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 Theatres, 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. The corporate name of Am-Par Record Corporation was changed to ABC-Paramount Records, Inc. in 1962, and then to ABC Records, Inc. in 1967.

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 and U.K-based Anchor Records. Because the company was suffering financial problems, 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.

Sub-labels and Acquisitions

ABC Records sub-labeled Apt Records to release singles. In the early 1960s, they purchased the Westminster Records classical music label and started Impulse Records to distribute jazz releases. Several years later, Bluesway Records was created to distribute their blues releases.

ABC Records purchased Dunhill Records in the summer of 1967, forming "ABC Dunhill Records." They purchased Duke Records and Peacock Records on May 23, 1973. Afterwards, they also purchased the Famous Music record labels from Gulf and Western in 1974 (these included Dot Records and Blue Thumb Records).

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.

In 1979, ABC Dunhill was acquired by MCA Records which eventually evolved into Universal Music Group. Today, the pop & R&B catalog is part of Geffen Records while the jazz catalogue is part of Verve Records and the classical music catalogue is part of Deutsche Grammophon Records. ABC Records' country music catalogue is managed by MCA Nashville Records.

ABC-Paramount/ABC Records label variations

*1955-1961 -- Black label, "ABC-PARAMOUNT" around top perimeter of label (in various colored letters for singles and all white letters for albums) and logo consisting of color spectrum Möbius strip and white jagged line. Bottom perimeter of label reads: "A PRODUCT OF AM-PAR RECORD CORP."
*1961-1966 -- Same label as above, but disclaimer at bottom of label now reads: "A PRODUCT OF ABC-PARAMOUNT RECORDS, INC."
*1966-1967 -- Label now shortened to ABC Records. Black label with large white circle at top with "abc" in black letters and "wave & jagged line" logo under the letters. This variant was used only for singles.
*1967-1974 -- Black label with small white "abc" circle logo in color spectrum box at top (In conjunction with this label, a brief interim label was used from 1973-1974 consisting of three children's blocks spelling out ABC and one block with the "abc" logo in a white triangle at the top).
*1974-1978 -- Yellow, orange, red and purple label with "abc Records" (black "abc" circle logo) between two black lines at top
*1978-1979 -- Same multi-colored label as above, but with 1/8 note featuring "abc" inside the bottom of the note. Late pressings show "Mfg. & Dist. by MCA Distributing Corp..." at the bottom perimeter, just before the ABC label was discontinued and its artists transferred to MCA.

Types of Output

*Pop
*Country music
*Jazz
*Rhythm and Blues
*Rock and Roll
*Children's
*Ethnic music (including Irish)
*Polka
*Calypso
*Flamenco and Hawaiian
*Spoken Word
*Soundtrack album: Song of Norway and Cabaret (LP version only, the CD was reissued on MCA. The film soundtrack of "Song of Norway" has not yet appeared on CD.)

Artists associated with ABC Records and its labels

*Amazing Rhythm Aces
*Paul Anka
*Louis Armstrong
*The Atlantics (US)
*Kevin Ayers
*Florence Ballard
*Joe Bennett
*Art Blakey
*Blood, Sweat and Tears
*Charles Brown
*Roy Brown
*Brownie McGhee
*Sonny Terry
*Jimmy Buffett
*Carl Carlton
*Betty Carter
*Ray Charles
*Roy Clark
*Ornette Coleman
*John Coltrane
*Billy "Crash" Craddock
*Jim Croce
*Crosby and Nash
*Danny and The Juniors
*James Darren
*The Dells
*Fats Domino
*Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
*The Dramatics
*The Elegants
*Frank Fontaine
*The Four Tops
*Ferrante & Teicher
*The Fifth Dimension
*Eydie Gormé
*Richard Harris
*Coleman Hawkins
*Isaac Hayes
*Roy Head
*Hello People
*Eddie Holman
*John Lee Hooker
*Freddie Hubbard
*James Gang
*The Impressions
*B. B. King
*Frankie Laine
*Yusef Lateef
*Steve Lawrence
*Barbara Mandrell
*Shelly Manne
*Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
*Barry McGuire
*Mighty Clouds of Joy
*Charles Mingus
*The O'Kaysions
*The Oak Ridge Boys
*Pavlov's Dog
*Paxton Brothers
*Poco
*The Pointer Sisters
*The Poni-Tails
*Lloyd Price
*Cliff Richard
*Jimmy Reed
*Emitt Rhodes
*Tommy Roe
*Sonny Rollins
*Royal Teens
*Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
*Jimmy Rushing
*John Wesley Ryles
*Soupy Sales
*Archie Shepp
*Bobby Scott
*Beverly Sills
*Steppenwolf
*Shirley Scott
*Otis Spann
*Dusty Springfield
*Joe Stampley
*Steely Dan
*Three Dog Night
*B.J. Thomas
*Tom & Jerry
*Joe Turner
*Eddie Vinson
*Bobby Vinton
*T-Bone Walker
*Kracker
*Joe Walsh
*Josh White
*Chico Williams
*Jimmy Witherspoon
*Jack Scott
*J B Loyd
*Levon Helm
*George Hamilton IV

Labels associated with ABC Records

*Addison Records
*Anchor Records
*Apt Records
*Back Beat Records
*Bigtop Records
*Bluesway Records
*Blue Thumb Records
*Boom Records
*Buluu Dunhill Records
*Chancellor Records
*Cimarron Records
*Command Records
*Colonial Records
*Dot Records
*Dunhill Records
*Duke Records
*Equinox Records
*Fargo Records
*Grand Award Records
*GTO Records
*Hickory Records
*Hot Buttered Soul Records
*Hunt Records
*Impulse Records
*Jerden Records
*LHI Records
*Montel Records
*Myrrh Records
*Oliver Records
*Passport Records
*Peacock Records
*Probe Records
*Senate Records
*Shelter Records
*Sire Records
*Song Bird Records
*Tangerine Records
*20th Century Fox Records
*Westminster Records
*Wren Records

See also

* List of record labels

External links

* [http://www.bsnpubs.com/abc/abcstory.html The ABC story]
* [http://www.collectable-records.ru/labels/A_D/ABC_Paramount/index.HTM Art label design at www.collectable-records.ru]