Essex Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | David Miller |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
| Products | Country and western, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel music recordings |
Essex Records was established in 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by producer David Miller with the aim of recording modern country and western, rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel genres. The label's promotion efforts were managed by Jack Howard. While Essex Records experienced modest commercial achievements, it is particularly recognized for its early releases by Bill Haley & His Comets, including the 1952 track "Rock the Joint" and the groundbreaking 1953 single "Crazy Man Crazy", which was the first rock and roll record to enter the U.S. charts. Additionally, Essex found success with Eddie Calvert’s 1954 hit, "O mein Papa".
In 1954, Essex became the first to issue a 12-inch rock and roll album titled Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets. Following "Crazy Man, Crazy", Bill Haley released other charting singles such as "Fractured" and "Live It Up" before transitioning to Decca Records later that same year. The label also featured female singer Bunny Paul, who scored hits in 1954 with songs like "Such a Night" and "Honey Love". Essex Records typically used an orange label with black text for its releases, although some singles were issued with a blue label design.
See also
External links
- Essex Records at the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project