Regency Records

Regency Records is a name used by more than one historical record label. The available reference material identifies a United States incarnation based in Los Angeles that was founded by Johnny Carter and Lamar Gravitt and operated from 1979 until approximately 1983. The same Wikipedia subject also identifies a separate Canadian Regency Records, based in Toronto and active from 1956 to 1966. Because the authoritative Wikipedia title is a disambiguation entry rather than a single unified corporate entity, the available information does not support treating the Canadian and American labels as one continuous business. The American label belongs to the independent-record-label sector of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its founding principals were Johnny Carter and Lamar Gravitt, but the supplied references do not document the label's roster, genres, catalog size, distribution arrangements, notable releases, ownership structure, or eventual closure in enough detail to describe those areas reliably. Its documented operating period places it within a period when small labels commonly developed artist catalogs and released music through regional or specialist distribution networks, but no specific commercial strategy should be attributed to Regency Records without additional sourcing. The Canadian label was a distinct Toronto-based operation active between 1956 and 1966. No founder, owner, artist roster, genre focus, catalog details, or relationship to the later Los Angeles label is established by the supplied material. Accordingly, Regency Records is best cataloged as a historically used record-label name with at least two geographically and chronologically separate instances. The distinction is important because combining the Canadian and American histories could incorrectly assign people, releases, or dates to the wrong entity. Further research is needed before presenting a single consolidated corporate history or a detailed account of either label's catalog.

The name Regency Records refers to at least two separate historical record-label operations. The Canadian version was based in Toronto and was active from 1956 to 1966. The available material does not identify its founders, management, ownership, musical specialization, distribution partners, or catalog, so those details cannot be merged with information about the American label. A separate United States version was based in Los Angeles. It was founded by Johnny Carter and Lamar Gravitt and operated from 1979 until approximately 1983. This places the American label more than a decade after the end of the documented Canadian operation and supports treating them as separate entities rather than successive branches of one known company. The reference material does not establish whether the American label had any legal, commercial, or branding connection to the Toronto label. The American label's surviving description is limited: its location, approximate operating period, and founders are known, while its artists, releases, genres, distribution model, ownership, and closure circumstances are not documented in the supplied sources. Likewise, the Canadian label is documented primarily through its location and years of activity. A complete history would require specialist discography sources, contemporary trade-press coverage, catalog scans, corporate records, or archival label documentation. Until such sources are identified, the safest encyclopedia treatment is to preserve the disambiguation between the Canadian and United States labels and avoid attributing undocumented releases or business events to either one.

• 1983

  Approximate end of the American label's activity

  [1]Regency Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Los Angeles-based American label is described as active until approximately 1983.

• 1979

  Los Angeles Regency Records is founded

  [1]Regency Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The United States incarnation of Regency Records is identified as a Los Angeles label founded by Johnny Carter and Lamar Gravitt.

• 1966

  Canadian label's documented operating period ends

  [1]Regency Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Canadian Regency Records operation is documented as active through 1966.

• 1956

  Canadian Regency Records begins operating

  [1]Regency Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  A Toronto-based Canadian record label identified as Regency Records is documented as active from 1956.

• Recorded music

  Regency Records releases

  The label name denotes recorded-music releases issued under one of the historical Regency Records operations. The supplied sources do not identify specific singles, albums, artists, genres, catalog numbers, or distribution arrangements, so no individual release can be assigned confidently to the Canadian or American label.

1. 1Regency Recordsen.wikipedia.org