Jubilee Records

Jubilee Records was a record label specializing in rhythm and blues along with novelty records. It was founded in New York City in 1946 by Herb Abramson. Jerry Blaine became Abramson's partner. Blaine bought out Abramson's half of the company in 1947, when Abramson went on to co-found Atlantic Records with Ahmet Ertegun.^[1][2] The company name was Jay-Gee Recording Company, a subsidiary of the Cosnat Corporation. Cosnat was a wholesale record distributor.

History

Jubilee was the first independent record label to reach the white market with a black vocal group, when the Orioles' recording of "Crying in the Chapel" reached the Top Twenty on the Pop charts in 1953.^[3]

The Four Tunes started recording for Jubilee in 1953. The biggest early hit for Jubilee was "Crying In The Chapel" by the Orioles. A subsidiary label, Josie Records was formed in 1954 which issued more uptempo material. Hits on Josie included "Speedoo" by the Cadillacs (#3 R&B, #17 pop) and "Do You Wanna Dance" by Bobby Freeman (#2 R&B, #5 pop). The biggest success was the million-seller, "Last Kiss", by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers, which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. In the late 1960s, the Meters, a group of New Orleans session musicians, released a series of R&B instrumental hits, including "Cissy Strut", which reached #4 R&B and #23 pop. The label's last rock and roll hit was the rhythm and blues instrumental "Poor Boy"/"Wail!" by the Royaltones (#17, 1957).^[3]

On the novelty side, successful artists include blooper compiler Kermit Schaefer and comedian Rusty Warren.

Jubilee/Josie also had a custom label, Gross Records, whose only artist was Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts.^[4]

In 1970, Jubilee/Josie, in financial difficulties, was sold to Viewlex, owners of Buddah Records, and Blaine left the company. ^[5] The catalog was eventually taken over by Roulette Records.^[1]

In the late 1980s, Roulette was sold jointly to Rhino Records and EMI, and in the 1990s, Rhino was sold to Time Warner. The rights to the Jubilee records archives in North America are now owned by Warner Music, with EMI holding the rights in the rest of the world.

Jubilee Records artists

This is a list of recording artists who have had at least one recording released on the Jubilee Records label.

Sil Austin The Ambassadors Baltimore and Ohio Band Jim Backus[6] Harry Belafonte Polly Bergen Flip Black Blades Of Grass Nan Blakstone[7] Gerard Blene The Bobbettes The Bop-Chords Jimmy Boyd Jimmy Breedlove Tedd Browne Vinnie Burke The Cadillacs The Channels College All Stars Coney Island Kids, The (Baby, Baby You) 45-JB-425 Bobby Comstock and the Counts The Continentals Don Cornell Eddie Costa Bob Crewe Mike Cuozzo Alan Dale Vivian Dandridge The Delta Rhythm Boys The Dominoes Dorothy Donegan

Ray Draper The Dreamers Dave Dudley Enchanters Fat Man Humphries and the Four Notes The Fifth Estate The Five Sharps[8] Keith Follese The Four Coins The Four Tunes[9] Bobby Freeman The Gallahads[10] Erroll Garner Herb Geller Bonnie Green Orchestra The Happenings Betty Harris Emmylou Harris Jack Haskell Dick Haymes Frank Hunter Autry Inman Conrad Janis and the Tailgaters The Jesters The Jack Kelly Trio The King Sisters Baker Knight Bob Knight Four Moe Koffman The Larks Little Sylvia[11]

The Love-Notes Bill Mack Tommy Mara The Marylanders Lou McGarity Rod McKuen Memphis Slim Domenico Modugno Mark Monte & the Continentals Lou Monte Vaughn Monroe Mulcays Gene Nash Oliver Sy Oliver The Orioles[12] Frank Ortega The Paragons Billy Paul Bob Peck The Raindrops Carl Ravazza Laverne Ray[13] Ray-O-Vacs The Rebels Della Reese[14] Dave Remington Sylvia Robbins Don Rondo[15] The Royal Teens Stan Rubin Betty St. Claire Salt City 5

Kermit Schaefer Walter Scharf Allan Sherman Bobby Sherwood Smith & Dale The Spring Street Stompers Lou Stein Larry Storch Enzo Stuarti[16] The Stylers The Sultans Gene Summers and His Rebels[17] Donna Theodore Jo Anne Tolley The Top Notes The Toppers The Valentinos Jimmy Van Heusen Voltaxx The Volumes Billy Ward and the Dominoes Mimi Warren Rusty Warren Dee Dee Warwick Ethel Waters Mary Wells Randy Weston Ilene Woods Gretchen Wyler

Josie Records artists

This is a list of recording artists who have had at least one recording released on the Josie Records label.

• Ronald Buchter
• The Cadillacs
• The Chaperones
• The Coney Island Kids
• The Couplings ("Young Doves' Calling")
• The Four Bars
• Carol Fran
• Bobby Freeman
• The Meters
• Mike & Jim ("Dungaree Cutie")
• The Royaltones
• J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
• The Ovations
• The Starlings
• The Teardrops
• The Styles

See also

• List of record labels

References

1. "Jerry Blaine". rockabilly. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
2. "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.com. 1959-01-19. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
3. Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll ((2nd Ed.) ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 69–70. ISBN 0-306-80683-5.
4. "Gross Label Album Discography". Bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
5. "Billboard - Google Books". Books.google.com. 1970-06-20. Retrieved 2014-05-29.
6. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
7. http://web.archive.org/web/20110716180927/http://home.roadrunner.com/~hifiebay/Jubilee%20nan%20blakstoneLP.jpg. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved November 21, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
8. Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
9. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
10. Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
11. Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
12. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
14. Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
15. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
16. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
17. Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.

External links

• Jerry Blaine
• The Jubilee/Josie Records Story from BSN Pubs
• Jubilee singles discography