record | Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music

On May 7th 1921 The Chicago Defender published an article titled “BLACK SWAN RECORDS, new corporation announces first list of productions – Fills Long Felt Want.” Along with the written ad the following illustration was included in that same issue.

Black Swan Records was founded in 1921 by Harry Pace and W.C Handy. Based in Harlem, NY it was the first African American owned and operated record label in the United States. The company was formed with the explicit intention of creating music by and for African American consumers. Its first records included recordings of art songs sung by revella Hughes and blues sung by Katie Crippen.

Revella Hughes’ 1921 recording of At Dawning on Black Swan Records

Katie Crippen’s “Blind Man’s Blues” from Black Swan Records

The choice by Pace to record art songs was a philosophical choice. Pace met W.E.B Du Bois during his time at Atlanta University. Du Bois’ thought was incredibly influential on Pace throughout his life. Crucial to this was Du Bois’ idea of the ‘talented tenth,’ the idea that an elite 10 percent of the race produce the vast majority of the accomplishments and would be able to uplift the bottom 90% through their efforts. Our modern criticism of this idea aside it is clear that Harry Pace identified with Du Bois and his ideas very closely. His choice to record art songs on the first records was a purposeful attempt at respectability politics of the time.

Ethel Waters’ “Down Home Blues” on Black Swan Records

It was not, however, the art songs that would bring commercial success to the label. That would Be Ethel Waters with her record “Down Home Blues.” So called ‘hot’ records were not the goal of the company but would ultimately prove to be its savior when Ethel Waters went on a tour of southern cities with the “Black Swan Troubadours” in 1921. Unfortunately, the good times would not roll and Black Swan could not keep up with the increasing amount of records of black artists put out by larger white labels such as Paramount and Columbia. The Label declared bankruptcy in December of 1923 and was bought by Paramount by March of 1924.

Black Swan Records had a relatively short existence of about 3 years. Despite that small amount of time the impact the label had on recordings of African American music was incredible. Without this record company it would have taken much longer for the larger white labels to realize the commercial opportunity that was available.

I highly recommend the podcast series “The Vanishing of Harry Pace.” It goes much deeper into the story of Black Swan Records and Harry Pace as an individual.

Bibliography

“BLACK SWAN RECORDS: NEW CORPORATION ANNOUNCES FIRST LIST OF PRODUCTIONS–FILLS LONG FELT WANT.” The Chicago Defender (National Edition) (1921-1967), May 07, 1921. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/black-swan-records/docview/491888074/se-2.

“Display Ad 27 — no Title.” The Chicago Defender (National Edition) (1921-1967), May 07, 1921. https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/display-ad-27-no-title/docview/491880278/se-2.

Gilles, Nellie. “Radio Diaries: Harry Pace And The Rise And Fall Of Black Swan Records.” NPR, July 1, 2021, sec. The Sounds of American Culture. https://www.npr.org/2021/06/30/1011901555/radio-diaries-harry-pace-and-the-rise-and-fall-of-black-swan-records.

Today, the majority of congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America use the most recent book of worship, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, published by Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis in 2006. Before that time, congregations mostly used the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. 20 years prior to the release of LBW, the red Service Book and Hymnal was printed.

In the year 1971, Dale Warland, most famously known for having conducted the Dale Warland Singers in St. Paul until 2004, and Paul Manz, well-known organist in the Minneapolis area, recruited a chamber choir, and small brass ensemble to record 62 hymns representing the entirety of the church year. Recorded by Lutheran Records, it was distributed by Augsburg Publishing House in Minneapolis.

As the subtitle suggests, this record was meant for families to play in their own homes as a way of learning hymns and worshipping at home. Between each track is a 10-second band of silence so as to find each track easily.

The back of the record sleeve indexes the hymns used to outline the church year. Next to each hymn, there are two numbers. One represents the page number where the hymn can be found in Augsburg’s The Hymn-of-the-Week Songbook. The second number, preceded by “SBH” represents the hymn number of its occurrence in the 1958 Service Book and Hymnal. The inclusion of these referential numbers makes these records an accessible teaching tool. Those families that want to teach their children about classic hymns, or those that want to worship in their own home, are able to locate each hymn with ease, both on the record, and in their songbook or book of worship.

Within the record sleeve are paragraphs explaining each of the seasons and high feasts of the church year. These paragraphs give the listeners and worshippers a little context of how each hymn fits in with the corresponding season or feast.

I think this is a very fun and effective way of introducing hymns to homes. Unlike many CDs today, this record is very interactive. Given the size of these LPs, there is plenty of jacket space to provide very useful and pertinent information. What makes it more musically appealing is the fact that the musicians are not your average church musicians or church choir. Paul Manz and Dale Warland have established themselves in the organist and choral worlds as being phenomenal musicians. There is no information about who the singers are, other than “12 professional singers,” but under the direction of Dale Warland, they are superb.

As a Church Music major, this record makes me want to go out and purchase a turntable and listen to it all the time!

Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music

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Black Swan Records

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