ABC Records
ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records, the record label of (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. 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.
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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." In 1979, ABC Dunhill was acquired by MCA 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.
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 "wave" 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
Artists associated with ABC Records and its labels
- Blood, Sweat and Tears
- Amazing Rhythm Aces
- Paul Anka
- Florence Ballard
- Joe Bennett
- Art Blakey
- Charles Brown
- Roy Brown
- Brownie McGhee
- Sonny Terry
- Jimmy Buffett
- Carl Carlton
- Betty Carter
- Ray Charles
- Ornette Coleman
- John Coltrane
- Billy "Crash" Craddock
- Jim Croce
- Crosby and Nash
- Danny and The Juniors
- 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
- Coleman Hawkins
- Isaac Hayes
- Roy Head (The Story of Roy Head and The Traits)
- Eddie Holman
- John Lee Hooker
- Freddie Hubbard
- James Gang
- The Impressions
- B. B. King
- Yusef Lateef
- Steve Lawrence
- Shelly Manne
- Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
- Mighty Clouds of Joy
- Charles Mingus
- The O'Kaysions
- Poco
- Lloyd Price
- Cliff Richard
- Jimmy Reed
- Emitt Rhodes
- Tommy Roe
- Sonny Rollins
- Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
- Jimmy Rushing
- 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 (Cleanhead) Vinson
- Bobby Vinton
- T-Bone Walker
- Joe Walsh
- Josh White
- Jimmy Witherspoon
Labels associated with ABC Records
- Anchor Records
- Apt Records
- Back Beat Records
- Bluesway Records
- Blue Thumb Records
- Boom Records
- Chancellor Records
- Command Records
- Colonial Records
- Dot Records
- Dunhill Records
- Duke Records
- Grand Award Records
- Hickory Records
- Impulse Records
- LHI Records
- Myrrh Records
- Peacock Records
- Probe Records
- Shelter Records
- Sire Records
- Song Bird Records
- Tangerine Records
- 20th Century Fox Records
- Westminster Records