Domino Records

Domino Records was an American record label active during the formative period of the 78 rpm recording industry. It was created in 1924 as the Domino Record Company, a subsidiary of Plaza Music Company, whose operations were based in New York City. The label’s first releases appeared in April or May 1924 and were announced to the trade press in June of that year. Its catalogue consisted principally of standard ten-inch, lateral-cut shellac records intended for playback on the acoustic and electrically adapted phonographs of the period. Domino was introduced into a competitive group of low-priced labels associated with Plaza. One of its most visible distinguishing features was its initial use of red shellac, contrasting with the more familiar black-shellac issues of labels such as Banner and Regal. During its first year, Domino records were priced below those competing Plaza products. In 1925, however, Banner and Regal reduced their prices to 35 cents, eliminating much of Domino’s original price advantage. The label later moved toward black shellac, with the change taking place during the latter part of 1927. The label’s repertoire reflected the production methods of the period. Much of its output drew on recordings made or controlled by Plaza, including performances by New York studio orchestras led by musicians such as Sam Lanin and Fred Rich. Domino also issued material associated with better-known ensembles and performers, including Ben Pollack and Cab Calloway, who likewise appeared on other Plaza labels. Recordings credited to the Original New Orleans Jazz Band are also associated with the Domino catalogue. These releases placed Domino within the commercial network that circulated dance music, jazz, popular standards, and orchestral studio performances to a broad American audience. Domino’s records were not necessarily all newly recorded specifically for the label. Early issues were mainly sourced from Plaza’s existing recording resources, with some material originating from New York Recording Laboratories. Later discographic research also revised earlier assumptions about Domino’s exclusive recording activity: some matrices once thought to have been made solely for Domino were identified as Regal matrices that had been renumbered for Domino releases. This illustrates the catalogue-sharing and matrix-reuse practices common among affiliated labels of the era. The first phase of the label ended after Plaza Music Company was taken over by the American Record Corporation. The associated trademarks passed to ARC, which discontinued several inherited labels, including Domino; regular production ceased in 1930. ARC revived the name in 1932 for a restricted series of records sold exclusively through the jukebox manufacturer John Gabel Company. This later run used the Domino label design in black ink on a gold background and was numbered in an exclusive 100 series. The format lasted until 1933. These gold-label records are considered relatively rare, and the circumstances of the series have been discussed in relation to the short-lived final 100 series associated with Regal. Domino Records therefore represents a short-lived but useful example of an early American budget and affiliated record label. Its historical importance lies less in a long-running corporate identity than in its evidence of Plaza’s multi-label distribution system, the competitive pricing of the 1920s record market, the use of distinctive shellac colors, the circulation of shared recording matrices, and the connection between record labels and emerging jukebox distribution. The brand was defunct after its 1932–1933 revival series and should not be confused with later record companies using the Domino name.

Domino Records was established in 1924 by the Plaza Music Company as the Domino Record Company, a subsidiary label headquartered in New York City. The label entered the market during a period when American record companies were competing through large networks of related imprints, differentiated pricing, repertoire, and physical presentation. Its first records reached the market in April or May 1924, with the launch reported to the trade press in June. Domino initially issued standard ten-inch, lateral-cut 78 rpm records. Its earliest records were pressed on red shellac, a visual distinction from the black-shellac records commonly associated with Plaza-linked labels such as Banner and Regal. The label was initially priced below those competitors, suggesting a budget-oriented market position. That advantage diminished in 1925 when Banner and Regal reduced their prices to 35 cents, bringing them into line with Domino. By the latter part of 1927, Domino records had shifted to black shellac. The label’s catalogue was built largely from the recording resources of Plaza Music Company. Its releases included performances by New York studio orchestras under leaders including Sam Lanin and Fred Rich, alongside recordings connected with name bands such as Ben Pollack and Cab Calloway. The Original New Orleans Jazz Band also appears in the label’s recorded output. These artists and ensembles were not exclusive to Domino; several also appeared on other Plaza labels, reflecting the shared production and distribution infrastructure of the period. Domino’s source material included Plaza recordings and some recordings originating with New York Recording Laboratories. Discographic research later showed that certain matrices previously believed to have been recorded exclusively for Domino were in fact Regal matrices that had been renumbered for Domino issues. The finding places the label within the broader practice of reusing, reassigning, and redistributing recording masters among affiliated or commercially connected imprints. A major corporate transition came when Plaza Music Company was acquired by the American Record Corporation. ARC obtained the relevant trademarks and rationalized the inherited label portfolio. Domino was among the labels removed from active production, and its original run ended in 1930. The brand was not permanently abandoned, however. ARC reconstituted Domino in 1932 with a specialized series using a design similar to the earlier label but rendered in black ink on a gold background. The revived series carried an exclusive 100-number sequence and was distributed only through the John Gabel Company, a jukebox manufacturer. This arrangement tied the Domino name to a specific commercial channel rather than to general retail record distribution. The gold-label run continued until 1933 and is regarded as relatively scarce. Its history has also been discussed alongside the brief final 100 series associated with Regal, although the exact relationship between the two series is a matter for specialist discographic study. After the end of the 1932–1933 series, Domino Records ceased to operate as an active label. Its surviving records are of interest to collectors and discographers because they document early shellac manufacturing, budget-label competition, shared recording matrices, studio-band production, and the growing relationship between recorded music and jukebox circulation. The label is a distinct historical entity from later record companies that adopted the Domino name.

• 1933

  Revival series concludes

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  The specialized Domino series for John Gabel ends, bringing the label’s documented activity to a close.

• 1932

  Domino is revived for a jukebox series

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  ARC reconstitutes the label with a black-on-gold design and an exclusive 100 series distributed through the John Gabel Company.

• 1930

  Original production ends after corporate consolidation

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  Following American Record Corporation’s takeover of Plaza Music Company, Domino is discontinued as part of the rationalization of inherited labels.

• 1927

  The label shifts to black shellac

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  Domino records move from the label’s earlier red-shellac presentation to black shellac during the latter part of the year.

• 1925

  Competing Plaza labels match Domino’s price

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  Banner and Regal reduce their prices to 35 cents, removing Domino’s initial price advantage.

• 1924

  Domino Record Company is established

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  Plaza Music Company forms Domino Record Company as a subsidiary label in New York City.

• 1924

  First Domino releases reach the market

  [1]Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org

  The first Domino records appear in April or May, with the label announced to the record trade in June.

A low-priced American affiliated record label serving the 1920s popular, dance-band, jazz, and orchestral recording market, later revived for a specialized jukebox distribution series.

• Recorded music · 1924

  Domino 78 rpm records

  Domino’s main product was the ten-inch lateral-cut 78 rpm shellac record. Early issues were pressed on red shellac and positioned as an inexpensive alternative within Plaza Music Company’s label network. The catalogue drew on popular songs, dance-band performances, jazz, and studio-orchestra sessions. Recordings associated with Sam Lanin, Fred Rich, Ben Pollack, Cab Calloway, and the Original New Orleans Jazz Band appear among the label’s releases, although much of the material was shared or sourced through Plaza’s wider recording operations.

• Jukebox record series · 1932

  Domino exclusive 100 series

  The revived Domino label issued a specialized 100 series beginning in 1932. These records used a black-ink-on-gold label design and were sold exclusively through the John Gabel Company, a jukebox manufacturer, rather than through the label’s earlier general retail channel. The series continued until 1933 and is considered comparatively rare by collectors and discographers.

1. 1Domino Records (1924)en.wikipedia.org