Christian Faith Recordings
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Founder | Hugh Edwards and wife |
| Defunct | 1967 |
| Fate | Acquired by Sing Recording Company |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles (later Reseda and Northridge), California , United States |
Area served | United States, international distribution by Pathway Press |
| Products | Christian music recordings (instrumental, vocal, gospel, country and western, children’s music, holiday albums, spoken word) |
Christian Faith Recordings was an American record label based in California that focused on popular Christian music throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During this period, it stood out as one of the leading producers of Christian-themed recordings in the United States.
History
The label Christian Faith operated under the umbrella of Alma Records, Inc., which was established around 1953 by Hugh Edwards and his wife, with its headquarters initially located in Los Angeles. By February 1954, the company had commenced distributing its releases. In 1957, the label moved its operations to Reseda, and subsequently shifted to the Northridge area. Despite these relocations, older label stock bearing previous addresses continued to be used. Christian Faith implemented a sophisticated catalog numbering approach that implied a larger volume of releases than was actually produced, leading to challenges for discographers attempting to track their output. By the year 1961, their catalog included more than 100 albums. Their sales approach featured offering retailers records at prices below wholesale if they agreed to receive automatic shipments of new titles, with the option to return unsold inventory for full reimbursement. The label’s international distribution was managed by Pathway Press. In 1967, ownership of the label transferred to Sing Recording Company.
Repertoire
Christian Faith concentrated primarily on "sacred" music encompassing both instrumental and vocal styles, alongside genres such as Country and Western, gospel, children’s music, and holiday-themed albums. The label also produced dramatic spoken word recordings and released albums in Spanish and Swedish languages. Among their roster, pianist Rudy Atwood was their most commercially successful artist and frequently represented the company at industry trade events. Another notable contributor was theatre organist Paul Carson, who was known for issuing numerous albums often featuring personalized labels.
Artists
Prominent Christian musicians affiliated with Christian Faith include:
- Rudy Atwood, pianist
- Ralph Carmichael
- Paul Carson, organist
- Redd Harper
- Haven of Rest Quartet
- Old Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet
- Millie Pace Trio
- Marcy Tigner
- Wesley Tuttle
- Lorin Whitney
- Fern Jones (credited as "The Joneses Sing")
- Ray Robles, baritone (featured on "Cantos de Alabanza, Pureza y Poder")