Challenge Records
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Challenge Records was a record label sold by the Sears-Roebuck Company. Releases were drawn from other recordings on other labels in the late 1920s, such as Banner, Gennett, Paramount Records and others. Sears also had the Silvertone label and the same recording of "Black Bottom" by Joe Candullo & his Evergreens Orch. was released on both labels. Around 1929 Sears did away with Challenge and Silvertone, replacing them with Conqueror Records, which lasted until World War II.
There was a second Challenge Records that was founded in the late 50's by cowboy singer Gene Autry and former Columbia Records A & R represenitive Joe Johnson. Their biggest hits were by Rock & Roll instrumental group The Champs ("Tequila"), Pop music singer Jerry Wallace ("Primrose Lane") and by Country music singer Wynn Stewart ("Wishful Thinking"). Other artists on label were Jan & Dean, Bobby Austin, Jerry Fuller, Johnny & Jonie, Bob Morris, Jan Howard, and Darnell Miller. The company went out of business in the late 60's and the masters are owned by Sony/Tree Music Inc.
A third label Challenge Records International was founded in the Netherlands in 1994 dedicated to recordings of classical music and jazz by Dutch musicians. A subsidiary Retrieval is dedicated to reissues of vintage jazz now out of copyright in Europe, many transferred by remastering engineer John R.T. Davies.