AVI Records

AVI Records was an independent record label established in 1968. It released music from numerous genres, and was sufficiently successful with its disco recordings that it began doing its own distribution in 1977. The label was a unit of American Variety International.

History

AVI Records began in 1968.[1] It was formed by Seymour Heller, Ed Cobb and Ray Harris. American Variety International was subsequently incorporated in 1972, and Harris became president of the Record division.[2] One of the Los Angeles–based[3] label's earliest signings was Liberace, who was signed to the label through his manager Heller, and stayed with the company for more than 20 years.[2]

The label was initially distributed on a case-by-case basis, usually through either Capitol, MGM Records, Dot Records or Tower. Harris started the label's disco initiative after attending a Midem convention and recognizing the selling potential of mixes and extended cuts. Additionally influenced by Donna Summer, Barry White and Van McCoy, AVI produced an album by studio group El Coco, passing off the product as European.[4] AVI had laid the foundation for their own distribution in 1976, and activated this network in 1977 after having found success in the disco and R&B genres, particularly with El CoCo,[5] while becoming the first label to produce custom jackets for their 12-inch singles.[1] In February 1978, the label hired Rick Gianatos as a special consultant for their disco output, and he was later promoted to general A&R director.[3] One of his initiatives was to court disco DJs by introducing expanded grooves, visual cues at key points in the recording accomplished by increasing the width between grooves. They were the second label after Motown to do this.[6] Dubbed "Q-Mix", the method coincided with an increase in price designed to raise profit margins.[3] After finding success in the disco field, AVI tried their hand in another 1970s musical phenomenon, punk.[7]

AVI Records agreed to acquire Nashboro Records in 1979.[8] As a result, AVI made a concerted effort to expand their gospel efforts by releasing new material[9] as well as reissuing classic Nashboro recordings.[10] By the mid-1990s, the label had moved to Santa Monica, California and was largely limited to releasing previously recorded material.[11]

Artists

References

  1. 1 2 Williams, Jean (December 4, 1976). "Custom Jackets on AVI Big 45s". Billboard. p. 3, 12. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "AVI & Liberace: On Records, Stage, Screen - One of the Longest-Running Success Stories in Show Business". Billboard. March 30, 1985. pp. L4, L16. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 White, Adam (September 9, 1978). "AVI's 12-Inch Disco Discs Increased $1". Billboard. pp. 3, 78. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  4. ↑ Arena, James (2014). First Legends of Disco. Author House. pp. 207–208. ISBN 9781491848296.
  5. 1 2 3 "AVI Records Sets Up its Own Distributing Company". Billboard. October 15, 1977. p. 14. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ "AVI Introducing Expanded Grooves For Its Records". Billboard. July 1, 1978. p. 66. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 "AVI Into Punk". Billboard. December 10, 1977. p. 28. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ Lichtman, Irv (September 1, 1979). "American Variety Acquires Nashboro". Billboard. p. 3. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Set $5.98 List for AVI Gospel Series". Billboard. December 12, 1980. p. 13. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ Oermann, Robert K. (October 3, 1981). "Barriers Fall as Black Gospel Eyes Pop Venues". Billboard. p. G-33. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ White, Timothy (August 19, 1995). "Reverse Takeoff:Surf'N'Rod Music Revival Intensifies". Billboard. pp. 1, 87. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "(AVI Records advertisement)". Billboard. January 20, 1979. p. 111. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Signings". Billboard. January 16, 1982. p. 10. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ Katz, Mark (2012). Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ. Oxford University Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780199913015.
  15. ↑ DuPree, Sherry S. (2013). African-American Holiness Pentecostal Movement: An Annotated Bibliography. Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 9781135737108.
  16. ↑ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN 9781311441546.
  17. ↑ Taylor, Chuck (August 11, 2001). "Arnold McCuller Covers Friends on What's Good Set". Billboard. p. 11. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  18. ↑ Lederer, Barry (December 22, 1979). "Disco Mix". Billboard. p. 55. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

External links

45rpm discography for AVI Records

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