Grey Gull Records
| Company type | Record company and label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Founded | December 31, 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Founder | Theodore Lyman Shaw |
| Defunct | March 31, 1934 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts (initially), later New York City, New York , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Records (vertical-cut and lateral-cut discs) |
Grey Gull Records was a record company and label established in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1919 by Theodore Lyman Shaw, a scion of a prominent Wellesley, Massachusetts family.
Shaw was involved in several enterprises, including the Marcus Lucius Quinn School of Music located in Dorchester and an advertising firm. The incorporation of Grey Gull occurred on December 31, 1919, and the company was formally dissolved on March 31, 1934.
History
Initially, Grey Gull Records operated out of 295 Huntington Avenue in Boston but relocated by 1923 to South Boston at 135 Dorchester Avenue. Early production and recording activities were conducted at 81 Wareham Street in Boston.
The company's debut records were vertical-cut discs of high quality, marketed at premium prices near one dollar each. These discs provided extended playing durations with multiple selections per side; however, they experienced weak sales and were discontinued by 1920. Subsequently, Grey Gull shifted to lateral-cut records with similar pricing. These lateral discs featured catalog numbers beginning with "L" and were manufactured in Boston until recording operations transitioned to New York City in 1926. Upon this move, Grey Gull leased office space at 20 East 42nd Street in Manhattan, as noted in industry publications.
By 1922, the retail price of Grey Gull records had dropped to 55 cents apiece. Shaw positioned them as offering better value than costlier rivals and innovated a distribution approach now recognized as rack jobbing—installing display racks in venues such as newsstands, cigar shops, and drugstores for frequent replenishment and sales reconciliation. This tactic enhanced both market reach and brand recognition.
The reduction in price was accompanied by a decline in product quality. To address lower price segments, Grey Gull introduced the Radiex Records label, which provided even more affordable records sold through department stores with promotional deals like two for 75 cents or three for $1.35. Additionally, the company pressed records for client labels including Oriole for the McCrory chain, along with Amco, Nadsco, and Globe.
Typical Grey Gull releases featured a popular tune on the A-side paired with original compositions from in-house writers on the B-side. Prominent artists associated with the label included trumpeter Mike Mosiello, accordionist Charles Magnante, xylophonist George Hamilton Green, clarinetist Andy Sannella, as well as vocalists Irving Kaufman and Arthur Fields. The California Ramblers recorded with Elmer Feldkamp providing vocals during 1929–1930. Grey Gull ceased its operations at the end of September 1930.
During 1922–23, most of Grey Gull's catalog comprised their own recordings but also included leased masters from Plaza, Emerson, and New York Recording Laboratories. After relocating to New York in 1926, the label expanded its house band roster and issued music by artists such as Cliff Jackson, Clarence Williams, and the Wabash Trio. Furthermore, Grey Gull’s output was distributed under various other labels including Madison, Radiex, Supreme (a subsidiary), and Van Dyke.
See also
Sources and works cited
- "Local Studio Solves Problem". Boston Herald, 8 May 1921, p. C7
- "Robert Gould Shaw Dies in Brookline". Boston Evening Transcript, 10 April 1931, p. 1
- Marco, Guy A. ed. Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound in the United States. New York: Garland, 1993
- Rust, Brian. The American Record Label Book (New York, 1984)
- Sutton, Allan. Directory of American Disc Record Brands and Manufacturers, 1891-1943 (Westport & London, 1994)
External links
- Access Grey Gull Records through the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project