BELL RECORDS

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

Description: Records

Known For: Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952

CONTACT DETAILS
Web Site:  The Bell/Amy/Mala story from Both Sides Now Publications

Other Links: See below:

YOUTUBE VIDEO

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Bell Records

Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 by Arthur Shimkin in New York, the owner of children’s record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny Bell who used the Bell name to issue risque novelty records.

A British branch was also active in the 1960s and 1970s. Bell Records was reorganized in November 1974, which was the birth of Arista Records.

1950s

Upon its inception in 1952, Bell specialized in budget generic pop music, with the slogan “music for the millions”. Originally sold on seven-inch 78rpm and 45rpm records for 39 cents (US), this style of music went out of fashion as rock and roll became more prevalent. Sound-alike cover versions of hit records were also issued on 78rpm as well as 45rpm disks priced at 49 cents.

One of these records was by “Tom & Jerry” who would later be famous using their real names Simon & Garfunkel.

Instead of being pressed into vinyl like a normal 7-inch disc,these records were injection molded using polystyrene, which had either glued-on labels or the label information was printed directly on the polystyrene, rendering many copies almost unreadable years later. Most (but not all) Bell and associated label 45rpm records were similarly injection-molded all the way into the 1970s.

As Al Massler, the head of record manufacturer Bestway Products, had become head of Bell Records in 1959, Mala Records was then formed as a Bell subsidiary label, specializing in rock and roll along with rhythm and blues.

1960s

In 1960, Amy Records was formed as yet another subsidiary label, focusing on a lot of what would come to be known as northern soul and/or blue-eyed soul acts. The following year, Larry Uttal folded his Madison Records label into Bell after purchasing the label, along with its Amy and Mala subsidiary labels. Concentrating his efforts on the Amy and Mala labels, Uttal rendered the Bell parent label dormant until 1964, when the label was revived, featuring a logo utilizing a stylized “BELL” word mark shaped like a bell.

In 1966, the Bell label was expanded internationally[9] and the company decided to issue all their albums, even for Amy and Mala acts, on the Bell label, and went on to issue several hit singles, including, “I’m Your Puppet” by James and Bobby Purify in 1966, “The Letter” by The Box Tops (the single on Mala, the album on Bell) in 1967, “Angel of the Morning” by Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts in 1968, and “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin” by Crazy Elephant in 1969.

Later that year, after the three labels were merged into a single unit, retaining the Bell moniker, the combined company was then acquired by Colgems Records’ parent company Columbia Pictures, expanding its roster of acts when Colgems, previously distributed by RCA, was folded into the newly purchased company. Retaining ownership of a portion of the new company and remaining as Bell’s president, Larry Uttal was instrumental in signing many soon-to-be-famous acts such as The Partridge Family, Ricky Segall, The 5th Dimension and Tony Orlando & Dawn as well as adopting a new logo:

1970s

By 1970, the Bell label was more successful with pop music singles, and less successful with more lucrative pop music LPs. When Uttal left the company in 1974 to begin his own label Private Stock Records, Columbia Pictures music consultant Clive Davis, took over as President and would merge the various Columbia Pictures legacy labels (Colpix Records, Colgems Records, and Bell) into a new entity renamed Arista Records later that year, ultimately buying a percentage of the company from Columbia.

Bell had its final #1 hit in January 1975 with Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” (Bell 45,613), followed shortly by the label’s final hit, as well as its final single, “Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman” by Tony Orlando and Dawn (Bell 45,620—US #11) after which the more successful Bell albums were reissued on Arista. The very last releases utilizing the Bell imprint have the designation “Bell Records, Distributed by Arista Records, 1776 Broadway, New York, New York 10019” around the rim of the label.

Bell Records UK

The British branch was established in 1967. Previous British issues of Bell recordings were on EMI’s Stateside Records. Bell/Amy/Mala’s association with EMI dates back to 1964.[12] Bell Records in London was headed by Dick Leahy and distributed by EMI (In other foreign territories, Polydor handled distribution which later picked up British distribution.). Artists signed to them included the Bay City Rollers, Gary Glitter, Showaddywaddy, The Glitter Band, and US acts Reparata and the Delrons and The Partridge Family with David Cassidy. Other artists on the label included Barry Blue, Barry Manilow, Terry Jacks, Hello, The Piglets, The Pearls and Harley Quinne, The Drifters and the UK releases of The Box Tops.

Bell UK initially kept its identity when Bell US was reorganized into Arista in 1974, but a year later, although releases continued on the UK Bell label until 1976, the UK label adopted the Arista name in 1975. Showaddywaddy released the last Bell single, “Under the Moon of Love”, which reached No.1 in December 1976 [15] before Arista UK briefly revived the label in 1981. The Bell logo has made occasional appearances on the jackets and labels of Arista UK releases.

Current ownership

The former catalog of Bell Records and its related labels is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment (now a sister company of Columbia Pictures) and managed by Legacy Recordings.

Further information can be obtained at the web sites listed on the Links button above

WORKS

Subsidiary and associated labels

Big Tree Records
Philly Groove Records
Aurora Records
Mala Records
Amy Records
AGP (American Group Productions)
Direction Records
Neighborhood Records
Nite Life Records
DynoVoice Records
NewVoice Records
Page One Records
Carousel Records
Rocky Road Records
Vando Records (Acquired from Cameo-Parkway Records)
Windfall Records

Bell also had three oldies reissue labels in its history…
Flashback Records: Started in 1964 and continued after the Bell/Arista transformation
Sphere Sound Records (1965–1970): Released reissue singles as well as albums with previously issued and unreleased tracks
Bell Gold Records (1972): Short-lived label consisting of hits from artists The 5th Dimension and Al Wilson, both of whom were on Soul City which was sold to Bell

Bell Records artists (1960s)

The following artists have had at least one recording released on the Bell Records label or one of its subsidiaries.

Cilla Black
The Box Tops (Mala, Bell)
Solomon Burke
Crazy Elephant
Bette Davis[20]
The Delfonics (Philly Groove)
Lee Dorsey (Amy)
Georgia Gibbs
Al Greene & The Soul Mates (Hot Line)
Sonny Knight
O’Jays
James & Bobby Purify
Reparata and the Delrons
Ronny & the Daytonas (Mala)
Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts (Bell, AGP)
Del Shannon (Amy)
Syndicate of Sound
Vanity Fare (Page One)
Jimmy Velvit recording as James Bell

Bell Records artists (1970s)

April Wine (Big Tree)
Bay City Rollers
Barry Blue
Brownsville Station (Big Tree)
David Cassidy
Climax (Carousel, Rocky Road)
Dawn (featuring Tony Orlando)
The Drifters
Edison Lighthouse
The 5th Dimension
First Choice (Philly Groove)
Gary Glitter
The Glitter Band
Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast)
Godspell (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Let the Good Times Roll (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Lost Horizon (1973 film) (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Gropus Cackus
Terry Jacks
Davy Jones
Vicki Lawrence
Leapy Lee
Lobo (Big Tree)
Melissa Manchester
Barry Manilow
Sylvia McNeill
The Partridge Family
Suzi Quatro
Rodney Allen Rippy
Ricky Segall
Showaddywaddy
Labi Siffre (two singles, no albums)
The Stampeders
The Sweet
Marlo Thomas (Free to Be… You and Me)
Al Wilson (Rocky Road)
Lenny Zakatek
Sylvia McNeill

LINKS:

• The Bell/Amy/Mala story from Both Sides Now Publications
• Early Bell recordings
• 1950s Bell 45rpm discography
• 1960s Bell 45rpm discography
• Vinyl Tap Records UK Bell discography, including later releases
• 1. Billboard

     . Google Books. 1952-11-29. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  2. Jump up ^ Comedy on record: the complete critical discography – Ronald L. Smith

     . Google Books. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  3. Jump up ^ Billboard

     . Google Books. 1974-11-23. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  4. Jump up ^ “Single Discorgraphy for Bell Records – 1950s”

     . Globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  5. Jump up ^ Erling. “Bell Records USA (1964-1974)”

     . 45-sleeves.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  6. Jump up ^ “PressingPlantInfo”

     . Anorakscorner.homestead.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  7. Jump up ^ Billboard

     . Google Books. 1982-08-21. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  8. Jump up ^ Billboard

     . Google Books. 1966-09-03. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  9. Jump up ^ Billboard

     . Google Books. 1974-11-23. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  10. Jump up ^ Billboard

      . Google Books. 1967-07-22. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  11. Jump up ^ Billboard

      . Google Books. 1964-12-26. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  12. Jump up ^ Billboard

      . Google Books. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  13. Jump up ^ Billboard

      . Google Books. 1997-01-25. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  14. Jump up ^ “Bell Rare Records, CDs, Vinyl, Memorabilia, Rare Records, CD Singles”

      . Vtmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  15. Jump up ^ Erling. “Bell Records UK”

      . 45-sleeves.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  16. ^ Jump up to: ^{a b} Erling. “Flashback Records USA”

      . 45-sleeves.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  17. Jump up ^ “Sphere Sound Album Discography”

      . Bsnpubs.com. 2003-06-17. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  18. Jump up ^ Erling. “45-sleeves”

      . 45-sleeves. Retrieved 2012-08-24.

  19. Jump up ^ “Bette Davis – Mother Of The Bride (Vinyl) at Discogs”

      . Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-01-06.