HISTORY AND DISCOGRAPHY

A short-lived off-shoot of Continental Records, not a subsidiary with their own artists and releases, but rather a way to concurrently issue gospel, rock and blues sides that were also being put out on Continental.

Both labels were owned by Donald Gabor, who started Continental in 1942 which specialized in classical and jazz. In 1948 with a recording ban underway he created Lenox to issue already released output from the Continental vaults, maybe to fool distributors and customers alike that they were new recordings, but he also put out newly recorded sides by Frank Culley and other recent signees which were cut in violation of the musician’s strike.

Tehcnically the label was a subsidiary of Remington Records, Gabor’s newly established line for LP’s, but when the recording ban came to an end in December 1948 the Lenox label had only a few more sessions, releasing a trickle of records through the end of 1949 as they shifted their attention to firmly establishing Remington.

However since in some cases the label issued as many copies of a record as Continental did it’s often the Lenox releases that are more familiar sights, so to clear up any confusion the convoluted story had to be delved into along with a discography for those looking for a record that came out on the distinctive orange label.

An unrelated Lenox Records label began in 1962 and was similarly short-lived, though with some hits to its credit, which will of course have its own page.

 
LENOX RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY (Records Reviewed To Date On Spontaneous Lunacy):

EDDIE “LOCKJAW” DAVIS: Leapin’ On Lenox (5) (Lenox 502; August, 1948)
FRANK “FLOORSHOW” CULLEY: Ready For Action (5) (Lenox 513; November, 1948)
FRAANK “FLOORSHOW” CULLEY: The Pig Is Diggin’ (5) (Lenox 513; November, 1948)
EDDIE “LOCKJAW” DAVIS: Ravin’ At The Haven (6) (Lenox 515; November, 1948)
THE DIXIEAIRES: You Can’t Cure The Blues (2) (Lenox 518; December, 1948)