Bel-Tone Recording Corporation was a small American independent record label founded in 1944 in Hollywood, California, that recorded and produced artists of the pop, race, and folk genres.

Recording artists

  • Frankie Laine (né Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; 1913–2007)[1]
  • Freddy Stewart (né Morris Joseph Lazar; 1921–2000)[2]
  • Valaida Snow (1902–1956)[3]
  • Cliffe Stonehead (aka Cliffie Stone; né Clifford Gilpin Snyder; 1917–1998)
  • Monte Hale (né Buren Ely; 1919–2009)
  • Buzz Adlam (né Basil George Adlam; 1904–1974)[4]
  • Alton Redd (1904–1979)
  • Bob Mosely
  • Slim Gaillard (né Bulee Gaillard; 1916–1991)
  • Tin Ear Tanner and his Back Room Boys (pseudonym for Merle Travis, Cliffie Stone, and "crew")
  • Luis Cardenas "Touch of Paradise" (2016)

Management

Dick Elwell served as President[5] and general manager; Jack Elliott (né Irwin Elliott Zucker; 1927–2001) as songwriter and talent manager; Frank Berger, who had formerly been with Gilt-Edge Records, as production supervisor; and Jack Homer as flack.[6]

Bel-Tone had acquired a recording studio from James Anthony Fitzpatrick (1894–1980), who had used it to produce short travel films called, Fitzpatrick Traveltalks. The studio turned out to be not large enough to accommodate many of the ensembles that the label was pursuing; so, the label used two or three established commercial studios in Los Angeles.

Luis Cardenas and Owen Loftus have recently purchased the Hollywood Independent label. The intent is to sign "unique artists". Studios used for recording will consist of LunchBox Studios, Capital Records, The Village and others depending on what the project requires. Luis Cardenas "Touch of Paradise" is the first project to be released by the label in about 15 years. Luis Cardenas will produce and oversee projects at studios such as Capital Records, LunchBox Studios, Dino M111 Studios, The Village and Paramount Studios.

Luis Cardenas serves as Vice President and head of A&R for Bel-Tone Records. Also producing and artist development. Luis Cardenas freelances as Producer on other projects for other Indie labels as well.

Owen Loftus serves as CEO and President of Bel-Tone Records also serving as Executive Producer on key projects. Owen Loftus has also been named as Executive Director of all Film Rights and Productions of 8 Land Pictures Inc. which is operating in conjunction with Bel Tone Films.

MAMA’S TWISTIN’ WITH SANTA, by MARK ANTHONY, on the alternate label Labelle , in 1963 (was produced by Jack Elliott).

Series

0250 series – jazz/pop, then switched to country
J750 series – jazz & R&B
2000 series – Latin
7000 series – pop
9000 series
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie recorded in Hollywood, California, December 29, 1945, on the 700 series with Slim Gaillard, Dodo Marmarosa, Jack McVea, Bam Brown, and Zutty Singleton

Kidisks — Bel-Tone Playhouse Series

  • The Ugly Duckling, 78 rpm (1945)
Starring Mary Holiday, with "Jump Jump"
  • Jump Jump | The Little Lost Star
  • BT-4: 10" 78 rpm — re-issued in 1947 by Mercury Records MMP–16 (album), 7031 (sides 1, 2), 7031 (sides 3, 4), 7033 (sides 5, 6)[7]
Uncle Bob (narrator) … Robert Bainter Bailey (1913–1983)
Music, conducting … Raymond Joe Sanns (né Joseph Milton Mullendore Jr.; 1914–1990), who also was a member of the Cappy Barra Harmonica Band
Director … by Ted B. Sills
The Fisherman and the Flounder (3 sides), adopted from Grimm's Fairy Tales, OCLC 45308491 image
Actors: Dick Trusel, Shirley Mitchell, Ken Christy
The Elves and the Shoemaker (3 sides), adopted from Grimm's Fairy Tales, OCLC 80130809
Actors: Henry Lang, Shirley Mitchell (maiden; born 1919; married to & divorced from Julian H. Frieden; later married to and widow of Jay Livingston), Jack Edwards, Jr., Kee Christy
  • Sleepy Slim The Tired Lion, re-issued by Mercury Records MMP–17, 7034, 7034
Starring Mary McConnell and Jump Jump
Sound effects & music … Harry Wilcox

Bankruptcy

Bel-Tone Records, through its attorney Samuel Shayon (né Samuel Shmayonik; 1903–1984), filed for bankruptcy on November 30, 1947. Dick Elwell and Bob Cook were the sole shareholders.[8]

Luis Cardenas and Owen Loftus acquired the Bel Tone name in efforts to revise Bel Tone Records, Production and Entertainment Group.

References

  1. ↑ Raymond E. White, King of the Cowboys, Queen of the West: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans pg. 54, University of Wisconsin Press, (2005) OCLC 56905238
  2. ↑ Biography for Freddie Stewart, Internet Movie Database (IMDb), a subsidiary of Amazon.com
  3. ↑ Biography for Valaida Snow, Internet Movie Database (IMDb), a subsidiary of Amazon.com (2001)
  4. ↑ Biography for Basil Adlam, Internet Movie Database (IMDb), a subsidiary of Amazon.com (2001)
  5. ↑ Gart, Galen (1989). The American Record Label Directory and Dating Guide, 1940-1959. Milford, New Hampshire: Big Nickel Publications. p. 22. ISBN 0-936433-11-6.
  6. ↑ Pan American and Bel-Tone Newest Indie Disk Labels, Billboard Magazine, July 28, 1945, pg. 19
  7. ↑ Michel Ruppli (born 1934) & Ed Novitsky, The Mercury Labels: A Discography; Volume I, The 1945–1956 era, pps 53–54, Greenwood Publishing Group (1993), ISBN 0-313-29031-8, ISSN 0192-334X
  8. ↑ Bel-Tone Folds; 40G Deficit, Billboard Magazine, December 7, 1946, pg. 16
  9. ↑ IAJRC Journal, Vol. 29, pg. 33 (1996) OCLC 2161808, 474100198, 474081390 LCCN 75-645650
  10. ↑ Robert L. Campbell and Robert Pruter, Gold Seal: The Bel-Tone Acquisition, The Red Saunders Research Foundation (Draft; © August 1, 2012)
  11. ↑ Opal Lewis Nations & Randall Tamberg, Hit/Majestic Records; "The Mighty Monarch of the Air", Blues & Rhythm, Vol. 138, pg. 7 (April 1999)
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