[Dixielandjazz] Strange Fruit

[Anton Crouch]

The circumstances surrounding Billie Holiday's recording of 'Strange 
Fruit' are not as straightforward as implied by the phrase "Columbia 
refused to record it". From 1934 to 1938 there was no "Columbia 
records", in the sense of the existence of an independent entity. 
"Columbia" was a label in the American Record Corporation stable and 
Billie Holiday recorded for two other ARC labels - Brunswick and Vocalion.

In December 1938 ARC was bought by CBS and the Columbia label revived. 
It's hardly surprising that the "new" Columbia had doubts about 'Strange 
Fruits' in April 1939. Columbia's refusal should be viewed in the light 
that it gave Holiday a release from contract to make the session for 
Milt Gabler, provided the ARC studios for the recordings and gave the 
recordings ARC matrix numbers !

Anton