Song Bird Records
Song Bird Records (also known as SongBird Records) was started at the end of 1963 as a gospel music subsidiary of Houston, Texas-based Duke/Peacock Records. Significant artists on Song Bird included the powerful contralto Inez Andrews formerly of The Caravans, The Gospelettes with Liz Dargan formerly of The Andrewettes, mixed-vocal group The Kansas City Melodyaires later known as Mildred Clark & The Melodyaires, The Dallas Academy Youth Choir, The Jackson Southernaires along with their younger siblings The Williams Brothers, Reverend Oris Mays, and the Christian Harmonizers.[1]
| Song Bird Records | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Duke/Peacock Records (1963-1973) ABC Records (1973-1979) |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | gospel music |
| Country of origin | United States |
Song Bird also featured the one-off album, It's Gospel Time, by The Sons of The Birds, being the sons of the famous Peacock group, The Dixie Hummingbirds. Andrews scored a small hit on the rhythm and blues singles charts in April 1973 with the title track of her album, Lord Don’t Move The Mountain. That same year, the Duke/Peacock family of labels ‒ which also included Back Beat and Sure Shot ‒ was sold to Los Angeles, California-based label, ABC Records, with ABC label founder, Don Robey, staying with ABC as a consultant until his death in 1975.[2] In 1974, Song Bird's label name was changed to ABC/Songbird.
After ABC was sold to MCA Records in 1979, MCA briefly operated an MCA/Songbird label with new signings including Little Anthony of Little Anthony & The Imperials and Dan Peek formerly of the group, America, the previous rosters of both ABC/Peacock and ABC/Songbird having been dropped. MCA would later reissue several Peacock and Song Bird/Songbird albums. Along with the MCA back catalog, the Peacock and Song Bird masters are now controlled by the Geffen Records unit of Universal Music Group.
See also
- List of record labels
References
- Gart, Galen; Ames, Roy C (1990). Duke/Peacock Records: an illustrated history with discography. Milford, New Hampshire: Big Nickel Publications. ISBN 978-0-936433-12-7.
- Hayes, Cedric J; Laughton, Robert (1992). Gospel records, 1943-1969: a Black music discography. London: Record Information Services. ISBN 0-907872-28-X (Volume One), ISBN 0-907872-29-8 (Volume Two).
- Whitburn, Joel; Whitburn, Joel (2000). Joel Whitburn presents top R & B singles, 1942-1999. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-136-9.