ABC Records

Encyclopedia : A : AB : ABC : ABC Records

ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records, the record label of Am-Par Record Corporation (a subsidiary of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theaters, Inc), formed in New York City in 1955. In addition to producing records directly, ABC licensed finished masters from independent producers and purchased regionally released records for national distribution.

In 1965, ABC-Paramount Records changed its name to ABC Records. They distributed Dunhill Records until this label was purchased to form ABC Dunhill Records. They also distributed Sire Records. ABC Records was sold in 1979 to MCA Records which dissolved the ABC label. The better selling albums in the ABC Records catalog were reissued on the MCA label.

Contents

1 Sub-labels and Acquisitions
2 Types of Output
3 Artists associated with ABC Records and its labels
4 Labels associated with ABC Records
5 See also
6 External link

Sub-labels and Acquisitions

ABC Records sub-labeled Apt Records to release singles. In the early sixties, they started Impulse Records to distribute jazz releases. Several years later, Bluesway Records was created to distribute their blues releases.

In addition to sub-labels, ABC Records purchased all labels from Enoch Light in October 1959. ABC acquired Audition Records, Command Performance Records, Colortone Records and Waldorf Music Hall Records.

Types of Output

Pop, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, Children's, Ethnic music (including Irish, Polka, Calypso, Flamenco and Hawaiian), Spoken Word

Artists associated with ABC Records and its labels

Paul Anka, Florence Ballard, Joe Bennett, Art Blakey, Charles Brown, Roy Brown, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Ray Charles, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Danny and the Juniors, the Dells, Fats Domino, the Dramatics, the Elegants, the Four Tops, Ferrante and Teicher, the Fifth Dimension, Edie Gorme, Coleman Hawkins, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Freddie Hubbard, the James Gang, The Impressions, B. B. King, Yusef Lateef, Steve Lawrence, Shelly Manne, Charles Mingus, Poco, the Poni-Tails, Lloyd Price, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Rollins, Royal Teens, Jimmy Rushing, Archie Schepp, Steely Dan, Shirley Scott, Otis Spann, Steely Dan, Joe Turner, Eddie (Cleanhead) Vinson, T-Bone Walker, Josh White, Chico Williams, Jimmy Witherspoon

Labels associated with ABC Records

Anchor Records, Apt Records, Bluesway Records, Blue Thumb Records, Chancellor Records, Command Records,Dot Records Dunhill Records, Grand Award Records, Impulse Records, LHI Records, Probe Records, Shelter Records, Sire Records, Tangerine Records.

External link

[The ABC story]