ENDEIT

Bell Records

Bell Records, founded 1952: jazz artists and albums on the label.

Artists on Bell Records

Quincy Jones 1933–2024 · American record producer and composer (1933–2024) Michel Legrand 1932–2019 · French film score composer (1932–2019) Al Green b. 1946 · American singer Cab Calloway 1907–1994 · American jazz singer (1907–1994) Artie Shaw 1910–2004 · American clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (1910-2004) Dick Powell 1904–1963 · American actor (1904-1963) Tommy Dorsey 1905–1956 · American big band leader and musician Allen Toussaint 1938–2015 · American musician, songwriter and record producer… Shirley Horn 1934–2005 · American singer (1934–2005) Jimmy Dorsey 1904–1957 · American clarinetist, alto saxophonist, bandleader, and… Kitty Kallen 1921–2016 · American singer (1921-2016) Sy Oliver 1910–1988 · American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and… Ray Eberle 1919–1979 · American singer (1919–1979) Larry Clinton 1909–1985 · American musician (1909–1985) Will Bradley 1912–1989 · American trombonist (1912–1989)

Label profile

Also appears as "Bell" only or "Bell Record". For unofficial releases, see Bell Records (3).
In 1952 Arthur Shimkin bought the Bell label from Benny Bell and became President of the company. Head of A&R was Morty Palitz. The musical director was Sy Oliver. In its early stages, Bell recorded popular music and comedy. By 1959, Al Massler was President of Bell. Massler formed Mala Records in 1959 as a subsidiary label to Bell, Mala recorded popular, rock and roll and R&B music. Massler also formed another subsidiary, Amy Records, in 1960. Amy recorded popular, rock and roll, ethnic, comedy and R&B. The original Bell records of the '50s generally tended toward cover versions of popular hits of the times, much as the Tops Records label did, or "generic" non-hit pop. After Massler became president, they concentrated more on albums, much like budget pop labels such as Strand. The orchestral backup was first-rate on many of these, with bands such as Sy Oliver and Burt Bacharach appearing.

But generic pop music was dying out as the '50s closed, and by the turn of the decade, some changes needed to be made if the label was to survive. By 1959, the Bell label itself was almost inactive on th

Profile from Discogs (CC0)