Abbey Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Pete Doraine |
| Defunct | 1953 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Key people | Pete Doraine (president), Carlton "Kelly" Camarata (vice-president of Sales and Promotion), Rudolph Toombs (A&R), Gus Statiras (A&R) |
| Products | Records (78rpm, LPs) in popular music, country, gospel, R&B, jazz, classical |
Abbey Records was an American record label that operated approximately between 1949 and 1953.
History
Pete Doraine established Abbey Records, which began its operations in the Forest Hills, Queens neighborhood of New York City. By mid-1949, the company relocated to 10th Avenue in Manhattan, with Doraine serving as president. The label's breakthrough came in 1950 with The Old Piano Roll Blues by J. Lawrence Cook, a track that climbed to number 13 and stayed on the charts for eleven weeks. Recorded by Cook in 1949 and subsequently sold to Abbey, the song received acclaim from Billboard for its lively performance, aiding its commercial impact. Following this success, Abbey released a Country hit titled Slippin' Around With Jole Blon performed by Bud Messner and His Skyline Boys, which reached number 7 on the Country jukebox charts during June 1950.
In response to increasing demand, Abbey moved its headquarters to 49th Street by mid-1950 and broadened its distribution network. The year 1951 saw Cook achieving a modest hit with his rendition of Down Yonder, peaking at number 22 on Billboard's listings. That same year, Abbey secured an agreement to record a nickelodeon instrument located in Richmond Hill, Queens. Due to a shortage of pre-existing material, Cook produced handcrafted rolls featuring original compositions. Additionally, executive Don Reed embarked on a European trip in the summer of 1951 to procure recordings intended for LP releases.
By 1952, Abbey had ventured into producing LP records, including a historical album commemorating newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. The company also explored innovative promotional strategies by collaborating with Pacquin to create songs that subtly advertised a hand cream product without explicitly mentioning the brand.
Key figures at Abbey included founder Pete Doraine; Carlton "Kelly" Camarata, who served as vice-president of Sales and Promotion and part-owner before departing for MGM Records in late 1950; as well as A&R representatives Rudolph Toombs and Gus Statiras.
Repertoire
Abbey Records released music spanning various styles such as popular music, country, gospel, R&B, jazz, and classical genres. The label categorized its releases with numerical series: Rhythm and Blues (3000), Jazz (5000), Spiritual (7000), and Calypso (9000).
Lawrence (Piano Roll) Cook
The label’s most successful artist was Lawrence Cook, who did not record directly for Abbey but collaborated through QRS Piano Rolls. He produced piano rolls by performing directly onto the roll and punching additional holes to create complex sounds beyond what a single pianist could achieve. These rolls featured solo performances or accompaniments with instruments like saxophone or vocal ensembles such as the "Jim Dandies."
Other Artists
Prominent musicians associated with Abbey included:
Related operations
Abbey Records also managed a music publishing branch named Margold Music Corp.
In Canada, several of Abbey’s recordings were distributed via the Quality Records label.