About
For all unofficial / bootleg release of this label please use instead. "Hollywood" sometimes added to the label artwork. This label was formed in the spring of 1945 (as ) in Los Angeles, California, by the brothers Joe Bihari, Saul Bihari, and Jules Bihari. joined his brothers after the Second World War. The label name changed to Modern Records in 1948. The Bihari Brothers recorded country & western, jazz, popular, blues, and gospel, but the main focus was rhythm & blues. The brothers built Modern into a major blues and R&B label. Their first success was "Swingin' the Boogie" by Hadda Brooks. They bought a pressing plant, and divided tasks among them equally, with Jules responsible for talent spotting and recording, Saul for manufacturing, and Lester for distribution. Joe worked with Ike Turner as a talent scout in the Memphis area, discovering Johnny "Guitar" Watson among others. In the early 1950s the Biharis launched several subsidiaries: , and , which was set up in Memphis in 1952 and was headed by Lester Bihari. Successful artists on the Biharis' labels included B.B. King, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lowell Fulson, Rufus Thomas and Charlie Feathers. Later they launched more subsidiaries: featuring artists like Johnny Cole, Vic Damone, Trini Lopez with Johnny Torres, Jerry Cole, Dave Clark Five, and . In the sixties they launched a subsidiary , which specialized in Christmas records (mostly with Johnny Cole and the Robert Evans Chorus). In the mid 1960s Modern Records went bankrupt and stopped operating, but the catalogue went with the management into what would become . After the deaths of Saul, Lester and Jules Bihari, the labels' back catalogue was licensed to (UK) in the mid 1980s, with the Label becoming , and then later purchased by them during the '90s. Since December 1st, 1990, has purchased the back catalogs of Modern Records and is managing the master recordings in the territory, which extends to East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Australia. 45 RPM Catalog Number, Date and Label Identification: 779 through 980 (1950–1956): Glossy red or glossy black. 981 through 1028 (1956–1958): Flat black.
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Sub-labels
Oldies Series (4)
Flair 180
Another child label of the Bihari brothers (Crown Records, Modern Records, etc.) that produced compilations of tracks from their other labels on 3 3/4 ips, reel-to-reel tapes.
Modern Records Spirituals
Kent
Also appears as Kent Records, sometimes subtitled The Original Blues Label or The Legendary Blues Label. Kent was launched by the Bihari brothers in Los Angeles, California in 1958 as a label fo...
Crown Records (2)
US budget label, also appears as "Crown" only. For unofficial releases, see Crown Records (7). Crown Records was a innovation of the California-based Bihari family (brothers Lester,...
United Superior Records
US record company usually credited on the bottom of the back cover. Bihari Brothers' enterprise in charge of the budget line of the Modern Records (2) / Crown Records (2) / Kent family...
RPM Records (5)
US R&B label founded in 1949 by brothers and in Los Angeles, California. For bootleg repros, please use RPM Records (20). 45 RPM Catalog Number, Date and Label Identifi...
Modern Oldies
US series launched in 1967 See also the series Oldies Series (4)
Bright Orange
Record label owned by the Bihari Brothers. Founded in 1969.
Discos Corona
Discos Corona was another sister label to Modern Records (2) founded by the Bihari Brothers in 1960. It was thought as an addition for Latin music.
Modern Music (7)
Modern Music was the first label / company of the Bihari brothers and changed its name to Modern Records (2) in 1948. Many pre-1948 issues were reissued on the Modern Records (2) label with...
Yuletide Series
The Yuletide Series was a label for Christmas songs by the Bihari Brothers. It belongs to the Modern Records (2) company, but also reissued releases from the Crown Records (2) label. Only 9...
Flair Records (5)
1950s R&B label from Los Angeles, California. One of the many subsidiary labels of the Bihari Brothers. Related music publisher: Flair Pub. Co. (BMI). For unofficial repros, please use [l=Fl...
Original "Henry" Series
US series
Blues & Rhythm Records (2)
Short lived label connected to the Bihari Brothers. For bootlegs / counterfeits using this name and sometimes copying the label design, see .
Custom Record Manufacturing Co.
Vinyl pressing and cassette duplicating plant in Los Angeles, California (USA). Originally known as "Crown/Kent", it started out as the manufacturing arm of the Bihari Brothers' , pressi...
Contact Label
9317 W. Washington Blvd. Culver City, Calif. U.S.A.