Royale, unknown date
vinyl condition: G (some surface noise)
Royale, launched in 1939 by Eli Oberstein, began primarily as a reissue vehicle. Most of the early issues used material that was licensed from the Berlin-based Ultraphon. And most of these were orchestral recordings by the Berliner Philharmoniker or Orchester Der Deutschen Oper Berlin, but were issued under pseudonyms due to growing anti-German sentiment in the US in the early 1940s.
Royale also reissued material from other European sources, including Filmophone and Edison Bell Works London. Although Oberstein assembled a pretty good artist roster and the discs were priced to compete, it was not enough to offset the poor sales and management of sister label Varsity.
The final Royale recordings were made in August 1940, and the company went bankrupt later that year. Royale masters were parceled out to several labels over the course of the 1940s and were then re-issued as 45s.