Inventory of the Goldband Recording Corporation Collection, 1930-1995

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Historical Note

The Goldband Recording Corporation of Lake Charles, La., has played a key role in documenting and shaping musical traditions, tastes, and trends, both regionally and on an international level since 1944, when Eddie Shuler made his first recording to promote his band, the Reveliers. In 1942, Eddie Shuler moved from Texas to Lake Charles to work as a dragline operator. He found additional part-time work in a music store, leading him into a career in the music business. His experience recording songs and messages on acetate discs for store customers gave him the knowledge he needed to begin recording his own band and other local musicians.

From 1943 to 1945, Eddie Shuler sharpened his songwriting and musical skills by playing with the Hackberry Ramblers, an established string band in southwest Louisiana who blended country, western swing, traditional fiddle music, and Cajun songs. The Hackberry Ramblers had made a number of records in the late 1920s, and reportedly made the first commercial recording of "Jolie Blonde," the song that has since become the Cajun national anthem. After Shuler left the Hackberry Ramblers, he opened his own music store with a $250 loan from his mother. He formed his own band, "Eddie Shuler's All-Star Reveliers", and made his first recording with them in 1944. This recording, "Broken Love," was released in 1945.

In 1946, Shuler let Iry LeJune, a Louisiana accordion player, perform on his radio show. The station manager, who was unfamiliar with the Cajun style of music, threatened to fire Shuler if he ever had Cajun music on his show again, but in several months, Cajun business owners began buying air time to play more Cajun music on the radio. LeJune made a recording on the Opera label but it was unsuccessful, so he asked Eddie Shuler to record him. In 1949, Shuler made a recording of LeJune, and he placed the records on jukeboxes at local dance halls and nightspots. LeJune's subsequent recordings for Goldband were all hits. After LeJune's death in an accident in 1954 the popularity of his music soared, helping to launch a revival of interest in Cajun music.

In the half century since the first recordings, Eddie Shuler and the Goldband Recording Company have helped document--and in many cases have created--some of the South's most important and distinctive musical styles and sounds, ranging from the thirteen-year-old Dolly Parton to Iry LeJune's sorrowful accordion, and others like Freddie Fender, Jimmy C. Newman, Rockin' Sidney, Boozoo Chavis, Al Ferrier, Gene Terry, Juke Boy Bonner, and Guitar Junior. Goldband has documented important Cajun artists including LeJune, J. B. Fusilier, Alphee Bergeron, Ron Bertrand, Sidney Brown, and Shorty LeBlanc. African American presence is strong in blues, zydeco, and r&b with groups and artists like Rockin' Sidney, Boozoo Chavis, Juke Boy Bonner, Guitar Junior, Big Chenier, Katie Webster, Cleveland Crochet and the Sugar Bees, Cookie and the Cupcakes, and Phil Phillips.

The early Goldband recordings reflect Eddie Shuler's musical preferences, shaped largely by the country and western record industry of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Through the 1950s, Shuler recorded many regional artists who played diverse styles of music, including Louisiana French music with fiddle and accordion, acoustic and electric blues, and gospel and sacred music. The early recordings were aimed at a regional market. Eddie Shuler distributed the recordings from the back of his car to record stores and to jukebox operators who placed the records on jukeboxes leased to local clubs, dancehalls, and restaurants. The Goldband Recording Company has released a number of hits, both locally and nationally. TEK Publishing Company complements the recording studio, publishing songs from lyricists all over the country.

The various labels included under Eddie Shuler's management reflect transitions in musical styles and also pioneering new ideas that took root nationally. The blending of traditional and modern musical styles led to hybrid forms of folk, rhythm and blues, boogie, rockabilly, and rock and roll.

In addition to the recording studio and Eddie's Music House, Eddie and his wife Elsie own and operate Quick Service TV Repair, which maintained a fleet of trucks, sold 45-100 TVs per day, and grossed $200,000 annually in the mid-1950s.

This collection includes musical history, musical artifacts such as records and promotional materials and studio tapes, and business records that help show how a small independent record producer conducted business locally and among the big corporation players like RCA and Columbia. Marketing strategies are revealed; for example, having multiple labels under one parent company assures better chances of having airplay on the radio.

Collection Overview

Materials document the operations of the Goldband Recording Company of Lake Charles, La., and other activities of Goldband’s owner and manager, Eddie Shuler, such as TEK Publishing and other business ventures. Included are business records, correspondence, publicity materials for Goldband and for individual recording artists, studio recordings and released recordings in a variety of formats, sheet music and song lyrics, and other items. Business materials include Goldband and TEK manufacturing and accounting records. Correspondence documents all phases of the companies’ operations; major correspondents include Don Pierce and Mike Leadbitter. Of special interest are letters and accounting items that document the popularity of Cajun music in Europe and other parts of the world. Publicity and promotional materials include photographs of Goldband recording artists, promotional copy, mailings to radio stations, lists of customers, catalogs of Goldband recordings, and reviews of Goldband releases. There are also many newspaper and magazine articles relating to Goldband, to Shuler, to recording artists who worked for Goldband, and to other Louisiana musicians. Recordings include acetates, 78s, studio recordings, and released recordings in a variety of formats. Song lyrics and music include song folios from the 1940s.

Note that original file folder and other titles have, in many instances, been retained.

Organization of Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

1. Eddie Shuler Personal Documents, ca. 1944-1992.

Documents relating to Eddie Shuler’s varied activities including his songwriting and business honors and awards. Also included are an interview with Shuler and material concerning his band, the Reveliers.

Included are materials relating to Eddie Shuler’s band, the Reveliers, his songwriting, and induction into the Louisiana Hall of Fame; correspondence about Eddie Shuler’s book, How to Become a Successful Independent Record Producer; and a small number of other items.

Louisiana Music Commission Certificate and Chamber of Commerce Certificate

Interview with Eddie Shuler taped by Southern Folklife Collection staff during a visit to the Goldband Recording Studio in 1995.

Materials relating to the Hackberry Ramblers, including newspaper articles, fan mail, song requests, and correspondence. Eddie Shuler performed with the Hackberry Ramblers for about 18 months, beginning in 1943.

2. Financial Records, ca. 1948-1990.

Accounts payable materials, including information, correspondence, and invoices from suppliers.

Catalogs, price lists, information, and correspondence from suppliers.

Invoices from companies that sold materials to Goldband Records, TEK Publishing, or Eddie's Music House.

M&A Record Wholesale/Surplus Record and Tape Distributors

2.2. Recording Sales and Accounts Receivable Records, ca. 1958-1989.

Documents and journals recording the cash sales transactions of Goldband Records.

Invoices from sales of Goldband recordings, 1970-1978, grouped by year; correspondence, credit memos, and other materials related to accounts receivable.

Invoices from sales of Goldband recordings, 1981-1985, arranged by purchaser.

Miscellaneous Goldband financial materials, including check registers, payroll slips, etc.

3. Record Manufacturing, Distribution, and Promotion, ca. 1950-1993.

Documents relating to the pressing of records, including information on various companies with which Goldband did business; distribution of records through radio stations and record stores; record promotion; and publicity.

Materials dealing with the manufacturing of records, including prices and information from manufacturers; orders for pressing, label copy, and other correspondence; and manufacturing done for Anla Records.

Materials dealing with the distribution of Goldband recordings, including record distributors, radio stations, and record stores, and with the catalog of Goldband recordings.

Promotional materials for recordings and artists, promotional materials sent to radio stations, flyers, album covers and inserts, hit lists, orders and requests for promotional copies of recordings, and other items.

Requests for Catalogs and Promotional Copies of Recordings

Publicity material for the Goldband Corporation and recording artists, including newspaper articles, press releases, and reviews.

Arhoolie Ocasional: Articles about Clifton Chenier, Cajun Music

Journal of American Folklore: Review of Cajun and Zydeco Music

"Review of Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People" by Ann Savoy

4. Legal Materials, ca. 1949-1990.

Documents concerning legal matters involving Goldband and its recording artists, including material on copyright, royalties, licensing and leasing, and contracts both in general and relating to individual artists.

Materials relating to song copyrights, including information from the Library of Congress about copyrights.

Materials relating to royalties paid to recording artists by Goldband, including royalty statements and correspondence about royalties.

Song lease agreements, mechanical licenses, and correspondence about licenses and leasing.

Miscellaneous contracts, including those with Charles Leath, Dover Records, and Chanson Publications. Included are some sheet music and song lyrics, contracts with songwriters and recordings artists, and blank contract forms.

Correspondence with songwriters and recording artists pertaining to songwriting and recording, contracts, and demos.

5. International Materials, ca. 1960-1963.

Documents concerning the international interest in Cajun and Zydeco music.

Correspondence with Adrian Sturm (Rockville International) and Bernard Boyat.

5.2. Mike Leadbitter Correspondence and Related Materials.

Materials relating to Mike Leadbitter, including correspondence, newspaper articles, From the Bayou (book by Mike Leadbitter and Eddie Shuler), Delta Country Blues and Back Woods Blues (publications of Blues Unlimited), obituaries, clippings, and a small number of other items.

Materials dealing with record sales outside of the United States, including correspondence and orders for recordings.

Cajun: En kultur - og musikhistorik rejse gennem Cajunland i Louisiana USA. Elsebeth Kroghog Karen Vinding

6. Photographs, ca. 1944-1995.

Photographs from albums that contained pictures of musicians, Eddie Shuler, and others. Included are photocopies of the pages as they were arranged in the albums. Albums are listed by their phyical characteristics or by numerical designations.

Photographs stored in original envelopes, including images of social and special events and photographs of artists, including the Liberty Theatre Cajun Culture Program, Cajun Day 1987, and Link Davis's wedding.

Slides and photographs taken by Southern Folklife Collection staff on their visit to the Goldband studio, including photographs of the recording studio, Lake Charles, and Eddie and Elsie Shuler at home.

Interior and exterior photographs of the Goldband Recording Studio; framed photographs from the Goldband studio; photographs of artists, some autographed; and unlabeled photographs.

"Naughty Girl" Photographs (Guy Shannon-Cinnamon Records)

7. Other Documents, ca. 1943-1995.

Miscellaneous materials dealing with the operations of the Goldband Recording Studio, including business licenses, calendars, artwork for logos, and other materials.

OK Noise Productions, Inc. (The Goldband Story Videotape)

Miscellaneous correspondence. Correspondents include Johnnie Allen, Larry Benicewicz, Huey Meaux, and Les Blank.

7.2.2. Wayne and Johnny Shuler Correspondence and Related Material.

Correspondence with Wayne Shuler and Johnny Shuler (Eddie Shuler's sons) and related material, including some pertaining to the Wayne Agency.

7.2.3. Don Pierce Correspondence and Related Material.

Correspondence with Don Pierce (Starday, Starrite, Hollywood Records) and related material.

Inspirational and motivational materials, including numerous items written by Eddie Shuler concerning success in the music industry.

8. Periodicals, ca. 1943-1992.

Periodicals dealing with topics important to the Goldband label or that mention Goldband Records.

9. Sound and Video Recordings and Documentation, ca. 1940-1992.

Song lyrics and music, including songs used in recording sessions at Goldband, demo songs sent in by songwriters, and commercial sheet music and folios.

Demo tapes, some accompanied by letters, lyrics, sheet music, and promotional materials, sent to Goldband and TEK Publishing by aspiring songwriters and recording artists, including Ralph Riddle, Charles Leath, Bob Brown, and others.

FS 2735: Ginni D. Johnson/Frank H. Stanton/Angelo Badalamenti

FS 2773-2774: Miscellaneous-Steve Smith, Don La Fleur (Pearl Beer Ad)

Promotional materials sent to Goldband by recording artists, including miscellaneous documentation that originally accompanied demo tapes, promotional packages from artists, song lyrics, and correspondence.