ABC-Paramount
ABC-Paramount was an American record label established in 1955 by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres and later renamed ABC Records.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
ABC-Paramount was the original name of the principal popular-music record label created in 1955 by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, the company formed through the merger of the American Broadcasting Company and United Paramount Theatres. The label began within the Am-Par Record Corporation, which was organized on June 14, 1955, with Samuel H. Clark as its first president. Although the business was initially called Am-Par Records, the label adopted the ABC-Paramount name before its first releases appeared. Its early identity combined the reach of the ABC broadcasting organization with the entertainment heritage of Paramount. The label’s first signed artist was Eydie Gorme. Its first recorded material included Gorme performances, while Alec Templeton’s “Smart Alec” became the first LP recorded for the company. The label began building a national profile in 1956, when Bobby Scott’s “Chain Gang” became its first national hit. George Hamilton IV’s “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” followed as the company’s first million-selling single. In 1957, Paul Anka’s “Diana” and Danny & the Juniors’ “At the Hop” further established the label as a significant force in American popular music. The company also introduced Apt Records in 1958 as a subsidiary label, whose early success included the Elegants’ million-selling single “Little Star.” ABC-Paramount developed a broad, multi-label structure rather than limiting itself to one genre. It acquired or established imprints serving jazz, classical, blues, country, pop, rock, gospel, rhythm and blues, soundtrack, and other markets. In 1959, the company acquired labels associated with Enoch Light, including Command Records, and in 1960 created Impulse! Records as a specialist jazz imprint. Impulse! became particularly important for adventurous jazz releases, including recordings by John Coltrane. Westminster Records was acquired in 1961 to strengthen the company’s classical catalog, while Bluesway, Tangerine, Probe, and other imprints expanded its genre coverage and artist relationships. The corporate record company was formally renamed ABC-Paramount Records, Inc. in December 1961. A Los Angeles office opened in early 1962, reflecting the growing importance of the West Coast recording and entertainment industry. The company also handled distribution arrangements for independent labels and artist-controlled operations. Ray Charles’s Tangerine Records, for example, used ABC-Paramount for distribution. This combination of owned labels, licensed masters, regional acquisitions, and distribution agreements allowed the business to compete across the increasingly consolidated American record market. In June 1966, the flagship label was shortened to ABC Records. The company expanded further through the purchase of Dunhill Records in 1967, creating the ABC/Dunhill operation, and through later acquisitions including Cartwheel Records and the Famous Music Records Group in 1974. The Famous Music transaction brought the Dot label and related assets into the ABC organization, while other acquisitions added catalogs and distribution relationships. By the early 1970s, the ABC group operated or represented a substantial portfolio of imprints, including ABC, Dunhill, Impulse!, Command, Westminster, Bluesway, Dot, Blue Thumb, Probe, and Apt. The business also pursued broader marketing and retail initiatives. In 1972, ABC formed the ABC Leisure Group, bringing together record operations, distribution and tape sales, and a record-store division. Its records were issued in multiple formats, including LPs, singles, cassettes, and eight-track tapes. However, the company encountered financial difficulties during the late 1970s. A cost-cutting decision to discard some master tapes created lasting archival problems, with later compact-disc reissues sometimes relying on inferior-generation sources. ABC Records was sold to MCA Records on January 31, 1979, for a reported $30 million. MCA discontinued the ABC label on March…
History
ABC-Paramount Records emerged from the postwar restructuring of American broadcasting and entertainment. The American Broadcasting Company had been created after the former NBC Blue Network was divested, and in 1953 it merged with United Paramount Theatres. The resulting American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres corporation combined a broadcast network with a major theater operation and subsequently developed a record division. On June 14, 1955, the corporation incorporated the Am-Par Record Corporation. Samuel H. Clark became its first president. The proposed label was initially known as Am-Par Records, but before records reached the market it was renamed ABC-Paramount Records. Eydie Gorme was the first artist signed. Her early releases, together with Alec Templeton’s first ABC-Paramount LP, established the label’s initial catalog. Bobby Scott’s “Chain Gang” became the company’s first national hit in 1956, while George Hamilton IV’s “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” became its first million-selling single. Further successes by Paul Anka and Danny & the Juniors gave the label a significant position in late-1950s popular music. The company quickly adopted a house-of-labels strategy. Apt Records was introduced in 1958, primarily for singles. In 1959, ABC acquired labels and catalog interests associated with Enoch Light, including Command Records. The company launched Impulse! Records in 1960, creating a dedicated home for jazz. Impulse!’s early management by Creed Taylor and Bob Thiele and its association with artists such as John Coltrane made it one of the most respected specialist labels in the ABC family. The acquisition of Westminster Records in 1961 gave the company a classical-music imprint, while Bluesway addressed blues and Tangerine provided a distribution framework for Ray Charles’s productions. The record corporation changed its legal name to ABC-Paramount Records, Inc. in December 1961. A Los Angeles office opened in January 1962, indicating the company’s increasing engagement with West Coast artists, producers, studios, and entertainment businesses. ABC also used distribution and licensing to broaden its reach. It handled independent labels, purchased regionally issued recordings for national release, and licensed masters from outside producers rather than relying solely on recordings made directly under its own labels. In June 1966, the flagship label became ABC Records. The company acquired Dunhill Records in 1967, and the combined business moved its headquarters to Los Angeles in 1970. At that point the group operated ABC/Dunhill alongside Westminster, Command, Impulse!, Bluesway, Probe, and Apt. It experimented with international rights, catalog marketing, budget cassettes and eight-track tapes, and broader retail activity. A 1972 reorganization created the ABC Leisure Group, which included recording, tape-sales, distribution, and record-store activities. ABC also acquired Cartwheel Records in 1972 and the Famous Music Records Group in 1974. The latter transaction brought Dot Records and other Paramount-associated music assets into the company, strengthening its country and catalog businesses. The group’s expansion was accompanied by operational strain. By the late 1970s, ABC Records was experiencing financial problems outside its Nashville operation. The company also discarded a quantity of master tapes during a cost-saving effort to reduce storage requirements. That decision damaged the quality of some later reissues because compact-disc editions sometimes had to be prepared from secondary or less suitable sources. ABC sold the record company to MCA Records on January 31, 1979. The transaction was reported at $30 million in the cited reference material. MCA discontinued ABC Records on March 5, 1979, while transferring artists and reissuing selected commercially active albums through MCA. The historical ABC catalog later became associated with Universal Music Group through MCA’s corporate succession. Some artist and estate-controlled catalogs remain outside that general chain, including portions associated with Paul Anka, Jim Croce, Ray Charles, the Amazing Rhythm Aces, and Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. ABC-Paramount is therefore no longer an operating label, but its recordings and imprints remain important components of the history of American recorded music.
- 1979
ABC Records is sold and discontinued
[1]MCA acquired ABC Records in January and discontinued the label in March, reissuing selected titles through MCA.
- 1979
- 1974
Famous Music Records Group is acquired
[1]The transaction brought Dot Records and other Famous Music assets into the ABC organization.
- 1972
ABC Leisure Group is formed
[1]ABC combined recording, tape sales, distribution, and record-retail activities within the ABC Leisure Group.
- 1967
Dunhill Records is acquired
[1]ABC purchased Dunhill, forming the ABC/Dunhill operation.
- 1966
The label becomes ABC Records
[1]The flagship label shortened its public name from ABC-Paramount to ABC Records.
- 1961
Westminster Records is acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded ABC’s presence in classical music.
- 1961
Corporate name changes to ABC-Paramount Records, Inc.
[1]The Am-Par Record Corporation adopted the ABC-Paramount Records, Inc. legal name.
- 1960
Impulse! Records is launched
[1]ABC created Impulse! as a dedicated jazz imprint.
- 1958
Apt Records is introduced
[1]ABC-Paramount launched Apt as a subsidiary singles label.
Products and positioning
A broad American music-company and record-label house combining a mainstream popular label with specialist imprints, acquired catalogs, licensed masters, and distribution services across multiple genres.
Mainstream record label · 1955
ABC-Paramount Records
The flagship label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation from 1955 until its 1966 renaming as ABC Records. Its catalog covered popular music, pop, rock, rhythm and blues, country, gospel, soundtracks, and other commercial genres. Early successes included releases by Eydie Gorme, Bobby Scott, George Hamilton IV, Paul Anka, and Danny & the Juniors.
Subsidiary singles and budget label · 1958
Apt Records
Apt was introduced by ABC-Paramount in 1958 and initially concentrated on singles. Its early success included “Little Star” by the Elegants. The imprint was shelved in 1966, briefly revived in 1969 and 1972, and also used for budget-priced eight-track and cassette releases.
Jazz label · 1960
Impulse! Records
Created by ABC in 1960, Impulse! became the group’s specialist jazz imprint. Its early releases were overseen by executives and producers including Creed Taylor and Bob Thiele, and the label became closely associated with innovative jazz albums, including recordings by John Coltrane.
Classical label
Westminster Records
Westminster was acquired in 1961 to give ABC a dedicated classical-music operation. Its catalog later followed the ABC corporate lineage into Universal’s classical catalog structures, alongside other classical recordings absorbed by ABC.
Pop and rock label group · 1967
ABC/Dunhill
Formed after ABC acquired Dunhill Records in 1967, ABC/Dunhill combined ABC’s mainstream label infrastructure with Dunhill’s pop and rock activities. The operation became one of the principal faces of ABC’s Los Angeles-based record business during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Country and popular-music label
Dot Records
Dot entered the ABC portfolio through the 1974 acquisition of the Famous Music Records Group. ABC used the ABC/Dot identity for country releases and incorporated Dot’s catalog into its broader multi-genre label system.
Artist-associated label and distribution operation · 1962
Tangerine Records
Ray Charles formed Tangerine Records in 1962, with ABC-Paramount distributing its recordings. The arrangement illustrated ABC’s willingness to support artist-linked labels and handle distribution beyond records issued directly under the ABC name.
Recorded music releases
ABC Records primarily issued recorded music, including albums and singles. Its catalogue covered multiple genres, with specific artists and releases varying by period and associated imprint.
Marketing campaigns
- 1972ABC Leisure Group expansion
United States
ABC grouped record production, distribution, tape sales, and a new record-store division under the ABC Leisure Group.
Outcome. The initiative reflected an effort to connect recorded music with physical distribution and retail operations.
- 1970ABC/Dunhill catalog and format marketing program
United States
At a 1970 Directors Guild meeting, ABC/Dunhill outlined initiatives for catalog marketing, the relaunch of Probe and Apt, budget cassettes and eight-track tapes, and new classical and youth-oriented series.
Outcome. The program broadened the company’s format and catalog strategy, although the labels and series were later reorganized within ABC’s wider portfolio.
Brand decisions
1979
Sell ABC Records to MCAM&ABackground
ABC Records faced financial problems in the late 1970s, particularly outside its Nashville operation.
Action taken
ABC sold the record company to MCA Records on January 31, 1979.
Aftermath
MCA discontinued ABC Records on March 5, 1979, and reissued selected active catalog titles under MCA. The catalog later entered the Universal Music Group corporate lineage.
Reported sale price. $30 million (1979)
1974
Acquire the Famous Music Records GroupM&ABackground
ABC was building a multi-label organization spanning popular music, jazz, classical music, blues, country, and catalog releases.
Action taken
ABC acquired the Famous Music Records Group from Gulf and Western, obtaining Dot Records and related assets.
Aftermath
ABC released country material under the ABC/Dot identity and added Paramount-associated catalog assets to its organization.
1970
Discard master tapes as a cost-saving measureOtherBackground
ABC Records sought to reduce storage costs during a period when physical tape archives required substantial space and maintenance.
Action taken
The company discarded some master tapes during the 1970s.
Aftermath
Some later compact-disc reissues were prepared from less-than-optimal source copies, creating archival and sound-quality issues.
1966
Rename the flagship label ABC RecordsStrategyBackground
The ABC-Paramount name had identified the company’s mainstream label since 1955, while the corporate group was expanding its network of genre and acquired imprints.
Action taken
In June 1966, the label name was shortened to ABC Records.
Aftermath
The ABC name became the principal identity used across the company’s later catalog and label operations.
Sources1 sources
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