Honoring America's 1st Black Record Label--Hint, it's NOT Motown!
Spotlighting Harry Pace, Black Swan Records & the African American Music Museum
If I want to turn back time, I don’t need a time machine, all I need is music! With access to a digital music library and a download of any Motown hit, within a few bars of song, I return to the era of Soul Train, 8 track tapes, bell bottoms, platform shoes, and avocado green home decor.
I grew up in the late 60’s & 70’s…raised on the Motown sound. It’s the soundtrack of my youth, the background music of my upbringing.
It’s the sound of my three year old self dancing across shag carpet with my mother, as “Reflections” by Diana Ross & The Supremes blared from the stereo. My mom knew every word of the lyrics, which she sang aloud at full pitch….her rich alto, a fitting accompaniment to Diana’s soprano.
I grew up in awe of the renowned Detroit epicenter of Black music excellence. Motown was iconic. And its founder, Berry Gordy, was the maker of magic who transformed talented unknowns into household names: Diana, Marvin, Stevie, Smokey, Michael.
Motown was special because it was first.
First Black owned label.
First Black label founder.
First studio exclusively focused on Black artists.
SO many firsts….or so I thought.
It turns out, Motown was not first. One of the hidden gems of Black History I unearthed in the last year is the story of Black Swan Records of Harlem, New York.
Before Berry Gordy and Motown, there was Harry Pace and Black Swan.
Harry Pace was the founder and creative mind behind the music of Black Swan records. He was an intellectual prodigy who entered college at age 12 (NOT a typo), became a protege of WEB DuBois, and lived a life of accomplishment, so expansive in scope, it could be an epic miniseries all by itself.
The doors of Black Swan opened in 1921, spurred by Harry’s belief that making records represented an important form of Black social and economic power. He was on a mission to highlight Black excellence by showing that Black musicians were talented at more than just jazz and blues.
Recording careers of many gifted music artists of the early 1920’s were launched at Black Swan—Ethel Waters one of the most notable among them.
Ethel's “Down Home Blues” was the label's first big hit, fueled by a sweeping concert tour which made headlines everywhere it played. The records Pace produced pulled in white listeners as well as Black, and were in demand at parties and events throughout Hollywood.
Black Swan’s success was significant and widespread, though short-lived. They faced an onslaught of challenges as white companies like Columbia and Paramount began to record more Blue’s tracks.
The backing and money available to larger white studios made it difficult for a fledgling label to compete. And the challenge grew more difficult when those studios began wooing Black Swan’s artists with the lure of more money. One by one, they lost their top talent including, Ethel Waters.
Black Swan closed, and sold their catalog to Paramount in 1923 when financial roadblocks became insurmountable. The sun set on that chapter of Harry’s life, but rose on another. He enjoyed success as an insurance company CEO, an ardent civil rights activist, and an attorney.
His remarkable life story is well worth knowing. Black Swan Records, is but a drop in the ocean of Harry Pace’s stellar accomplishments.
Learn More About Harry Pace
I learned about Harry Pace and Black Swan records when a friend recommended a podcast series that details his life. It is NOT a typical podcast series—-It’s more of a well produced audio documentary that includes commentary, interview clips, and sound effects.
Before listening, not only did I know nothing about Black Swan Records, I knew nothing about the amazing life and accomplishments of Harry Pace.
Few people amass as many historic lifetime achievements as he did, and yet, as is the case with so much of Black history. I never heard of him. If you are a fan of high quality podcasts that seamlessly intertwine thematic elements with engaging dialogue, I highly recommend this riveting listen.
The Vanishing of Harry Pace - Podcast Series
Learn More About Black Swann Records
Amazon carries a book that details The Rise and Fall of Black Swan Records: Black Swan Blues: The Hard Rise & Brutal Fall of America's First Black-owned Record Label.
Description:
Forty years before Motown, there was Black Swan. Created by a young Black songwriter called Harry Pace, this pioneering 1920s blues label gave 14 million African-Americans the chance to hear their own authentic music on disc for the first time.
The National Museum of African American Music is a delight for music lovers!
If you are a fan of African American Music, Artists, and Musicians, I highly recommend the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, TN. My husband and I visited last August and were wowed at the immersive music experience we enjoyed. They have interactive displays that unveil the history of Black involvement across every imaginable genre of music, including a display dedicated to Black Swan. A day at that museum is a day well spent if you’re ever in or near downtown Nashville.