AVI Records was an
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
established in 1968, as a unit of ''American Variety International''. It released music from numerous genres, and was sufficiently successful with its disco recordings that it began doing its own distribution in 1977.
History
AVI Records began in 1968.
It was formed by
Seymour Heller
Seymour Heller (September 9, 1914 – October 8, 2001) was an American talent agent and artist's manager. Beginning his career during the Big Band Era, Heller spent more than 60 years in the entertainment industry. He was best known for his ass ...
,
Ed Cobb
Edward C. "Ed" Cobb (February 25, 1938 – September 19, 1999) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for writing the song "Tainted Love" for Gloria Jones, which later ...
and Ray Harris. American Variety International was subsequently incorporated in 1972, and Harris became president of the Record division.
One of the Los Angeles–based
label's earliest signings was
Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
, who was signed to the label through his manager Heller, and stayed with the company for more than 20 years.
The label was initially distributed on a case-by-case basis, usually through either
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
,
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
,
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...
or Tower. Harris started the label's disco initiative after attending a
Midem
Midem is the acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l'Édition Musicale, which is organised annually in and around the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France. The trade show, organized by Reed MIDEM, a subsidiary of Re ...
convention and recognizing the selling potential of
mixes and extended cuts. Additionally influenced by
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
,
Barry White
Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...
and
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...
, AVI produced an album by studio group El Coco, passing off the product as European. AVI had laid the foundation for its own distribution in 1976, and activated this network in 1977 after having found success in the
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
and
R&B genres, particularly with El CoCo,
while becoming the first label to produce custom jackets for its 12-inch singles.
In February 1978, the label hired
Rick Gianatos as a special consultant for its disco output, and he was later promoted to general
A&R director.
One of his initiatives was to court disco DJs by introducing expanded grooves, visual cues at key points in the recording accomplished by increasing the width between grooves. They were the second label after
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
to do this. Dubbed "Q-Mix", the method coincided with an increase in price designed to raise profit margins.
After finding success in the disco field, AVI tried its hand in another 1970s musical phenomenon,
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
.
AVI Records agreed to acquire
Nashboro Records Nashboro Records was an American gospel label principally active in the 1950s and 1960s.
History
Nashboro was founded in Nashville, Tennessee by Ernie Lafayette Young (1892-1977), who was the owner of a record store, Ernie's Record Mart, and spons ...
in 1979. As a result, AVI made a concerted effort to expand its
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
efforts by releasing new material
as well as reissuing classic Nashboro recordings. By the mid-1990s, the label moved to
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, and was largely limited to releasing previously recorded material. In 1997, the label’s catalogue was acquired by
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
, the precursor of
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. All 9,866 of AVI's master tapes were destroyed in the
2008 Universal fire
On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...
.
Artists
* Air Power
* Dominic Allen
* Baby Rocker
* Don Bennett
*
David Benoit
David Bryan Benoit (born August 18, 1953) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer, based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Benoit has charted over 25 albums since 1980, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. He is a ...
*
Alicia Bridges
Alicia Bridges (born July 15, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter who co-wrote and performed her international hit "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" in 1978.
Early years
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in the small Cleve ...
*
Captain Sky
Daryl L. Cameron (born July 10, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois), better known as Captain Sky, is an American musician and singer. Captain Sky’s funk-based musical style, futuristic costumes, and psychedelic imagery are similar to those of Geor ...
*
Vince Cardell
*
Dorothy Love Coates
Dorothy Love Coates (January 30, 1928 – April 9, 2002) was an American gospel singer.
* The Consolers
* B.C. & M. Choir
* Darkstar
* Davis Import
* Don De Grate Delegation
* Paul Delicato
* The Destinations
* Rev. Isaac Douglass
* Eastbound Expressway
*
El Coco
*
The Fairfield Four
The Fairfield Four is an American gospel group that has existed for over 100 years, starting as a trio in the Fairfield Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1921. They were designated as National Heritage Fellows in 1989 by the National End ...
* The Gospel Keynotes
* L.J. Johnson
*
Gloria Jones
Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song "Tainted Love" and has wo ...
* Le Pamplemousse
*
Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
*
Lowrell
* Kenny Lupper
*
Arnold McCuller
Arnold McCuller (born August 26, 1950) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was active as a solo artist and session musician, but is perhaps best known for his work as a touring back-u ...
* Passion
* The Raindolls
* Jerry Rix
* Tony Sandler
* Seventh Avenue
* The Stars of Faith
*
Rufus Thomas
Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess Rec ...
* Jesus Wayne
* James Wells
References
External links
45rpm discography for AVI Records
{{Authority control
Record labels established in 1968
American record labels
American independent record labels
Companies based in Los Angeles