Dunwich Records
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Bill Traut, Eddie Higgins, George Badonsky |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Records, music production |
Dunwich Records was an independent American record label established in Chicago in 1965 by Bill Traut, Eddie Higgins, and George Badonsky. Functioning also as a production company, Dunwich licensed its recordings to various labels such as Atlantic, Atco, Columbia, Mercury, and SGC. The label gained recognition mainly for singles emerging from the Chicago rock scene during the 1960s. Only two artists, the Shadows of Knight and Amanda Ambrose, issued full-length albums under the Dunwich name.
History
Initially, Traut, Higgins, and Badonsky launched Amboy Records in 1963, releasing both their own music and that of other groups. They rebranded as Dunwich in 1965 and issued a cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria" performed by Chicago’s Shadows of Knight, which achieved hit status by spring 1966. After facing difficulties with distribution, they secured a partnership with Atlantic’s subsidiary Atco. By mid-1967, Traut and Badonsky acquired Higgins’ share. Subsequently, Dunwich transitioned from issuing records to focusing on artist production and leasing master recordings to other labels, with their lute player emblem appearing on these releases.
In 1968, Traut separated from Badonsky and joined forces with producers Jim Golden and Bob Monaco to restructure as Dunwich Productions, Ltd. They worked with Chicago-area bands such as Mason Proffit and Coven, whose debut album was released on Mercury bearing the Dunwich Productions logo. In 1971, Traut briefly revived the Dunwich label to release the live album Gathering at the Earl of Old Town, featuring early performances by singer-songwriter Steve Goodman. Eventually, the label was absorbed by Atco, which released two final Shadows of Knight singles under the Dunwich imprint but on Atco’s label. That same year, Traut and Golden co-founded Wooden Nickel Records alongside Jerry Weintraub, signing artists including Styx.
As Dunwich predominantly issued singles, two compilations released by Sundazed Music in the 1990s—Oh Yeah! The Best of Dunwich Records, Volume 1 (1991) and If You're Ready! The Best of Dunwich Records, Volume 2 (1994)—serve as essential retrospectives of its musical legacy. These collections showcase acts such as The Shadows of Knight, The Knaves, The Pride & Joy, The Luv'd Ones, Saturday's Children, The Wanderin' Kind, The Rovin' Kind, The American Breed, the H. P. Lovecraft band, Sounds Unlimited,[1] The Del Vetts, The Warner Brothers, and Little Boy Blues. Both volumes were produced by Bill Traut and George Badonsky. An earlier anthology titled Early Chicago, Volume 1 was released in 1971 on the Happy Tiger label.
The label’s name "Dunwich" is inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s story "The Dunwich Horror". Its publishing division, Yuggoth Music, takes its name from a fictional planet found within Lovecraft’s mythos.
Dunwich compilations
- Early Chicago, Volume 1 Happy Tiger, 1971
- The Dunwich Records Story Voxx Records, 1990
- Oh Yeah! The Best of Dunwich Records, Volume 1 Sundazed, 1991
- If You're Ready! The Best of Dunwich Records, Volume 2 Sundazed, 1994
See also
- ↑ Later evolved into Mason Proffit.