Parrot Records was an American

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

-based

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

, founded in 1952 by the

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...

Al Benson Arthur Bernard Leaner (June 30, 1908 – September 6, 1978), who was known professionally as Al Benson, was an American radio DJ, music promoter and record label owner in Chicago between the 1940s and 1960s. He was particularly significan ...

. It specialized in

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

, and

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 ...

. The company began operating in mid-1953, and lasted until mid-1956. Several Parrot recordings were later released by

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

. Parrot's sister label Blue Lake operated from 1954 to 1956. There were plans for another subsidiary, to be called Eagle, but these were scrapped.

Releases on 78 and 45 rpm singles

*Parrot 1050

Willie Mabon Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

and his Combo - "I Don't Know" b/w "Worry Blues" *Parrot 772 The Parrots - "Weep, Weep, Weep" b/w "Please Don't Leave Me" *Parrot 775

Herbie Fields Herbie Fields (Herbert Bernfeld, May 24, 1919 – September 17, 1958) was an American jazz musician. He attended New York's famed Juilliard School of Music (1936–38) and served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1943. Career Membership in the Raym ...

and Orchestra - "

Harlem Nocturne "Harlem Nocturne" is a jazz standard written by Earle Hagen (music) and Dick Rogers (lyrics) in 1939 for the Ray Noble orchestra, of which they were members. The song was chosen by the big-band leader Randy Brooks the next year as his theme song. ...

" b/w "

Things Ain't What They Used to Be "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" is a 1942 jazz standard with music by Mercer Ellington and lyrics by Ted Persons. Background In 1941 there was a strike against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, of which Duke Ellington ...

" *Parrot 780 Mable (sic) Scott - "Mr. Fine" b/w "Mable Blues" *Parrot 781 Chocolateers - "Peckin'" b/w "Bartender Blues" *Parrot 782 Curtis Jones- "Wrong Blues" b/w "Cool Playing Blues" *Parrot 783

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

and Orchestra - "I'll See You Later" b/w "

What a Difference a Day Made "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes", is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to Your ...

" *Parrot 784 Coleman Hawkins and Orchestra - "I'll Follow My Secret Heart" b/w "Blue Blue Days" *Parrot 785 Playboy Thomas - "Too Much Pride" b/w "No Doubt about It" *Parrot 786

Marvin Phillips Marvin Phillips (born December 28, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the KW Titans of the National Basketball League of Canada. He most notably won the NBL Canada Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 201 ...

- "Salty Dog" b/w "Sweetheart, Darling" *Parrot 787

Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most imp ...

and Orchestra - "I've Been Mistreated" b/w "Juke Box Shuffle" *Parrot 788

Jo Jo Adams Joel Adams (c. 1918 – February 27, 1988), sometimes credited as Doctor Jo Jo Adams, was an American jump blues singer, comedian, dancer, and MC, who recorded in the 1940s and 1950s. Career He was born in a rural area of Alabama, an ...

- "Call My Baby" b/w "Rebecca" *Parrot 789

The Rockettes The Rockettes are an American precision dance company. Founded 1925 in St. Louis, they have, since , performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Until 2015, they also had a touring company. They are best known for starring in the ...

- "Love Nobody" b/w "I Can't Forget" *Parrot 790

Lonnie Simmons Lonnie Simmons (December 12, 1944 - February 6, 2019) was an American record producer from Los Angeles, California. He was founder and president of the now-defunct Total Experience Records. As a composer, he co-wrote several #1 R&B songs for his ...

Quartet - "Black Orchid" b/w "

I Can't Get Started "I Can't Get Started", also known as "I Can't Get Started with You" or "I Can't Get Started (with You)", is a popular song. It was written in 1936 by Vernon Duke (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) and introduced that year in the film '' Ziegfeld ...

" *Parrot 791 Ernest Lewis - "No More Lovin'" b/w "West Coast Blues" *Parrot 792

Paul Bascomb Paul Bascomb ( – December 2, 1986) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, noted for his extended tenure with Erskine Hawkins. He is a 1979 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Career Bascomb was a founding member of the Bama Sta ...

and his Orchestra - "Jan (Part I)" b/w "Jan (Part II)" *Parrot 793

The Pelicans Arthur Bernard Leaner (June 30, 1908 – September 6, 1978), who was known professionally as Al Benson, was an American radio DJ, music promoter and record label owner in Chicago between the 1940s and 1960s. He was particularly significan ...

- "Aurelia" b/w "

White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...

" *Parrot 794 Mable (sic) Scott - "Do the Thing" b/w "Fool Burro" *Parrot 795 Marvin Phillips - "Ann Marie" b/w "Honey Baby" *Parrot 796 Five Thrills - "Feel So Good" b/w "My Baby's Gone" *Parrot 797

Jimmy Rushing James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948. Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...

with Frank Culley Combo - "Mr. 5 x 5" b/w "Clothes Pin Blues" *Parrot 798

Albert King Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps b ...

- "Be on Your Merry Way" b/w "Bad Luck Blues" *Parrot 799

John Brim John Charles Brim (April 10, 1922 – October 1, 2003) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He wrote and recorded the song "Ice Cream Man" which was later covered by the rock band Van Halen for their first album, and ...

and his Stompers - "Tough Times" b/w "Gary Stomp" *Parrot 800 Five Thrills - "Gloria" b/w "Wee Wee Baby" *Parrot 802 J. B. Lenoir - "Eisenhower Blues" b/w "I'm in Korea" *Parrot 802 J. B. Lenoir - "Tax Paying Blues" b/w "I'm in Korea" *Parrot 806 Herbie Fields and Orchestra - "I Love You" b/w "Mr. Jump" *Parrot 807

Snooky Pryor James Edward "Snooky" Pryor (September 15, 1919 or 1921 – October 18, 2006) was an American Chicago blues harmonica player. He claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing amplified harmonica by cupping a small microphone in his ...

- "Crosstown Blues" b/w "I Want You for Myself" *Parrot 808

The Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and m ...

- "On My Merry Way" b/w "Dream of a Lifetime" *Parrot 809 J. B. Lenore (sic) - "Mamma Talk to Your Daughter" b/w "Man Watch Your Woman" *Parrot 810

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Biography Early life Jamal was born Fr ...

- " But Not for Me" b/w "Seleritus" *Parrot 811

- "Get with It" b/w "I Really Don't Want to Know" *Parrot 812

- " Ko-Ko-Mo" b/w "I'm Yours" *Parrot 813

Little Willy Foster Willy Foster (April 20, 1922 – November 25, 1987), known as Little Willy Foster (or Little Willie Foster), was an American Chicago blues harmonicist, singer, and songwriter. Biography Foster was born in Dublin, Mississippi, to Major Foster a ...

- "Falling Rain Blues" b/w "Four Day Jump" (also released as Blue Lake 113) *Parrot 814 J. B. Lenore - "Mama Your Daughter Is Going to Miss Me" b/w "What Have I Done" *Parrot 815

The Orchids The Orchids are a Scottish band that achieved success with Sarah Records. Formed in Penilee in Glasgow in 1985, the Orchids released a series of underground singles on Sarah Records. The group's line-up comprised James Hackett (vocals), Paulin ...

- "Newly Wed" b/w "You're Everything to Me" *Parrot 816

and his Orchestra / The Five Arrows - "You've Got Me Losing My Mind" b/w "Pretty Little Thing" *Parrot 817 Paul Bascomb and his Orchestra - "Alley B on Fifth Avenue" b/w "Jumping at the El Cino" *Parrot 818

- " It Could Happen to You" b/w "Excerpts from the Blues" *Parrot 819 The Orchids - "You Said You Loved Me" b/w "I Can't Refuse" *Parrot 820

Dusty Brown Dustin William "Dusty" Brown (born June 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. Professional career Boston Red Sox Brown was draft ...

- "Yes She's Gone" b/w "He Don't Love You" *Parrot 821 J. B. Lenore - "Fine Girls" b/w "I Lost My Baby' *Parrot 822 Benson-Ogletree - "Tell It like It Is" b/w "Uptown Stomp" *Parrot 823 St. Louis Jimmy - "

Going Down Slow "Goin' Down Slow" or "Going Down Slow" is a blues song composed by American blues singer St. Louis Jimmy Oden. It is considered a blues standard and "one of the most famous blues of all". "Goin' Down Slow" has been recorded by many blues and ...

" b/w "Murder in the First Degree" *Parrot 105 The Willie Webb Singers - "Climbing High Mountains" b/w "God Is Good to Me" *Parrot 106 The Willie Webb Singers - "He Will Be There" b/w "He's a Wonder" *Parrot 107 The Victorettes - "Jesus Has Promised" b/w "When Night Comes" *Parrot 109 The Peace Makers - "When I Go" b/w "I Know What I Believe' *Parrot 1000 Bessie Griffen (sic) - "Story of Job" b/w "What Jesus Means to Me" *Parrot 1001

Veteran Singers A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

- "Give It Up" b/w "The Old Account Was Settled" (also released on Blue Lake 1001) *Parrot 6000 The

Leon Abbey Leon Alexander Anthony Abbey (May 7, 1900 – September 1975) was an American jazz violinist and bandleader. Biography He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 7, 1900, to Luther James Robert Abbey and Eva Lee Alexander. He started his ca ...

Trio,

- " If You Were the Only Girl" b/w "Abbey's Boogie"

Releases on 12-inch album

: ''

Ahmad Jamal Plays ''Ahmad Jamal Plays'' is an album by American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal featuring performances recorded in 1955 and originally released on the short-lived Parrot label in 1955.Büttner, A., Campbell, R., & Pruter, RThe Parrot and Blue Lake Labelsacc ...

'' *

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

: Unissued *

: Unissued

References

External links

The Parrot and Blue Lake labels
{{Authority control Defunct record labels of the United States Record labels established in 1952 Record labels disestablished in 1956

Releases on 78 and 45 rpm singles

Releases on 12-inch album

See also

References

External links