Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bud Roman / Mimi Martel – Pretend / Your Cheatin' Heart
With The Ray Baxter Orchestra
Written by Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman and Frank Lavere
78 RPM audio transfer from the Bowness Arts collection of vintage records.
Bud Roman / Mimi Martel – Pretend / Your Cheatin' Heart
Label: Tops Records – 360
Format: Vinyl, 10", 78 RPM
Released: 1953
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
Other side of this record: Bud Roman – Pretend / Mimi Martel – Your Cheatin' Heart
youtu.be/iFOotU2mLcQ
"Pretend" is a popular song penned in 1952 by Dan Belloc, Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, and Frank Levere. The most famous rendition, performed by Nat King Cole, was distributed by Capitol Records. Initially debuting on the Billboard Best Seller chart on January 31, 1953, the song remained on the chart for 20 weeks, reaching its peak position at No. 3.
Tops Music Enterprises originated in Los Angeles, California, in 1947 when Carl Doshay and Sam Dickerman, who were "rack jobbers" selling used jukebox 78 RPM records, decided to venture into the record business. They began by producing and selling "knockoff" cover version records at a lower price point than major labels, targeting venues like grocery stores and drug stores. As the company's success grew, it relocated to Hollywood and enlisted Dave Pell as a house producer and arranger in the mid-1950s. Recognizing the changing landscape with the rise of 45 RPM singles and Long Play records (LPs), Tops started recording established artists who were past their commercial peak, like Lena Horne, Mel Tormé. Publicist Bob Blythe, along with a group of investors, purchased the company in 1960. Blythe took control, displacing Doshay, but his overspending ultimately drove Tops into bankruptcy. Despite attempts by the investor group to remove Blythe, the damage was done. Tops and its assets were sold to Pickwick International, Inc., and by 1963, Pickwick had absorbed Tops/Mayfair/P.R.I. labels into its own operations.
Note: The first 78 RPM record came into existence around 1894, and in 1912 the Gramophone Company established 78 Rotations Per Minute (RPM) as their recording standard. The production of shellac records continued throughout the 78 rpm era, with "non-breakable" 78 rpm vinyl records being introduced in the 1940s. The popularity of the 33 1/3 rpm "Long Play" record, initially released in 1948, caused the 78 rpm record to become obsolete before the end of the 1950s. As these 78 rpm recordings are quite old, they may contain derogatory language and/or negative stereotypes. It is important to evaluate such recordings within their historical context and consider them as a reflection of the attitudes prevalent at the time. These recordings form an integral part of the historical record and do not represent the views of this poster, channel, or Bowness Arts.
Bud Roman / Mimi Martel – Pretend / Your Cheatin' Heart
With The Ray Baxter Orchestra
Written by Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman and Frank Lavere
78 RPM audio transfer from the Bowness Arts collection of vintage records.
Bud Roman / Mimi Martel – Pretend / Your Cheatin' Heart
Label: Tops Records – 360
Format: Vinyl, 10", 78 RPM
Released: 1953
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
Other side of this record: Bud Roman – Pretend / Mimi Martel – Your Cheatin' Heart
youtu.be/iFOotU2mLcQ
"Pretend" is a popular song penned in 1952 by Dan Belloc, Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman, and Frank Levere. The most famous rendition, performed by Nat King Cole, was distributed by Capitol Records. Initially debuting on the Billboard Best Seller chart on January 31, 1953, the song remained on the chart for 20 weeks, reaching its peak position at No. 3.
Tops Music Enterprises originated in Los Angeles, California, in 1947 when Carl Doshay and Sam Dickerman, who were "rack jobbers" selling used jukebox 78 RPM records, decided to venture into the record business. They began by producing and selling "knockoff" cover version records at a lower price point than major labels, targeting venues like grocery stores and drug stores. As the company's success grew, it relocated to Hollywood and enlisted Dave Pell as a house producer and arranger in the mid-1950s. Recognizing the changing landscape with the rise of 45 RPM singles and Long Play records (LPs), Tops started recording established artists who were past their commercial peak, like Lena Horne, Mel Tormé. Publicist Bob Blythe, along with a group of investors, purchased the company in 1960. Blythe took control, displacing Doshay, but his overspending ultimately drove Tops into bankruptcy. Despite attempts by the investor group to remove Blythe, the damage was done. Tops and its assets were sold to Pickwick International, Inc., and by 1963, Pickwick had absorbed Tops/Mayfair/P.R.I. labels into its own operations.
Note: The first 78 RPM record came into existence around 1894, and in 1912 the Gramophone Company established 78 Rotations Per Minute (RPM) as their recording standard. The production of shellac records continued throughout the 78 rpm era, with "non-breakable" 78 rpm vinyl records being introduced in the 1940s. The popularity of the 33 1/3 rpm "Long Play" record, initially released in 1948, caused the 78 rpm record to become obsolete before the end of the 1950s. As these 78 rpm recordings are quite old, they may contain derogatory language and/or negative stereotypes. It is important to evaluate such recordings within their historical context and consider them as a reflection of the attitudes prevalent at the time. These recordings form an integral part of the historical record and do not represent the views of this poster, channel, or Bowness Arts.
