinemann thought it best to have an American based company. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All He incorporated the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation in 1916, set up his own recording studio and gramophone record pressing plant in New York City, and introduced the company's line of records for public sale in September of 1918. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties (sound A gramophone The City of New York Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Heinemann formed the name of the record label "Okeh", from his initials; early disc labels rendered the name as OkeH. The first discs were vertical cut. In 1919 Okeh switched to the lateral cut method of sound recording, more usual for disc records. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common That same year the name of the label's owning company was changed to the General Phonograph Corporation. The name on the labels was changed to OKeh. The common 10 inch discs retailed for 75 cents each; the 12 inch discs for $1. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 25. The company's musical director was Fred Hager, who also appeared under the pseudonym of "Milo Rega" (Hager's middle name and his surname reversed).

Okeh began by issuing popular songs, dance numbers, and vaudeville skits similar to the fare of other labels, but Heineman also wished to experiment with music for audiences neglected by the larger record companies. Okeh produced lines of recordings in German, Czech, Polish, Swedish, and Yiddish for the USA's immigrant communities. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Some were pressed from masters leased from European labels, others were recorded by Okeh in New York.

In 1920, Ralph Peer's recordings by African-American blues singer Mamie Smith were a surprise smash hit for Okeh. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Ralph Peer ( May 22 1892 &ndash January 19 1960) was born Ralph Sylvester Peer in Independence Missouri. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Mamie Smith ( May 26, 1883, Cincinnati Ohio &ndash September 16, 1946, New York City) was an American The company perceived the significant little tapped market for blues and jazz by African American artists. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa In 1922 Okeh hired Clarence Williams to act as director of "Race" (African American) recordings for Okeh's New York studios, in addition to making recordings under his own name. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Clarence Williams ( October 8, 1898 &ndash November 6, 1965) was an American Jazz Pianist, Composer, promoter Race records were 78 rpm Gramophone records made by and for African Americans during the early 20th century particularly during the 1920s and 1930s Okeh then opened a recording studio in Chicago, Illinois, the center of jazz in the 1920s, where Richard M. Jones served as "Race" recordings director. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada Richard M Jones, aka Richard Marigny Jones, ( 13 June, 1892 - 8 December, 1945) was a Jazz Pianist Many classic jazz performances by the likes of King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong were recorded by Okeh. Joe "King" Oliver, ( December 19, 1885 &ndash April 10, 1938) was a Jazz Cornet player and Bandleader Sidney Bechet ( May 14, 1897 &ndash May 14, 1959) was an American Jazz saxophonist, Clarinetist and Composer Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter As part of the Carl Lindstrom Company, Okeh recordings were distributed by other Lindstrom labels including Parlophone in the United Kingdom. Carl Lindström AG was a global record company founded in 1893 and based in Berlin, Germany. Parlophone is a Record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Okeh Records pioneered the practice of "location recording" in 1922. Starting in 1924 Okeh also sent mobile recording trucks to tour other parts of the country to record performers not heard in New York or Chicago. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Regular return trips were made once or twice a year to New Orleans, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, San Antonio, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, and Detroit, Michigan, recording a wealth of jazz and early country music artists. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains.

In 1926 Okeh switched to the electric microphone system of audio recording. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On November 11 of that year, controlling interest in Okeh was purchased by Columbia Records. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare The Okeh label was continued until 1935. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Columbia again revived the label in 1940 after they lost the rights to the Vocalion name (by dropping the Brunswick label) and pressed it until 1946. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Vocalion Records was a Record label historically active in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Brunswick Records is a United States based Record label. The label is currently distributed by Koch Entertainment. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was revived once again in the 1950s and used sporadically through the 1990s. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Epic Records took over management of Okeh in 1965. Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Among the artists during Okeh's "pop" phase of the 50s and 60s were Johnnie Ray, Little Joe & The Thrillers, and Little Richard. John Alvin Ray ( January 10 1927 &ndash February 24 1990) was an American Singer, Songwriter, and Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter With Northern Soul music coming to the forefront in the 60s, Okeh signed Major Lance, who gave the label two big successes with The Monkey Time and Um Um Um Um Um Um. Major Lance ( April 4, 1939, Winterville, Mississippi &mdash September 3, 1994, Decatur, Georgia

Sony BMG Music Entertainment today owns the Okeh catalogue with Epic continuing to manage the Okeh material. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Blues musician and singer Keb' Mo' records for the Epic group of Sony BMG under the Okeh and Red Ink labels. Keb' Mo' (born October 3, 1951 in South Central Los Angeles, California as Kevin Moore) is an American Blues

In Tex Avery's cartoon short "Sh-h-h-h" from 1955, a laugh track record from Okeh, titled The Okeh Laughing Record and issued in the U. K. as The Parlophone Laughing Record, is used throughout most of the cartoon. That record was recorded in Germany by Beka Records in 1923. Beka Records was a Record label based in Germany, active from about 1903 to 1925. [1]

See also