Modern Records

In the beginning, Modern bought master recordings from other small labels, as with the purchase of 32 unreleased Gold Star Records master recordings by Lightnin' Hopkins and Lil' Son Jackson for $2,500 from Bill Quinn in 1951.{{cite magazine|title=Modern Buys 32 Hopkins, Jackson Masters for $2,500|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3UQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=september+1951+billboard+quinn+modern&pg=PA26|magazine=Billboard|page=26|date=September 29, 1951|access-date=August 21, 2024}} The Biharis also often used pseudonyms to give themselves writing credit on songs. Saul Bihari, for example, (whose middle name was Samuel) used the name Sam Ling as a songwriting pseudonym. Having started as an R&B label, Modern was later one of the few R&B labels to routinely cover rhythm and blues hits on other labels, apparently in an attempt to broaden their appeal and reach the popular market.

In 1958, the Bihari brothers formed Kent Records and stopped issuing records on Modern.{{Cite magazine|date=March 24, 1958|title=Kent Launches R-B Singles|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/50s/1958/Billboard%201958-03-23.pdf|magazine=Billboard|page=3}} In 1964, the Modern imprint was revived and the Ikettes released a few successful singles in 1965,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Ikettes Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/The+Ikettes.art|access-date=2021-01-28|website=musicvf.com}} but the company went bankrupt a few years later and ceased operations. The catalog went with the management into Kent Records. This back catalog was eventually licensed to the UK label Ace Records in the 1980s and later sold outright during the 1990s. Ace Records of the U.K. now owns the master tapes.{{cite book

| first=Charlie

| last=Gillett|author-link=Charlie Gillett

| year= 1996

| title= The Rise of Rock and Roll

| edition= 2nd

| publisher= Da Capo Press

| location=New York

| pages= 85–86

| isbn= 0-306-80683-5}}

• Saul, Jules and Joe Bihari were the main people who ran the label. Their older brother Lester was only there sporadically.{{cite book|title=The B.B. King Reader: 6 Decades of Commentary|editor1-last=Kostelanetz|editor1-first=Richard|editor1-link=Richard Kostelanetz|editor2-last=Reiswig|editor2-first=Jesse|url=https://archive.org/details/bbkingreader6dec00kost|url-access=registration|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gaD6PuSpq1IC&pg=PA7 7]|publisher=Hal Leonard|year=2005|isbn=9780634099274}}
• Ike Turner was a talent scout and session musician for Modern Records in the 1950s. Artists Turner discovered for Modern include Bobby "Blue" Bland, Howlin' Wolf, and Rosco Gordon.{{Cite book|title=Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner|last1=Turner|first1=Ike|last2=Cawthorne|first2=Nigel|date=1999|publisher=Virgin|isbn=9781852278502|location=London|language=en|oclc=43321298}} According to B.B. King and Joe Bihari, Turner introduced King to the Bihari brothers which led to his RPM releases.
• Tony Hilder was an A&R man for Modern Records in the late 1950s. Later he went on to form his own labels, first CT Records{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000005010|title=Tony Hilder Biography}} and later owner and president of Impact Records.Billboard Music Week May 8, 1961 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ACEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22IMpact+Records%22Tony+Hilder%22&pg=PA4 Page 4 Music As Written, Hollywood]Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties, Robert J. Dalley [https://books.google.com/books?id=ACEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Impact+Records+Tony+Hilder+owner&pg=PA4 Page 259, Page 298, Page 299]
• Austin McCoy was an artist, session musician and recording session director with Modern Records. He left Modern in late 1950 to take up an A&R post with Mercury Records at their Beverly Hills office.The Billboard December 16, 1950 [https://books.google.com/books?id=zB0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Modern+Records%22Billboard+Manager&pg=PA12 Page 12 McCoy Joins Modern Staff]

• Modern Music: The First Year – 1945 (Ace CDTOP 1339, 2012)

The following albums were released in mono with catalogue numbers "M-70{{var|nn}}" and in stereo with catalogue numbers "MST-8{{var|nn}}":

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• –00 Era of Tommy Dorsey
• –01 Era of Benny Goodman
• –02 Era of Charlie Barnet
• –03 Era of Glenn Miller
• –04 Era of Woody Herman
• –05 Era of the Big Bands
• –06 Dixieland
• –07 Polka Party Time
• –08 Honky Tonk Piano
• –09 The Strauss Waltzes
• –10 Day Dreams
• –11 Organ Gems
• –12 Cha Cha Cha
• –13 Sing-A-Long
• –14 Rock and Roll Party
• –15 The Heart of Spain
• –16 Oldies and Goodies
• –17 Progressive Percussion
• –18 Hawaiian Holiday
• –19 Era of Hank Williams
• –20 Tradewinds to Hawaii
• –21 Dynamic Percussion
• –22 Mambo Cha Cha Cha
• –23 The Fabulous Ink Spots

{{div col end}}

• Kent Records
• Crown Records
• Flair Records
• Meteor Records
• RPM Records
• Yuletide Records (Christmas music)

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080605030318/http://forbiddeneye.com/labels/crown.html Crown Records Discography]
• [http://www.bsnpubs.com/modern/modernstory.html Modern Records Story]
• [https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=publisher:modern Modern Records] on the Internet Archive's [http://great78.archive.org/ Great 78 Project]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Record labels established in 1945

Category:Defunct record labels of the United States

Category:Rhythm and blues record labels

Category:American jazz record labels

Category:Record labels disestablished in 1969