Conversation so far:
What was Beltone?
company called "Beltone Records.
What was atlas?
Atlas Records.
Did the record company make any music?
Laine cut his first two numbers for Atlas in the King mode.
What happened with these songs?
The ruse worked and the record sold moderately well, although limited to the "race" market.

Question: What was the ruse?
Self-contained rewrite: What was the ruse to sell more numbers?