Editing Swing Time Records

{{more citations needed|date=April 2013}}

{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Swing Time Records
| image       = SwingTimeRecord.jpg
| image_size  = <!-- size -->
| image_alt   = <!-- WP:ALT text describing the image -->
| caption     = <!-- a caption for the image -->
| parent      = <!-- parent company, such as "[[Warner Music Group]]" -->
| founded     = {{start date|1947}}
| founder     = Jack Lauderdale
| fate        = <!-- explain the reason of the closing-->
| defunct     = {{end date|1954}}
| status      = <!-- leave blank unless "Inactive" -->
| distributor = <!-- distributors, separate with commas or <br /> -->
| genre       = [[Jazz]], [[rhythm and blues]]
| country     = U.S.
| location    = Los Angeles, California
| url         = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" -->
}}

'''Swing Time Records''' was a [[United States]]–based [[record label]] active in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The label was founded by Jack Lauderdale in 1947 as '''Down Beat Records''' and was headquartered in [[Los Angeles, California]]. In approximately October 1949 the name was changed to '''Swing Beat Records''', and around March 1950 the name was changed again to Swing Time.<ref name=gart>{{cite book |title= The American Record Label Directory and Dating Guide, 1940-1959|last=Gart|first=Galen|year=1989|publisher=Big Nickel Publications|location=Milford, New Hampshire|isbn=0-936433-11-6|page=215}}</ref>  The company went bankrupt in 1953{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} but continued releasing singles as late as February 1954.<ref name=gart />

[[Ray Charles]], [[Percy Mayfield]], [[Lowell Fulson]], and other [[rhythm and blues]] and [[swing era]] artists of the 1940s first recorded for this company. It is possible to find certain releases on more than one label name.<ref name=gart />

==Leasing, purchasing, reissuing, signings==
Lauderdale started his label by recording the [[Lucky Thompson]] Quartet with [[Dodo Marmarosa]] in late 1946 (releasing three discs during 1947). [[Felix Gross (musician)|Felix Gross]] & His Sextet were another early signing (releasing eight discs during 1947 through 1949). He then leased/reissued recordings by the [[Five Soul Stirrers]] from [[Bronze Records]] (releasing three discs in 1947). Next up was the leasing/reissuing of Lowell Fulson's recordings for [[Bob Geddins]]' Big Town/Down Town/Cava-Tone group of labels and the Bob Geddins/Rene LaMarre-partnered Trilon label (a total of 12 discs were released starting in 1947 through 1949). Jack also got [[audio mastering|masters]] of [[Jimmy McCracklin]] & His Blues Blasters from Trilon.

In 1950 Lauderdale purchased all the master recordings by the [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]]–led [[Johnny Moore's Three Blazers]] from [[Leon René]]'s [[Exclusive Records]], plus the masters by Brown's ex-wife, [[Mabel Scott]]. Lauderdale purchased Al Patrick's defunct [[Supreme Records (Los Angeles)|Supreme Records]] label and reissued recordings by [[Jimmy Witherspoon]] with [[Jay McShann]]'s band featuring [[Louis Speiginer]] on guitar, [[Paula Watson]], [[Percy Mayfield]], [[Floyd Dixon]] with bass player Eddie Williams' Trio (AKA [[The Brown Buddies]]), [[Sister Emily Bram]], the Stars of Harmony gospel group, and [[Maxwell Davis]]' band with [[Marshal Royal]] starting in late 1950 through 1951.

Added to all this activity was the signing of pianist [[Lloyd Glenn]] as recording artist/house band leader/session arranger and label A&R man.  Also signed-up were [[Pete Johnson (musician)|Pete Johnson]]'s band with [[Big Joe Turner]], and the Maxin/Maxim Trio with [[Ray Charles]]. [[Dexter Gordon]]'s quintet with [[Wardell Gray]] recorded a session (releasing two discs), and songwriter/bass player [[Shifty Henry]] recorded for the Swing Time label (one disc released in 1950). Two late signings were [[Play Boy Thomas]] (two discs recorded/released in 1953), and the [[Hollywood Flames]] featuring [[Bobby Byrd]] (one disc in 1954).

Several Swing Time recordings (i.e. all the holiday singles) were given permanent lease to [[Recorded In Hollywood|Hollywood Records]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gibson |first=Nathan D. |date=2011 |title=The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built |location=Jackson, Mississippi |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |page=16 |isbn=978-1-60473-830-8}}</ref>

==Numbering system==
The Down Beat/Swing Beat/Swing Time Records numbering system ran from No. 100 (1947) through No. 347 (1954). Lauderdale also started up a subsidiary label in late 1952: his Flame Records numbering system ran from No. 1001 through No. 1009.

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=publisher:swing%20time Swing Time Records] on the Internet Archive's [http://great78.archive.org/ Great 78 Project]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct record labels of the United States]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1947]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1954]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in California]]
[[Category:American jazz record labels]]