The BLUE PAGES

© David Diehl 1998

A HYPER-CHRONO-BIO-BIBLIO-DISCOGRAPHY OF ELI OBERSTEIN

Revised July 7, 1999

The Prelude

5/22/35 "Eli Oberstein B. M. Of Harms" Variety, p. 49

A Man and His Dream

3/1/39 "Oberstein's New Disc Firm" [Eli's resignation from RCA Victor announced. Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Larry Clinton, Sammy Kaye, Dick Todd and Buddy Clark expected to join him. The company is tentatively named 'Discs, Inc.' and his partners are Phillip Kastel, Lewis A. Jaffa and others.] Variety p. 37

4/39 "Oberstein's New Record Firm Ready" [Discs, Inc.] Down Beat, p.1, 32

Same Man, Next Dream

5/3/39 "Eli Oberstein All Set To Go; Scranton Plant" Variety p. 40

5/10/39 "Oberstein's Corporation" Variety p. 89

6/14/39 "Inside Stuff-Music" Variety p. 45

8/9/39 "On The Upbeat" [U.S. Records begins pressing 8/4/39] Variety p. 40

8/23/39 "U. S. Record Company Elects Officers, B'D" Variety p. 39

9/20/39 "Labeled for Domestic Use" Variety p.

10/4/39 "Oberstein's Studios" [ Recording at the new studio set to begin Oct. 15. Associated studios had been used.] Variety, p. 33

12/6/39 "A.F.M. Expected to Sidestep Ruling In Oberstein-Miller Dispute". Variety, p. 41

12/13/39 "On The Upbeat" [Johnny Messner waxes 'She Really Meant To Keep It'.] Variety, p. 40

12/23/39 B.H. Haggin. "Record Reviews" [Jess Stacy and Marian Anderson recordings favorably reviewed.] The Nation p. 718

12/27/39 "Indigo Discs" [She Had To Go and Lose It at the Astor, et al] Variety, p. 33

1/24/40 "On The Upbeat" [Harry James and Happy Felton signed with Varsity.] Variety p. 36

2/7/40 "Marquardt With Scranton Co." [Roy C. Marquardt] Variety p. 32

2/19/40 "Mr. Big" [Profile of Oberstein. "We have now," says he, "reached the double-entendre era." "Everybody who is working with me loves me."] Time

2/28/40 "RCA Victor Challenges Oberstein" [Ongoing suit with Glenn Miller] Variety p. 33

3/6/42 "Record Reviews" [Varsity 8200 by Johnny McGee] Variety p. 42

3/13/40 "Dirt Doesn't Pay" [ASCAP, in preparation for its strike against radio broadcasters, reacts to 'She Had To Go and Lose It at the Astor'] Variety p. 33

3/25/40 "ASCAP Against Smut" Time, p. 48

4/15/40 "Oberstein is Behind New Two-Bit Disc" Down Beat, p. 1

4/20/40 Record Rush; Platters Returning to Newsstands and Woolworth's" Business Week p. 32

4/23/40 Varsity Trade Mark 377,164 issued. [Republished 8/30/49 by Wright Record Corp.]

5/7/40 Royale Trademark 377,448 issued. [Republished 8/30/49 by Wright Record Corp.]

7/3/40 "Eli Oberstein Wins $15,833 Judgement" [Phillip Kastel and Discs, Inc.] Variety, p. 33

7/10/40 "Oberstein's Show Place At Bloomfield Folds" Variety p. 35

7/31/40 "Record Reviews" [Varsity 8337 by Buster Bailey] Variety p. 130
8/14/40 "Leeds Sues U. S. Record" [The first of several suits for back royalties.] Variety p. 33

8/21/40 "Rines Cashing In On U. S. Records' Purity of Output" Variety p. 51

8/21/40 "34 Pubs Sue U. S. Record For $11,148" [Harry Fox joins Leeds on behalf of 34 more publishers.] Variety p. 51

8/28/40 "Oberstein In Middle Of Fight For Stock Control of U. S. Record" Variety p. 41

9/6/40 "Reorganization Sought: United states Record Corporation Puts Its Debts at $250,000" New York Times p. 31

9/11/40 "U. S. Record In New York Follows Scranton Plant in Filing Petition for Reor." Variety p. 35, 36

9/25/40 "U. S. Records Seeks To Recover Master Discs" Variety p. 47

9/18/40 "Oberstein May Step Out of U. S. Records" Variety p. 32

9/18/40 "Victor Regains Sammy Kaye' [Describes Kaye's deal with Varsity.] Variety p. 32

10/2/40 "Court Okays U.S. Record Buy of Scranton Discs" Variety p. 46

10/9/40 "Bands Under Oberstein's Contract Restless at Delays In Recording; Company In An Odd Predicament" Variety p. 41

10/16/40 "Federal Court Approves Agreement Settling U. S. Record Tangle" Variety p. 51

10/23/40 "Gives U.S. Record Till Nov. 13 To straighten Self" Variety p. 39

10/30/40 "Copyright Owners' Demands Slow Liquidation of 200,000 U. S. Discs" Variety p. 47

10/30/40 "Joe Rines' Alter Ego" Variety p. 47

11/6/40 "License Tempo Discs" Variety p. 40

11/13/40 "Oberstein Has 10 Days to Particularize Or Court Rules Out His Miller Suit" [Glenn Miller] Variety p. 46

11/13/40 "U.S. Record Lists Assets At $178,815" Variety p. 47

11/20/40 "Johnny Messner Sets Biz Details For Own Recording of Double Entendres" Variety p. 41

11/20/40 "Oberstein Can't Hold Orchestra, Gets New Delay to Salvage U.S. Record Co." Variety p. 41, 42

11/27/40 Scranton Record Manufacturing Company advertisement. Variety p. 42

12/4/40 "Copyright Owners Get First Cut On Bkpt. Discs Sale" Variety p. 45

12/9/40 "Noteworthy Records" Time, p. 54-5

12/25/40 "Oberstein Now A Personal Manager" Variety p. 42

12/25/40 "More Legal Postscripts Involve Reorganization Case of U. S. Record Co." [Pilgrim Trust Co.] Variety p. 40

1/15/41 "Oberstein Partner in Consolidated" Variety p. 41

1/22/41 "Oberstein Disc Maze Looks Likely to Come Out Via Reorganization" Variety p. 48

3/19/41 "Fate Of U. S. Record Due For Decision" [Includes full list of claims against U. S. Record.] Variety p. 41

3/26/41 "Claims Totaling $71,792 Against U. S. Record Cut To About $10,000" Variety p. 40

4/23/41 "Court Sets Reorg For U. S. Record, 14% to Creditors" Variety p. 43

5/28/41 "U. S. Record Reorg Plan OK'd in N. Y. Yesterday" Variety

7/23/41 "Eli Oberstein In Hospital Mystery" Variety p. 49


One More Dream

10/22/41 "Oberstein Back" Variety p. 45

11/1/41 "Oberstein Set To Make Wax" [Imperial] Down Beat p. 6

11/12/41 "New Imperial Line Cut By Oberstein" Variety p. 47

11/26/41 "Eli Oberstein Discs This Week" [The first five popular releases.] Variety p. 45

12/31/41 "Imperial Co. Merges With Classic Record" [A.E. Middleman's Classic Record Co. of Pittsburgh, producers of the Concertone label.] Variety p. 39

1/14/42 "Blue Barron Seeks Out on Oberstein" Variety p. 40

1/21/42 "Inside Stuff-Music" [Oberstein claims sales of 155,000 in first four weeks.] Variety p. 41

2/11/42 "Priorities Not Worrying Disc Manufacturers" Variety p. 35

3/11/42 "Metro Deal Still Pends" Variety p. 40

3/18/42 "Inside Stuff-Orchestras" Variety p. 39

3/18/42 "On The Upbeat" Variety p. 40

4/8/42 "Sell Phonograph Records With Gasoline" [Deals with Firestone and retail stores.] Variety p. 43

6/10/42 "Oberstein's Disc Reissue of James' Oldies Irks Him" Variety p. 41

7/22/42 "Small Disc Firms Say Their Interests Are Disregarded in Salvage Drive By Columbia and Victor Biggies" Variety p. 31

7/29/42 "Phonograph Discs Now Sold By Firestone Tire Service Stations" Variety p. 38

9/16/42 "Oberstein Buys Into Music Firm" [50% interest in Fred Fisher Music Co.] Variety p. 41

Mexican Standoff

10/14/42 "U. S. Firm Cuts Six Discs In Mexico" Variety, p

10/21/42 "Eli Oberstein's 'Just a Band' Is Involved With 802 on Records" Variety, p. 45

10/28/42 "Has Knowlege Of Eli Oberstein's Waxing Sez Local 802" Variety p. 38

11/1/42 "Discs Cut In Mexico, Says Eli" Down Beat p. 1, 13

12/23/42 "802 Will Quiz Oberstein On Recordings" Variety p. 39

12/30/42 "Oberstein-802 Mex Standoff" Variety p. 35

1/20/43 "Oberstein Quits 802; Denies Link With Probe" Variety p. 43

1/23/43 "Records Made By 'Bootleg Bands' Circumvent the Ban by Petrillo" New York Times, p. 1, 17.

1/27/43 "N. Y. Dailies Put Finger On Oberstein as Distrib Of Bootleg Records" Variety p. 43

4/21/43 "Quiz Nitery Musicians On Bootleg Disking" Variety p. 40

5/12/43 "Inside Stuff-Music" Variety p. 43

6/9/43 "Music Publishers Turn Down Petrillo Request to Deny Material to Oberstein" Variety p. 38

6/30/43 "Musicraft Asks Nix of Nat Shilkret Suit" [Jack Shilkret seeks royalties for 'Southern Roses Waltz' recorded for U. S. Records] Variety p.39

7/7/43 "Oberstein Appeals AFM Expulsion; Asks Right To Sue For Reinstatement" Variety p. 43

8/11/43 "Oberstein Now Distribs His Own Hit Records" [New York City only.] Variety p. 37

9/1/43 "Oberstein Threatens Suit Vs. AFM, Unless 802 Reviews Ouster" Variety p. 37

All Is Forgiven

10/6/43 "Oberstein May Lead Indies to AFM Settlement; Victor, Col Still Adamant Against Signing on Decca's Terms" Variety p. 41, 46

11/10/43 "Oberstein Signs AFM Disc Deal" Variety p.

11/17/43 "Garber Going Back On Oberstein Discs" Variety p. 40

In 1943 the Varsity catalog was leased to the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.

12/1/43 "AFM Blesses Eli Oberstein" Downbeat p.


12/15/43 "Oberstein Tabs Lyman, Garber" Down Beat p.


12/29/43 "Oberstein Launching New Publishing Firm" [Ford Music]. Variety, p. 32


1/5/44 "Oberstein Buys Up Gen'l Studio's Gear". Variety, p. 200


3/1/44 "Oberstein Quits Ford, Wigler Keeps Control" Variety, p. 46


4/5/44 "Oberstein Negotiating For Standard Catalog" [Schuberth Music Co.] Variety, p. 29


4/5/44 "Chester, Kassel Set To Record For Classic" Variety, p. 30

4/12/44 "Oberstein Completes Schuberth Catalog Deal " Variety, p. 33

5/31/44 "Classic Records Charters 'Hit Distributors' Org." Variety, p. 46

6/7/44 "Harry Smith To Join Oberstein Record Co." Variety, p. 36

6/21/44 "NBC Concert, Blue Orch Set for Discing" Variety, p. 39

8/2/44 "Classic's New Series" Variety, p. 31

9/27/44 Advertisement for "Robin Hood" Hit 7083. Variety, p. 36

9/27/44 "Jack Robbins-Oberstein Deal To Turn Out Lion Labeled Discs Proceeds" Variety, p. 37

10/11/44 "Robbins, Oberstein Start Record Deal" Variety, p. 35

10/18/44 "Lion (Metro) Records' First Two Releases" Variety, p. 39

11/1/44 "Oberstein Extends Deal For Pressings" [with Scranton] Variety, p. 35

2/7/45 "Majestic Radio Reported to Have Bought Eli Oberstein's Hit Record Co." Variety, p. 41

2/14/45 "Walker Heads Company" [Former Mayor Jimmy Walker elected president of Majestic Records ] New York Times p. 22, c. 6

2/21/45 "New Majestic-Hit Firm Pacts Jerry Wald Orch" Variety, p. 40

5/2/45 "Ben Selvin Joins Majestic Records As Asst. to Prexy Jimmy Walker" Variety, p. 51

6/20/45 "Oberstein Ends Majestic Tieup" Variety, p. 37

His Master's Return

7/25/45 "Eli Oberstein Returns to RCA-Victor As Head of Artists and Repertoire" Variety, p. 41

8/1/45 "Music, Recording Execs See In RCA-Oberstein Deal Move To Gird Company for Postwar Boom" Variety, p. 31

8/8/45 "Oberstein To Chi On Initial Discing Supervision" Variety, p. 33

8/22/45 "Oberstein's N. Y. To L. A." Variety, p. 43

9/5/45 "RCA-T. D. Kiss And Make Up; To Record" Variety, p. 42

9/19/45 "Oberstein, Kapp Back From Coast biz Trips" Variety, p. 42

9/26/45 "Selvin Sues Oberstein for $75,000 As Commish in Sale of Hit Records" Variety, p. 50

11/7/45 "Selvin, Oberstein Settle % Suit" Variety, p. 51

3/12/46 "Oberstein Rumored Leaving RCA-Again" Variety, p. 49

5/1/46 "Oberstein on Coast To Wrap Up New Recordings" Variety, p. 49

8/10/46 "Rupe Sells Out Juke Box-Sterling Piece; Says Obie Is in Deal" Billboard p.

3/22/47 "An Open Letter To Record Manufacturers from Joe Davis" [List of U.S. and other masters for sale by Joe Davis.] Billboard p. 17

5/24/47 "Obie Collects 12G From Majestic" [Dispute over back salary.] Billboard , p. 20

So Long Nipper

5/29/48 "Oberstein Leaves Victor" Billboard p.19, 20

7/10/48 "Obie Kicks Off Varsity 39c Platters" Billboard p.1, 16

Harmony (CBS- VarsityCo-Op Label) checklist

9/9/49 "Spin That One Again, Please? Down Beat vol. 16 #17 p. 1

6/15/50 Rondo advertisement. [His final 78 label was Rondo/Rondolette.] Billboard p. 61

MICROGROOVE

Record Corp. of America

Oberstein expanded his operation in the early 1950's, producing 10" LP's for the budget market. He began issuing $1.98 records under the Allegro Elite, Concertone, Gramophone, Royale and Varsity labels.

4/3/54 Billboard

4/24/54 Billboard

4/14/54 Musical Courier

4/20/54 Cushing, Edward. "Ring Stolen Again" Saturday Review p.42

Fin

Eli died June 12, 1960 and was survived by his son Maurice who took over his Rondo Records and went on to a succesful career overseas with CBS/Sony and Polygram.

6/14/60 "Eli E. Oberstein" New York Times p. 37, c. 4

6/22/60 "Eli Oberstein Mastered All Phases of Disk Biz; Developed Many Names" Variety p. 48

Later Research

Blacker, George. "Disco-ing In: Eli's "Hit" Man" [Elite-Hit matrix listing] Record Research 161/2 Feb./Mar. 1979; 163/4 May/June 1979; 165/6 Aug. 1979; 171/2 March 1980; 173/4 June, 1980

Blacker, George. "Eli Was an Operator" Record Research 149/50; 151/2; 167/8 Oct. 1979

Blacker, George. "U.S. Records-- A Study In Re-Incorporation" Record Research Vol. 1 #3.

Koester, Bob. "Eli Was an Operator!: Chapter Three)" Record Research 161/2 Feb./Mar. 1979 p. 9

Lumpe, Ernst. Pseudonymous Performers on Early LP Records: Rumours, Facts and Finds. ARSC Journal Vol. 21, No. 2

Nicolopulos, James and Strachwitz, Chris. Lydia Mendoza: A Family Autobiography. Arte Publico Press/University of Houston Press 1993. [See chapter on her first Bluebird recording session.]

Porter, Bob. "Modern Eyes-zing: Majestic Masters Listing" Record Research 157/8, Sept. 1978; 159/60 Dec. 1978; 161/2 Feb./Mar. 1979

Ruppli, Michel and Novitsky, Ed. The Mercury Labels: A Discography. Greenwood Pr., 1993. [Reproduces Blacker's and Porter's Hit/Majestic material with no new additions.]

Wile, Ray. "The United States Record Corporation and Its Successors-Some Afterthoughts" Record Research Vol. 1 #4 Aug. 1955 p. 8.

I would very much like to contact Ethel Gabriel, producer of RCA Camden in the 1960's and Oberstein's onetime secretary. If anyone knows her whereabouts please e-mail me at ddiehl@tstc.edu.

Varsity/Elite/Hit/Majestic dating guide
"Call It Bootlegging But It's Legal": Eli Oberstein and the Coarse Art of Indie Record Production
Eli Oberstein Bluebird session in San Antonio
Royale 45 RPM EPs
The Blue Pages: The Guide To 78 RPM Party Records