General Phonograph Corporation

U.S. record company (1919-1926) that supplied several labels, most notably Okeh, but also Nation's Forum, American Odeon and a few smaller brands. This company was the successor to the Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Company, Inc. and began operations on October 1, 1919. Heineman served as president and general manager of the company, which had a close business relationship with Carl Lindström A.-G. (producers of Beka, Favorite and Odeon). The focus of the company, which had been on classical and operatic releases, shifted following the unexpected hit of Mamie Smith's recording of "Crazy Blues" in November, 1920. By the mid-1920s, the company was a major force in blues and jazz releases, seeking out and developing previously ignored markets and concentrating on authentic jazz, blues, rural music and ethnic material. They were one of the first companies to conduct location recording, under the direction of Ralph Peer, and recorded in makeshift studios in Asheville, NC, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis, San Antonio, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, FL, and other cities. In so doing, General Phonograph was responsible for preserving a large amount of important material by artists who were unable to travel to major studios in New York and other cities. The company introduced Truetone recording in 1926, but this non-electrical method was only marginally better than earlier acoustic recording processes. By this point, Heineman had overexpanded the company by setting up subsidiaries to manufacture radios, insulation and even fishing reels. In October, 1926, the Columbia Phonograph Co. purchased General Phonograph's Okeh and Odeon record divisions and reorganized them as the Okeh Phonograph Corporation.