Various - Country & Western Hit Parade - 1945 - Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And H...

Description: 1945 - Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music Various - Country & Western Hit Parade 1-CD deluxe album with 72-page booklet, 27 tracks. Playing time approx. 77 mns.Dim Lights, Thick Smoke and Hillbilly Music 1945Country & Western Hit Parade 1945It was a cataclysmic year. As 1945 dawned, the Second World War was still ongoing in Europe and Asia; yet by year's end, it was over. Many musicians were in uniform, and even those that had avoided the draft saw their activities curtailed by gasoline and tire rationing. The record business was in deep turmoil, too. In March and April 1942, the War Production Board prohibited the manufacture of all phonographs and radios. At the same time, shellac (the key ingredient in manufacturing records), was reserved for munitions. Record companies could only manufacture to 1940 levels (around 50 million units) using mostly reground records. And then, on August 1, 1942, the American Federation of Musicians called a strike against recording and transcription companies (transcriptions were syndicated radio shows featuring major artists that went out on discs to subscriber stations). Decca settled with the union on September 30, 1943, but Columbia and RCA Victor held out until November 11, 1944. Columbia and RCA Victor had been pressuring President Roosevelt to end the ban on anti-trust grounds, and only capitulated when the War Production Board lifted some restrictions on record manufacture. Decca was already recording new songs that RCA and Columbia couldn't touch, and the two older companies were concerned that increased pressing capacity and newer songs would catapult Decca to the top spot.As shellac became available again, the field opened up to independent labels. Capitol had been incorporated on April 8, 1942 and launched on June 12, just weeks before the ban started. Running out of repertoire, Capitol settled with the union in September 1943. A few other labels had started during the war (we have recordings from ARA Records that started in 1943, and National Records in 1944), but the floodgate opened in 1945. One hundred and three companies registered with the AFM as record manufacturers, and some of the parent companies were big players. In February, Majestic Radio & Television launched a record division with former New York mayor, Jimmy Walker, as president. Mercury Records (co-owned by Irving Green, the son of Albert Green who owned National) was launched in October, and MGM Pictures announced plans to start a label. The majors were still very much in control, though. Sales in 1945 totalled $89 million equating to 350 million 78 RPM records, and all but 50 million of those were produced by the big three.Country music recordings were controlled by very few men. At RCA, Steve Sholes took over after Frank Walker left to start MGM Records. At Columbia, all specialty recordings were made by Art Satherley, who was based in California but spent most of the year on the road. At Decca, Paul Cohen was taking over from Dave Kapp, while Capitol's country releases were A&R'd by Lee Gillette. None of these country A&R men was southern, although Satherley liked to point out that he was from southwest England. Seeing that the majors were concentrating upon pop, the independent labels largely focused on country and R&B. To promote their records, they serviced small 250-watt stations that couldn't afford to subscribe to the transcription services, like World and C.P. MacGregor. There were only a few independent distributors at war's end, so most indies could only hope for local sales, especially as the majors would cover fast-breaking indie tunes. If the indie owned the music publishing, it would benefit from a major label cover version; if not, it was well and truly scooped.Throughout 1945, shellac shortages meant that the labels had to make hard decisions about pressing allocations. As an example, Bill Monroe signed with Columbia Records in October 1942 (ie. during the ban). Columbia came to terms with the AFM in November 1944, but Monroe wasn't called to the studio until February the following year, and his first Columbia record didn't appear until January 1946. And Monroe was one of the lucky ones: he still had a contract. Many pre-War string bands lost their deals and would never return to major labels. In the short-term, pressing capacity was reserved for pop and pop-flavored country music, and that accounts for most of the records included here.It's also worth noting that, in 1945, occupying American forces liberated some AEG Magnetophon tape recorders. Magnetic tape recording wasn't a secret (AEG had developed the technology before the war with disappointing results), but when AEG introduced AC tape bias in 1941, it radically improved recording quality, and both American and British engineers were experimenting with the technology by late 1945. Within a few years, magnetic tape would revolutionize the art of recording much as digital technology would revolutionize it fifty years later.'Billboard' launched its first country chart on January 8, 1944 and there were between four and eight positions in the early years. In the accompanying 'Folk Record Reviews,' 'Hillbilly' was bracketed with 'Race, Cowboy Songs, and Spirituals.' In an editorial dated March 3, 1945, Billboard noted the increasing popularity of country music. "The folk music disc has taken a place of importance in the American scene," wrote the anonymous correspondent. "The call of the cowpuncher and the melancholy lament of the mountaineer has become a national institution. When pop tunes became scarce, juke box operators turned to folk discs to plug the holes." Then, of course, the operators found that the customers liked these "folk tunes." One reason, surmised 'Billboard,' was the rapid growth in country music programming. There were six hundred country music shows on the air, some live (like the Grand Ole Opry) and some using records and transcriptions. 'Billboard' also noted that the war had sent southerners to all corners of the United States, if not the world. "On the radio and in dance halls and taverns, the hill folk and the plains folk are teaching city folk to appreciate real American music—the folk tune." Sure, 'Billboard's' tone was patronizing, but the record business was always willing to set aside its prejudices when there was a buck to be made, and there was most definitely a buck to be made in hillbilly music in 1945.In preparing this series, we used the 'Billboard' chart as a basis, but we usually chose the original version of a song, even if it was on a non-charting or low-charting record. We also limited the number of war-related songs and included records that have become important in hindsight, like Arthur Smith's Guitar Boogie. Just as 'Billboard' used guesswork and favoritism in compiling the charts, we have used hindsight in compiling this series.So let's go back to 1945 when the record business was growing exponentially, in sharp contrast to today when the reverse is true. COLIN ESCOTTNashville, January 2008 Dear customer, Based on our longtime experience, consignments to the U.S.A., Canada, Africa, Australia, and South America may take up to three weeks, depending on the target country's custom clearance policy, and local deliverers. Please, note that due to these reasons beyond our control, all delivery times given are approximate and not binding. Postage rates listed are for bulk mail. Such consignments are rather cheap but can not be tracked! Should you live in the U.S.A. or Canada, you may require secure shipping with tracking options. Please, note that extra costs will apply. You must request for this extra service, prior to sending any funds. You will receive an order confirmation with the correct, total postage rate within 24 hours. Without any exceptions, all shipments to final destinations in South & Latin America, Asia and Japan, Russia and Africa will be proceeded by Registered Mail, only! 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End Time: 2024-09-22T13:12:46.000Z

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