Defunct Record Label Socks
Description: Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Price. Rupe established the company under the name Juke Box Records but changed it to Specialty in 1946 when he parted company with a couple of his original partners. Rupe's daughter, Beverly, restarted the label in the 1980s.
Description: Musicor Records was a New York City-based record label, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The label was founded by songwriter Aaron Schroeder and distributed by United Artists Records. In 1965, UA employee and A&R man Arthur Talmadge (a co-founder of Mercury Records years earlier) started his own Talmadge Productions company and, along with fellow UA employee/A&R man Harold "Pappy" Daily, bought the Musicor label from UA.
Description: Rialto Records was a record label based in Chicago, Illinois in the 1920s. It was owned by the Rialto Music House (330 S State St), sold at their stores at promotional prices. The records themselves were pressed by Marsh Recording Laboratories (Suite 625 Kimball Building, 306 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois). The most famous record they produced was the only release known of Jelly Roll Morton's unaccompanied recording of "London Blues," made in 1924.
Description: Azteca Records was a mid 20th century record label specializing in Mexican music. Azteca Records was founded by Trinidad Pelaez in the 1940s as Discos Azteca with retail as well as recording. Many titles were released in Mexico on the Peerless Records imprint. By the 1960s the label and shops were acquired by Al Sherman of Alshire Records in Burbank, California. The label was mostly marketed in Mexico, but was manufactured in Los Angeles, California, in the United States of America.
Description: Neighborhood Records (Neighborhood Music Pub. Corp.) was a record label founded by Melanie Safka and her husband Peter Schekeryk in 1971. The label's biggest hit was her #1 single "Brand New Key". First distributed by the Famous Music group of record labels (i.e. Dot, Blue Thumb and Paramount), it shifted distribution to Bell/Arista before folding in 1975.
Description: Swing Time Records was a United States-based record label active in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The label was founded by Jack Lauderdale in 1947 as Down Beat Records and was headquartered in Los Angeles, California. In approximately October 1949 the name was changed to Swing Beat Records, and around March 1950 the name was changed again to Swing Time. The company went bankrupt in 1953 but continued releasing singles as late as February 1954.
Description: Vik Records was a subsidiary of RCA Victor Records established in April 1953. In the Billboard issue of the 11th of that month, it was announced that RCA was launching, namelessly, a new label that was the company's first to be distributed independently. Billboard opted to use the name Label "X" for the new company. The name was kept, as the label began to hire a series of staffers and decide on a direction. Label X was officially formed on April 20, 1953. Though wholly owned and operated by RCA, it had its own independent distribution. Joe Carlton was the head of the new company. RCA spent the rest of the year trying to establish an identity for "X", eventually settling on cover records of R&B hits and quasi-R&B sides.
Description: Loma Records was an American subsidiary record label of Warner Bros. Records managed by Bob Krasnow, then later Russ Regan. Its name was derived from Eloma, a cleared copyright Warner owned. In March 1964, Warner Bros. president Mike Maitland announced the formation of Loma Records. Former promotional man and record producer Bob Krasnow was named the manager of the new label. Maitland explained the purpose of Loma was "an attempt to broaden singles coverage. There's so much product available through outside source, that we can afford to release it on Warner Bros., Reprise and now Loma." The first releases on the label were purchased masters.
Description: Scotti Brothers Records (typically spelled Scotti Bros. Records) was a California-based record label founded by Tony and Ben Scotti in 1974. Their first success was releasing singles and albums from teen pop star Leif Garrett. They later helped launch the careers of David Hallyday, Felony, Survivor, and "Weird Al" Yankovic (the latter under their Rock 'n' Roll banner). They also signed James Brown to a recording contract in the mid-1980s as well as the UK act Flag featuring David Cairns from Secret Affair and Archie Brown. Tommy Puett released his only album Life Goes On in 1990 under Scotti Brothers Records.
Description: Onyx Records, Inc., was a small, independent American record label based in Manhattan, New York, co-founded on July 15, 1971, by Joe Fields (1929–2017) and Don Schlitten (born 1932) and managed by Gentry McCreary (born 1941). Its address was at 160 West 71st Street on the Upper West Side. Other labels with a similar name Onyx Records, an American rockabilly label from the late 1950s, owned by Jerry Winston. The label was known for having recorded The Velours. Onyx International Records, a gospel label
Description: Chelsea Records was an American-based record company founded by musician, songwriter, and record producer Wes Farrell in 1972. Within the company's first four months, it released its first gold single, Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast by Wayne Newton. In addition to Newton, Chelsea featured a number of new and established artists like Tommy Boyce, Jim Gilstrap, Lulu, Jigsaw, New York City, and Rick Springfield.
Description: Pendu Sound Recordings was an independent record label used by aTelecine, Chelsea Wolfe, Azar Swan, Mater Suspiria Vision, White Ring, Talibam!, Von Haze, and others. The label, also known as Pendu Sound, was started by Todd Brooks in 2005 for his PENDV projects and went defunct in 2013. The parent company Pendu NYC was known for its "Pendu Disco" dance parties.
Description: Grand Royal was a vanity record label founded in 1992 by rap group Beastie Boys in conjunction with Capitol Records after the group left Def Jam Recordings. It was based in Los Angeles, California. Grand Royal was also the name of a magazine written and published by the group. Described as a publication that "came to define part of Generation X," the total distribution of the six issues of Grand Royal was estimated at 300,000 copies.
Description: Philadelphia International Records was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. It was known for showcasing the Philadelphia soul music genre that was founded on the gospel, doo-wop and soul music of the time. This sound later marked a prominent and distinct era within the R&B genre. During the 1970s, the label released a string of worldwide hits that emphasized lavish orchestral instrumentation, heavy bass and driving percussion.
Description: Battery Records was an American record label that served as the dance sublabel of Jive Records, and was active for a short time during the mid-1990s. The label was mostly known for releasing music by the Swedish Eurodance group Rednex in North America, namely its novelty hit "Cotton Eye Joe", as well as Insane Clown Posse's third studio album, Riddle Box. The Battery Records name was later revived by Sony Music Entertainment in 2008 with a focus on hip hop music.
Description: Central to M-Pac! is the Leaner family. By 1963 when brothers George and Ernie Leaner added M-Pac! as a sub-label to their One-derful! label, they were revered figures on Chicago's Record Row and beyond. They distributed material from labels like Motown and Stax and they attracted top talent. It wasn't uncommon for a WVON DJ to help the Leaners sign their newest discovery, or for their singers, musicians, songwriters, or producers to have Chess or Motown on their resumes.
