Park Foundation Music App

Home > Labels

New Electrobeam Gennett

Profile

NOT to be confused with U.S. Gennett which used a similar label design and catalog series. Although the label design and catalog series are obviously derived from U.S. Gennett this version of the Gennett label is not the same as the famous American label. The Australian Gennett label was only produced very briefly in 1927 by the Aeolian Co. (Aust.) Ltd. of Melbourne which produced Vocalion and other labels. There was only one batch of releases numbered 6100 to 6112, and they were advertised in Melbourne newspapers on Nov. 25, 1927. There may have been some dispute with U.S. Gennett about the use of the Gennett label since the many other Australian releases of Gennett masters appeared on different labels (and often under pseudonyms). However, the exact reason that the Australian Gennett label discontinued after only one release is unknown. Despite the similarity to the U.S. Electrobeam Gennett catalog series the catalog numbers of the Australian releases do not match up with the equivalent U.S. numbered releases. The New Electrobeam Gennett label design is obviously based on the U.S. Electrobeam Gennett label, and some Gennett masters were used. However, it differs in several respects. For example, the Gennett Records credit at the bottom of the label omits Richmond, Indiana as found on the U.S. label. Also the 6000 series catalogue numbers have no relation at all to the 6000 series numbers on the U.S. label, as all the Australian couplings are totally different. In some cases UK Vocalion masters were used, none of which ever appeared on U.S. Gennett. For these reasons this label should be regarded as a separate entity. It is not an example of Gennett Records simply being pressed in another country, but a different and unique label and series. The Australian Gennett label is believed to be the only Gennett label produced outside the U.S.A.