Cadence Records
Encyclopedia
Cadence Records was an American
record company based in New York City
. It was founded by Archie Bleyer
, who had been the musical director and orchestra
leader for Arthur Godfrey
in 1952. Bleyer had written a few hot songs in 1932-34 (Fletcher Henderson
's "Business in F" is a good example) and had a band that recorded for ARC in 1934 and 1935 (his records were issued on Vocalion
, Melotone
, Perfect
and Romeo
).
The first recording star for Cadence was Godfrey alumnus Julius La Rosa
. Other Godfrey alumnae signed to the label included the Chordettes
. According to legend, Bleyer was fired from the Godfrey show when he signed someone Godfrey regarded as a rival to a record deal. (Godfrey later fired singer Julius La Rosa in October 1954, causing a storm of controversy at the time.) The label also produced the early hits of Andy Williams
and The Everly Brothers
, as well as Johnny Tillotson
. Virtuoso jazz/classical pianist Donald Shirley was signed with Cadence in the 50's and 60's. Candid Records
was the company's short-lived jazz
subsidiary. One of Cadence's most popular songs in the 1950s was Eloise
written and sung by Kay Thompson
.
Cadence had nearly 100 charted American singles during the 1950s and into the 1960s. It produced the 1962 smash bestseller parody
album, "The First Family
" by Vaughn Meader
, which was, to that time, the fastest-selling album in history, featuring impressions of President John F. Kennedy
, wife Jackie Kennedy, and newsmakers like Nikita Khrushchev
and vice-president Hubert Humphrey
. A follow-up album released in March 1963 did not do as well, and shortly thereafter, the two albums were taken out of print, following the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas. The departures of the Everly Brothers in 1960 (to Warner Bros. Records
) and of Andy Williams in 1961 (to Columbia Records
), along with radical changes in public taste and the music business brought on by the 1964 British invasion
, led to the decline of the company by 1964. Bleyer opted to shut down Cadence, and sold Williams' masters to the singer, which he bought mainly because he wanted to keep Cadence from reissuing his old material in competition with his new material. Bleyer wanted Williams to buy the entire Cadence catalogue which he did. Williams reissued his old albums on Columbia and formed Barnaby Records
to manage the Cadence catalogue.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record company based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was founded by Archie Bleyer
Archie Bleyer
Archie Bleyer was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive.-Early life:He was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. He began playing the piano when he was only seven years old...
, who had been the musical director and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
leader for Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname, The Old Redhead...
in 1952. Bleyer had written a few hot songs in 1932-34 (Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
's "Business in F" is a good example) and had a band that recorded for ARC in 1934 and 1935 (his records were issued on Vocalion
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
, Melotone
Melotone Records
Melotone Records has been the name of two unrelated record companies.* Melotone Records , Australia* Melotone Records , United States of America...
, Perfect
Perfect Records
Perfect Records was a United States based record label of the 1920s and 1930s. It was a subsidiary of Pathé Records, producing standard lateral cut 78 rpm disc records for the US market....
and Romeo
Romeo Records
Romeo Records was a record label based in the United States of America in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a subsidiary of Cameo Records, manufactured to be sold exclusively at the S. H. Kress & Co. department store chain...
).
The first recording star for Cadence was Godfrey alumnus Julius La Rosa
Julius La Rosa
Julius La Rosa is an American traditional popular music singer who has worked in both radio and television since the 1950s.-Early years and big break:...
. Other Godfrey alumnae signed to the label included the Chordettes
The Chordettes
The Chordettes were a female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional popular music. The Chordettes were one of the longest lived vocal groups with beginnings in the mainstream pop and vocal harmonies of the 1940s and early 1950s...
. According to legend, Bleyer was fired from the Godfrey show when he signed someone Godfrey regarded as a rival to a record deal. (Godfrey later fired singer Julius La Rosa in October 1954, causing a storm of controversy at the time.) The label also produced the early hits of Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
and The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, as well as Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson
Johnny Tillotson is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"...
. Virtuoso jazz/classical pianist Donald Shirley was signed with Cadence in the 50's and 60's. Candid Records
Candid Records
Candid Records was founded as a subsidiary of Archie Bleyer's Cadence label in New York City in 1960. The jazz writer and civil rights activist, Nat Hentoff, worked as the label's A&R director, aiming to create a representative catalog of the jazz of the day...
was the company's short-lived jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
subsidiary. One of Cadence's most popular songs in the 1950s was Eloise
Eloise
-Places:*Éloise, a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Music:* "Eloise" , a song written by Paul Ryan, first released by Barry Ryan, covered by The Damned and others...
written and sung by Kay Thompson
Kay Thompson
Kay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.-Background:Catherine Louise Fink was born in St...
.
Cadence had nearly 100 charted American singles during the 1950s and into the 1960s. It produced the 1962 smash bestseller parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
album, "The First Family
The First Family (album)
The First Family is a comedy album recorded on October 22, 1962, as a good-natured parody of President John F. Kennedy, both as Commander-in-Chief and as a member of a large, well-known political family...
" by Vaughn Meader
Vaughn Meader
Abbott Vaughn Meader was an American comedian and impersonator whose achievement of fame with The First Family album spoofing President John F...
, which was, to that time, the fastest-selling album in history, featuring impressions of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, wife Jackie Kennedy, and newsmakers like Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
and vice-president Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
. A follow-up album released in March 1963 did not do as well, and shortly thereafter, the two albums were taken out of print, following the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas. The departures of the Everly Brothers in 1960 (to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) and of Andy Williams in 1961 (to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
), along with radical changes in public taste and the music business brought on by the 1964 British invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
, led to the decline of the company by 1964. Bleyer opted to shut down Cadence, and sold Williams' masters to the singer, which he bought mainly because he wanted to keep Cadence from reissuing his old material in competition with his new material. Bleyer wanted Williams to buy the entire Cadence catalogue which he did. Williams reissued his old albums on Columbia and formed Barnaby Records
Barnaby Records
Barnaby Records was an American record company founded by singer Andy Williams in 1963 with his purchase of soon-to-be-liquidated Cadence Records....
to manage the Cadence catalogue.