Dolton Records
Encyclopedia
Dolton Records was a record label
based in Seattle that was originally known as Dolphin Records. It was owned by Bob Reisdorf and Bonnie Guitar
. Success for the label came early with "Come Softly to Me
" by The Fleetwoods
, the first single to be released on that label. Reisdorf was soon informed that there was another Dolphin Records in circulation (which was a subsidiary of Laurie Records
), so he changed the name to Dolton after the third release, which was a follow-up single by The Fleetwoods that didn't chart and is now quite obscure. The new label retained the fish symbols on the logo and the fonts associated with the Dolphin name. The first major hit on the newer Dolton label was The Fleetwood's "Mr. Blue
", a number one hit, and the fifth single released by that company. Other major Dolton artists included The Ventures
, Vic Dana
, and The Frantics
. It was acquired in 1963 by Avnet
and merged with its Liberty Records
parent label in 1966. Liberty had distributed Dolton releases when "Come Softly To Me" became a hit.
Bonnie Guitar
also recorded for the label, recording singles like "Candy Apple Red" in the late fifties. She had a country-pop crossover hit, "Dark Moon", in 1957
.
Liberty discontinued the Dolton label in 1967, transferring its artists to the parent label. The label's final single released was "Theme From The Wild Angels"/"Kickstand" (DOR-327) by The Ventures; theirs was also the final album released on Dolton, "Guitar Freakout" (BLP-2050/BST-8050).
In the early 90's, EMI briefly reactivated the Dolton label by releasing a couple of CD compilations by The Ventures, using the early light-blue Dolton labels for the discs.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
based in Seattle that was originally known as Dolphin Records. It was owned by Bob Reisdorf and Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar is an American Country-Pop Singer. She is best remembered for her 1957 Country-Pop crossover hit "Dark Moon"...
. Success for the label came early with "Come Softly to Me
Come Softly to Me
"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song written by Gretchen Christopher that was published in 1959 and was performed by The Fleetwoods, composed of Christopher, Gary Troxel, and Barbara Ellis. It was the first release for the new Dolphin Records label....
" by The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were a singing trio from Olympia, Washington, United States; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me"...
, the first single to be released on that label. Reisdorf was soon informed that there was another Dolphin Records in circulation (which was a subsidiary of Laurie Records
Laurie Records
Laurie Records was a record label started in 1958 by Gene Schwartz and Allan I. Sussel. Sussel was a multi-millionaire whose earlier record company, Jamie Records , had been unsuccessful. As a result, Sussel joined forces with Schwartz to found Laurie Records, this time named after his other...
), so he changed the name to Dolton after the third release, which was a follow-up single by The Fleetwoods that didn't chart and is now quite obscure. The new label retained the fish symbols on the logo and the fonts associated with the Dolphin name. The first major hit on the newer Dolton label was The Fleetwood's "Mr. Blue
Mr. Blue
"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
", a number one hit, and the fifth single released by that company. Other major Dolton artists included The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, Vic Dana
Vic Dana
Vic Dana is an American dancer and singer.Discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr., Dana was an excellent dancer , and was encouraged by Davis to move to Los Angeles to further his career. With the decline of dancing as a form of entertainment Dana initiated a singing career. He is best known for his 1965...
, and The Frantics
The Frantics
The Frantics or Frantics is the name of:*The Frantics , a punk rock band.*The Frantics , a Canadian comedy troupe.*The Frantics , a Showtime network series....
. It was acquired in 1963 by Avnet
Avnet
Avnet, Inc. is a technology Business-to-business B2B distributor headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Electronics Supply & Manufacturing magazine reports that Avnet Inc., a Fortune 500 company, may be the world's largest franchised distributor of electronic components and subsystems...
and merged with its Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
parent label in 1966. Liberty had distributed Dolton releases when "Come Softly To Me" became a hit.
Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar is an American Country-Pop Singer. She is best remembered for her 1957 Country-Pop crossover hit "Dark Moon"...
also recorded for the label, recording singles like "Candy Apple Red" in the late fifties. She had a country-pop crossover hit, "Dark Moon", in 1957
1957 in music
-Events:*January 5 – Renato Carosone and his band start their American tour in Cuba.*January 6 – Elvis Presley makes his final appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show.*January 16 – The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, UK....
.
Liberty discontinued the Dolton label in 1967, transferring its artists to the parent label. The label's final single released was "Theme From The Wild Angels"/"Kickstand" (DOR-327) by The Ventures; theirs was also the final album released on Dolton, "Guitar Freakout" (BLP-2050/BST-8050).
In the early 90's, EMI briefly reactivated the Dolton label by releasing a couple of CD compilations by The Ventures, using the early light-blue Dolton labels for the discs.
Label variations
- 1958—Light blue label with fish symbols at top of label, DOLPHIN shown vertically on left side (This label variation was used only on the first release, Dolphin 1.)
- 1958-1960—Same as above, DOLPHIN changed to DOLTON
- 1961-1963—Same light blue color with large fish symbols at top of label, DOLTON shown in center of largest fish symbol.
- 1962-1965—Dark aqua label with new logo on left side, DOLTON shown in various colors
- 1965-1966—Black and dark blue label with "D" logo on left side, DOLTON shown under logo, "A PRODUCT OF LIBERTY RECORDS" shown under DOLTON