Oldies-45
| Oldies-45 | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Vee-Jay Records |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Defunct | 1964 |
| Genre | Rock and roll, Rhythm and blues, Pop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
Oldies-45 was an American subsidiary record label of Vee-Jay Records, a Chicago-based independent record label. Founded in 1963, Oldies-45 was established to reissue previously released 45 rpm singles marketed as "oldies but goodies."[1] The label is best known for reissuing four Beatles singles in August 1964 during a period of intense legal dispute between Vee-Jay and Capitol Records over the rights to the Beatles' recordings in the United States.
History
Vee-Jay Records was founded in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James Bracken in Gary, Indiana, with operations centred in Chicago, Illinois.[2] Carter's brother Calvin Carter served as the label's A&R director. By the early 1960s, Vee-Jay had become the most successful Black-owned record label in the United States, generating approximately $3 million annually with a staff of twenty-two.[2]
In mid-1962, EMI (through Transglobal Music Co., Inc.) offered Vee-Jay a licensing arrangement for Beatles recordings after Capitol Records had declined to release the group in the United States.[1] Vee-Jay released "Please Please Me" (catalog number VJ 498) in late February 1963, making it the first Beatles single issued in the United States; early pressings misspelled the group's name as "BEATTLES."[2]
In 1963, facing financial difficulties partly attributable to generous royalty terms negotiated with the Four Seasons, Vee-Jay created two reissue imprints: Oldies-45 for 45 rpm singles and a companion imprint, Oldies-33, for album-format reissues. The concept was described internally as "a new concept for merchandising 'oldies but goodies.'"[1]
Following the surge of American interest in the Beatles in early 1964, Capitol Records obtained a court injunction on January 15, 1964, against Vee-Jay manufacturing Beatles recordings, asserting that Vee-Jay's rights had been cancelled on August 8, 1963, due to non-payment of royalties.[1] The legal contest was prolonged and bitter. Calvin Carter later described the situation: "They would get an injunction against us on Monday, and we would get it off on Friday, then we'd press over the weekend and ship on Monday."[3]
On April 9, 1964, Vee-Jay and Capitol reached a settlement under which Vee-Jay received a license to continue selling its existing Beatles product while paying Capitol royalties, including substantial back payments. The settlement permitted Vee-Jay to sell its previously released Beatles records until October 15, 1964, after which all rights would revert to Capitol.[1][4] Carter reflected on the outcome: "We finally made something out of the court settlement, because we just couldn't afford to fight that big a company."[1] By the time the license expired, 1.3 million copies of Introducing... the Beatles had been sold.[5]
Releases
In August 1964, as the October deadline approached, Vee-Jay reissued four Beatles singles on the Oldies-45 label. All four were released simultaneously on August 10, 1964, bearing consecutive OL-series catalog numbers:
| Catalog number | A-side | B-side |
|---|---|---|
| OL-149 | "Do You Want to Know a Secret" | "Thank You Girl" |
| OL-150 | "Please Please Me" | "From Me to You" |
| OL-151 | "Love Me Do" | "P.S. I Love You" |
| OL-152 | "Twist and Shout" | "There's a Place" |
The releases drew on recordings originally issued on the main Vee-Jay label or on Tollie Records, another Vee-Jay subsidiary.[6][7][8][9]
Beyond the Beatles material, the Oldies-45 label reissued recordings by other Vee-Jay artists. Discographic records show releases in the lower OL-100s, including material by The Impressions featuring Jerry Butler.[10]
Legacy
Vee-Jay Records declared bankruptcy in 1966.[2] The Oldies-45 trademark was subsequently claimed by Vee-Jay's successor organization. Betty Chiapetta, associated with that successor organization, noted that "The Oldies 45 label is still owned by Vee Jay, although a lot of other people have been using it," and announced plans to reissue original singles to counter unauthorized use of the imprint.[11]
The masters from the Oldies-45 catalog were subsequently licensed to other labels including Springboard, Charly, and Buddah Records, indicating the catalog retained commercial value well beyond the label's operational period.[12]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Vee-Jay Story, Page 3". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- 1 2 3 4 "Vee-Jay Records". Made in Chicago Museum. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Separate Fact from Fiction with Introducing The Beatles". Goldmine. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "The Beatles on Vee-Jay Records". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Introducing the Beatles". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Oldies-45 OL-149". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Oldies-45 OL-150". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Oldies-45 OL-151". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Oldies-45 OL-152". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Oldies-45". Discogs. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "The Vee-Jay International Story". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
- ↑ "Vee-Jay Album Discography: Miscellaneous Series". bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 2026-04-12.