Rep Records (2)

1950s budget jazz label. Rep Records was a Bethlehem subsidiary that issued budget-priced reissues, usually with fewer tracks than the original albums. All 15 of the Rep albums were apparently released at the same time, since all 15 are listed on the back of every album. They were released in early 1958, just before Gus Wildi sold half of the company to Syd Nathan of King Records in a summer 1958 deal that included manufacturing and saved the label from going under. They were pressed by Crown Records in Philadelphia, a company that pressed records for various labels (this was not the same Crown Records that was part of the Modern/RPM empire in Los Angeles). The Rep Records budget issues sold some, but not as many as the originals had sold, and didn't help Wildi overcome his financial problems. Today, the Rep issues are somewhat harder to find than originals, but they are not rare. The REP label was dark green with silver print, using the box logo design similar to the second Bethlehem label.