HISTORY AND DISCOGRAPHY

 


New Jersey based independent label started in 1944 by brothers Jules and David Braun which found its greatest success by all but cornering the market on New Orleans artists at the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll, first with Paul Gayten and Annie Laurie, then Roy Brown whose debut launched rock itself in September, 1947. After that it seemed as if every young singer in New Orleans was contracted to DeLuxe and yet outside of Brown the label couldn’t get any of them firmly established outside the artists home base of Louisiana, largely due to cash flow problems which hurt the label’s ability to distribute and promote their product effectively.

Soon after the Brauns sold 51% of the company to King Records Syd Nathan in an effort to remain solvent and continued to operate it themselves until the end of 1948 when Nathan took over the entire label himself in a protracted legal battle.

The Brauns then started Regal Records, taking some of their talent from DeLuxe with them, notably Paul Gayten and Annie Laurie, while DeLuxe continued as a subsidiary of King Records as Nathan was able to retain most of the other artists, Brown included, though he jettisoned some who’d prove to be big sellers in the future. The label was essentially pushed aside in the early 50’s when Nathan started Federal Records to serve as his primary subsidiary label. By 1953 however, with an expending roster in need of outlets, Nathan revived DeLuxe with new artists and enjoyed some notable success primarily with Otis Williams and The Charms (though Annie Laurie returned for her biggest hit in 1957) but despite some solid output they never came close to matching King or Federal Records or with making an impact comparable to DeLuxe’s earliest days under the Brauns.

Though its time at the top with the Braun brothers in charge was relatively short DeLuxe made arguably the biggest impact on rock ‘n roll of the 1940’s simply by cultivating the artists of New Orleans – the birthplace of rock – and giving them a broader platform for the music to be heard, including of course the first rock record which got the whole genre off the ground which assures their lasting importance.

 
 
DELUXE RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY (Records Reviewed To Date On Spontaneous Lunacy):
 
 
ROY BROWN: Good Rocking Tonight (7) (DeLuxe 1093; September, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Lolly Pop Mama (4) (DeLuxe 1093; September, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Special Lesson No. 1 (3) (DeLuxe 3098; October, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Woman’s A Wonderful Thing (3) (DeLuxe 3098; October, 1947)
SMILEY LEWIS: Here Comes Smiley (7) (DeLuxe 1099; October, 1947)
SMILEY LEWIS: Turn On Your Volume, Baby (6) (DeLuxe 1099; October, 1947)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: She’s Got Great Big Eyes (3) (DeLuxe 1104; November, 1947)
ANNIE LAURIE: I Still Love You (5) (DeLuxe 1106; November, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Roy Brown Boogie (6) (DeLuxe 1107; November, 1947)
SMILEY LEWIS: Swimming Blues (6) (DeLuxe 1108; unreleased)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Dave’s Boogie Woogie (2) (DeLuxe 1115; December, 1947)
PAUL GAYTEN: Peter Blue And Jasper Too (6) (DeLuxe 1118; December, 1947)
PAUL GAYTEN: In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down (6) (DeLuxe 1118; December, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Mighty Mighty Man (6) (DeLuxe 1128; December, 1947)
ROY BROWN: Miss Fanny Brown (7) (DeLuxe 1128; December, 1947)
ANNIE LAURIE: One Sweet Letter From You (5) (DeLuxe 1131; January, 1948)
PAUL GAYTEN: Hey Little Girl (6) (DeLuxe 1138; January, 1948)
ROY BROWN: ‘Long About Midnight (8) (DeLuxe 1154; March, 1948)
ROY BROWN: Whose Hat Is That? (3) (DeLuxe 1154; March, 1948)
PAUL GAYTEN: Stop (7) (DeLuxe 1176; June, 1948)
PAUL GAYTEN: Sally Lou (5) (DeLuxe 1176; June, 1948)
ANNIE LAURIE: Voodoo Man (3) (DeLuxe 3173; June, 1948)
ANNIE LAURIE: Wondering Blues (8) (DeLuxe 3173; June, 1948)
PAUL GAYTEN: Women These Days (6) (DeLuxe 3177; July, 1948)
PAUL GAYTEN: Back Trackin’ (4) (DeLuxe 3177; July, 1948)
ROY BROWN: Miss Fanny Brown Returns (1) (DeLuxe 3189; September, 1948)
ANNIE LAURIE: Lonely Blues (3) (DeLuxe 3192; October, 1948)
ROY BROWN: Rainy Weather Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3198; November, 1948)
ROY BROWN: ‘Fore Day In The Morning (6) (DeLuxe 3198; November, 1948)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: Hip Shakin’ Mama (9) (DeLuxe 3199; November, 1948)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: Chubby’s Confession (5) (DeLuxe 3199; November, 1948)
EDDIE GORMAN: Don’t Worry ‘Bout Nothin’ (4) (DeLuxe 3200; December, 1948)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: Back Bitin’ Woman (7) (DeLuxe 3204; January, 1949)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: Bedroom Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3204; January, 1949)
EDDIE GORMAN: Telephone Blues (9) (DeLuxe 3209; February, 1949)
EDDIE GORMAN: Beef Ball Baby (2) (DeLuxe 3209; February, 1949)
PAUL GAYTEN: Gayten’s Nightmare (3) (DeLuxe 3210; February, 1949)
ANNIE LAURIE: Annie’s Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3211; February, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Rockin’ At Midnight (9) (DeLuxe 3212; March, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Judgment Day Blues (6) (DeLuxe 3212; March, 1949)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: New Orleans Lover Man (6) (DeLuxe 3213; April, 1949)
CHUBBY NEWSOM: Close To Train Time (7) (DeLuxe 3213; April, 1949)
PAUL GAYTEN: Creole Gal (5) (DeLuxe 3215; April, 1949)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Girt Town (5) (DeLuxe 3217; April, 1949)
CLARENCE SAMUELS: Jumping At The Jubilee (4) (DeLuxe 3219; April, 1949)
CLARENCE SAMUELS: Gimmie! (1) (DeLuxe 3219; April, 1949)
ERLINE “ROCK AND ROLL” HARRIS: Rock And Roll Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3220; April, 1949)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Country Boy (8) (DeLuxe 3223; June, 1949)
DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Mr. Fool (3) (DeLuxe 3223; June, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Riding High (6) (DeLuxe 3226; June, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Please Don’t Go (Come Back Baby) (3) (DeLuxe 3226; June, 1949)
THE JOHNSON BROTHERS COMBO: Mello Mama (4) (DeLuxe 3227; August, 1949)
THE JOHNSON BROTHERS COMBO: Our Boogie (1) (DeLuxe 3227; August, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Boogie At Midnight ★ 10 ★ (DeLuxe 3300; October, 1949)
ROY BROWN: The Blues Has Got Me (2) (DeLuxe 3300; October, 1949)
ROY BROWN: Butcher Pete (6) (DeLuxe 3301; January, 1950)
ROY BROWN: I Feel That Young Man’s Rhythm (7) (DeLuxe 3302; April, 1950)
ROY BROWN: End Of My Journey (3) (DeLuxe 3302; April, 1950)
ERLINE HARRIS: Jump And Shout (7) (DeLuxe 3303; May, 1950)
ERLINE HARRIS: No Good Man Of Mine (5) (DeLuxe 3303; May, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Hard Luck Blues (8) (DeLuxe 3304; May, 1950)
ROY BROWN: New Rebecca (7) (DeLuxe 3304; May, 1950)
ERLINE HARRIS: Spare Time Papa (4) (DeLuxe 3305; August, 1950)
ERLINE HARRIS: Blues At First Sight (5) (DeLuxe 3305; August, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Dreaming Blues (8) (DeLuxe 3306; August, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Love Don’t Love Nobody ★ 10 ★ (DeLuxe 3306; August, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Cadillac Baby (9) (DeLuxe 3308; September, 1950)
ROY BROWN: ‘Long About Sundown (7) (DeLuxe 3308; September, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Teen Age Jamboree (2) (DeLuxe 3311; December, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Double Crossin’ Woman (4) (DeLuxe 3311; December, 1950)
ROY BROWN: Sweet Peach (7) (DeLuxe 3312; March, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Good Man Blues (8) (DeLuxe 3312; March, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Beautician Blues (4) (DeLuxe 3313; May, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Wrong Woman Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3313; May, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Big Town (8) (DeLuxe 3318; July, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Train Time Blues (7) (DeLuxe 3318; July, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Bar Room Blues (8) (DeLuxe 3319; October, 1951)
ROY BROWN: Good Rockin’ Man (6) (DeLuxe 3319; October, 1951)
FATS NOEL: Ride Daddy Ride (5) (DeLuxe 3321; December, 1951)
FATS NOEL: Feelin’ The Blues (4) (DeLuxe 3321; December, 1951)
ROY BROWN: I’ve Got The Last Laugh Now (5) (DeLuxe 3323; March, 1952)
ROY BROWN: Brown Angel (8) (DeLuxe 3323; March, 1952)