Modern Records: The Bihari brothers - Jules, Saul, Lester, and Joe - formed the independent Modern Records in Los Angeles in 1945 to capitalize on the growing market for "race records" that was virtually unrecognized by the major labels of the day. Specializing in blues and R&B music, Modern also released records in the country, jazz, pop, and gospel genres.
The brothers formed the subsidiary R.P.M. Records label in 1950 as an outlet for their blues, R&B, and rock offerings. Among the blues artists released on Modern/RPM during the 1950s were Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Lee Hooker, and Elmore James. The label also licensed masters from Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service, releasing early records by B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf.
Modern experienced some success with early rock 'n' roll as well with bands like the Cadets and the Teen Queens, and was one of the early adopters of the new 33 1/3 album format, releasing a series of 10" LPs starting in 1950. Albums released by Modern and R.P.M. Records through the 1950s are highly prized by collectors for their thick vinyl and color covers with liner notes. Unfortunately, the Bihari brothers started using a subsidiary label, Crown Records, for low-budget reissues of Modern and R.P.M. Recording of questionable quality.
By the late 1950s, the Bihari brothers focused their energies on the Crown Records label, cranking out a series of poor-quality recordings to make a quick buck on the trends of the day. Not surprisingly, Modern Records went bankrupt in the mid-1960s, and the brothers merely launched Kent Records (and other subsidiaries) to repackage their old recordings. During the 1980s, Ace Records in the U.K. licensed and reissued quality CD packages of Modern/R.P.M. recordings, and the label's properties were finally sold altogether during the 1990s.
R.P.M. Records
Crown Records
Kent Records
