History
Founding
- Black & White Records was founded in 1943 by Les Schriber, Sr. (1901–1965), and was located at 2117 Foster Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The company initially issued recordings of Art Hodes and Cliff Jackson.
Sale to Paul & Lillian Reiner
- In 1945, Paul Reiner (6 December 1905 Hungary – 1 February 1982 Los Angeles) and wife, Lillian (née Drosd; 28 April 1908, Massachusetts – 4 September 1982 Los Angeles), purchased the company, moved it to Los Angeles, and hired Ralph Bass to be a recording director. Soon after that, Schriber went to work for Swan Records, but left Swan sometime around October 1946.
Ralph Bass
- As recording director, Bass was a talent scout and producer. He oversaw two of the most important records in the early evolution of rock and roll: T–Bone Walker's Stormy Monday (1946) and a rare, early crossover pop hit, Jack McVea's Open the Door, Richard. In 1948, Bass left B&W to launch Bop Records.
1946 officers
- Black & White Recording Company
- 4910 Santa Monica Boulevard
- Hollywood 27, California
- Paul Reiner, president
- Lillian Reiner, vice president
- Samuel Maidman, treasurer
- Larry Newton, sales manager
Acquisition of Comet Records
- Comet Records, owned by Les Schriber, Sr., was sold to Black & White Records not long after the third Red Norvo recording session with Comet.
Merger of catalogs & distribution agreement
- On August 11, 1947, B&W Records and Jewel Records (not to be confused with Je–Wel) entered in the a distribution agreement that also gave B&W an option to acquire Jewel. Reiner retained his post as president of B&W while Ben Pollack, Jewel's president, entered as general manager of B&W's west coast operations and overseeing the artist and rep department. Reiner moved his headquarters east and centered his operations on Chicago to strengthen the label's Midwestern distribution. The catalogs of B&W and Jewel were merged as a result of the deal. Pollack brought 10 unreleased masters as well as Martha Davis and Marion Morgan. Pollack also had a contract with Boyd Raeburn stipulating that the orchestra could record for a major label, but Jewel held an exclusive on all independent releases. The deal also raised emphasis on and increased the number of "race" releases.
- The first recording of "Open the Door, Richard" by tenor saxist Jack McVea was recorded on this label. Lena Horne recorded for this label in 1946 and 1947. Although they were novices in the business and were not specializing in rhythm and blues, they made a significant contribution to R&B, largely through the efforts of record producer Ralph Bass who, during his tenure there, recorded Roosevelt Sykes and T-Bone Walker
Loss of Larry Newton
- In March of 1949, Newton left B&W as sales manager to become general manager of Peak Records. Moe Ashe replaced him as sales manager at B&W. Around that same time in 1949, Newton, while operating Derby launched Central Records (with Lee Magid), and Treat Records in New York City; worked with Impulse! Records, became president of ABC-Paramount Records in 1965, ran Crossover Records (founded in 1973 by Ray Charles)
Sale of the masters
- On October 8, 1949, after shutting down B&W Records, Paul Reiner offered several hundred masters for sale – some released and some not. He appointed Al Katz (Katzenberger) to negotiate all sales on his behalf. The sale was offered in units, ordered by artists. Katz gave first right of refusal to the artists.
- Paul Reiner had sold the masters from the Tatum, Cyril Nathaniel Haynes (1915–1996) (piano), and Norvo sessions to Dial Records owner, Ross Russell, closing the deal in June 21, 1949, via telephone.
Other addresses
- Les Schriber
- Black & White Recording Company
- 157 Belmont Blvd.
- Elmont, Long Island
Innovations
- Black & White was one of the first companies to issue 12-inch 78 rpm discs in unbreakable material.
Federal court case over "covering"
- In 1950, Supreme Records, Incorporated – a small label owned by Al Patrick (Albert T. Patrick; 1910–1973), who was African American – lost a case in United States District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division, against Decca Records, Inc., a large record label.
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- In 1948, Supreme recorded in Los Angeles and released A Little Bird Told Me, written by Harvey Oliver Brooks (1899–1968), sang by Paula Watson (1927–2003), who is African American, accompanied by guitarist Mitchell "Tiny" Webb, and others. Her version enjoyed a fourteen-week run on Billboard's R&B Charts in 1948 and 1949, reaching number 2 on the R&B charts and number 6 on the pop charts.
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- In 1948, Decca Records, recorded in New York and released a cover version, sang by Evelyn Knight (1917–2007), who is Caucasian. Knight copied Watson's singing, precisely – to the degree that it fooled musical experts brought into court as witnesses. Knight was accompanied by a band that included Walter Page on bass, the Stardusters (vocal group), and Johnny Parker (vocal and hand-clapping).
- Supreme claimed that Decca had stolen aspects of its original recording, including its arrangement, texture, and vocal style. Race was not an issue in the case, but the case served as a notorious example of white performers covering the work of black artists in the 1950s.
- The Court ruled in favor of the defense – upholding a ruling that musical arrangements are not copyrightable property – individual interpretations or arrangements of a given style could not be protested under the law. This case opened the door for cover versions.
- Black & White Record Distributors, Inc., had been one of the two original plaintiffs, but withdrew on a motion by the defendant, leaving Supreme as the sole plaintiff. Black & White participated in the case because it had been the manufacturer and distributor of Supreme's line.
- Separately from the "Little Bird" case, Supreme had sued Black & White, contending that B&W had no right to turn over its line to two Canadian firms, Monogram and Dominion, who had been pressing and distributing in Canada. On April 2, 1949, Supreme & B&W settled their dispute, out of court.
- Supreme was soon entirely out of business, and by December of 1949 Paula Watson was working for Decca.
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