Jubilee Records
| Jubilee Record | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Herb Abramson |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Genre | Rhythm and blues, novelty |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | New York City |
Jubilee Records was an American independent 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. The company name was Jay-Gee Recording Company, a subsidiary of the Cosnat Corporation. Cosnat was a wholesale record distributor.
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.
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 and issued more uptempo material. Hits on Josie included "Speedoo" by the Cadillacs (number 3 R&B, number 17 pop) and "Do You Wanna Dance" by Bobby Freeman (number 2 R&B, number 5 pop). The biggest success was the million-seller "Last Kiss", by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, which reached number 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 number 4 R&B and number 23 pop. The label's last rock-and-roll hit was the rhythm-and-blues instrumental "Poor Boy"/"Wail!" by the Royaltones (number 17, 1957).
Of the label's novelty recordings, releases by the blooper compiler Kermit Schaefer and the comedian Rusty Warren were successful.
...
Wikipedia