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Budget albums (also known as drugstore records or, then, junk records) were low-priced vinyl record LPs of popular and classical music released during the 1950s to 1970s consisting either of previously released material (usually the releases from major labels featuring older performances of well-known performers) or material recorded especially for the line (often cover versions of popular songs made famous by name artists sung or performed on these albums by usually unidentified and unknown entertainers). Prices ranged from as low as 59 U.S. cents (minor label releases of the 1950s) to $2.98 (major label repackaging of older material in the 1970s). In the UK Pickwick Records' ''Top of the Pops'' record series, which operated between 1968 and 1985, was the most successful budget album range. ==Drugstore debut== Drugstore records were called such as they were often sold in metal racks similar to the racks used for paperback books in drugstores or dimestores in the 1960s for prices from half to a quarter of regular LP albums. These records were markedly less expensive than major label recordings. The initial "drugstore records" mostly comprised popular music played or sung by unknown orchestras or singers, or conversely, once famous singers or orchestras playing music or songs that were relatively unknown (popular singers' early and obscure recordings were often showcased as well). In some cases (notably the least expensive of the records) the record album would have only one cover version of a famous song or tune. Many of these albums had attractive album cover artwork (often picturing beautiful starlets such as Jayne Mansfield, Kim Novak, Irish McCalla, and the then-unknown Mary Tyler Moore). The album were often filled out with music in the public domain or obscure music never recorded by anyone else. Sometimes the "orchestras" comprised very few musicians, were performed by background music companies, or were recorded outside the United States by orchestras credited under different names, such as ''101 Strings''. Despite major record companies lowering their prices or starting their own budget labels, the budget album companies, such as Coronet who sold their LPs for 99 cents, remained popular. Drugstore records originated with Pickwick International, founded by Cy Leslie. Leslie's first business was a prerecorded greeting card service that turned into children's record label Voco Records in 1946. In 1950 Leslie founded Pickwick Records and by 1953 Pickwick entered the LP market providing lower priced records.〔Hoffmann, Frank Editor & Ferstler, Howard Technical Editor ''Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound'' Routledge (2005)〕 Another early producer of drugstore records was Enoch Light, who started Waldorf Music Hall Records under the auspices of the F.W. Woolworth dime store chain. Unlike most drugstore record producers, Light was well regarded both as a musician and for his technical recording knowledge; which he would make much use of later in establishing Command Records. Probably the best known and most prolific drugstore label was Crown Records, an offshoot of Modern Records, originally a jazz label owned by the Bihari brothers and operated from Los Angeles. From the mid-1950s to the early 80s, Crown turned out hundreds of cheaply produced LPS of country, Hawaiian, Latin, and other musical genres; often performed by pseudonymous studio groups; as well as jazz and blues material reissued from the Modern label. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Budget album」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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