Happy Tiger Records
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Defunct | 1971 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; catalog re-released by Warner Bros. Records |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Ray Ruff (engineer and producer), Dave Chackler (national promotion director) |
| Products | Albums, singles |
| Owner | Flying Tiger Line |
Happy Tiger Records was a U.S.-based independent record label owned by the air freight company Flying Tiger Line. Functioning between 1969 and 1971, the label issued more than twenty-five albums showcasing musicians including Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red Rhodes, Priscilla Paris, Paul Kelly, and the Anita Kerr Singers. Additionally, it released two albums by the post-Van Morrison incarnation of the band Them.
History
The main office of Happy Tiger was situated at 1801 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, Los Angeles, California. The team featured engineer and producer Ray Ruff, previously affiliated with ABC-Paramount Records. Throughout its short lifespan, Happy Tiger put out twenty-seven albums and upwards of eighty singles, all distributed via Era Records. The label also produced eight oldies compilations under a combined Happy Tiger/Era label, highlighting artists such as Phil Baugh, Dorsey Burnette, and early recordings by the Beach Boys. Singles came from seasoned artists including Kay Starr, Roberta Sherwood, and Joanie Sommers.
By late 1971, Dave Chackler, who served as national promotion director, left to become vice-president of promotion and merchandising at Ray Ruff's Oak Records. The last album issued by Happy Tiger was Mason Proffit's Movin' Toward Happiness (1971), while the final single was Richard Berry’s version of "Louie Louie" in 1972. After the label ceased operations, Warner Bros. Records re-released Paul Kelly's Stealin' in the Name of the Lord under the title Dirt in 1972 and compiled Mason Proffit's two albums into a double LP called Come and Gone in 1974.
Notable artists
- Count Basie
- Richard Berry
- Donnie Brooks
- Gib Guilbeau
- Paul Kelly
- Anita Kerr Singers
- Baker Knight
- Priscilla Paris
- Keith Green
- Dan Penn
- Mason Proffit
- Red Rhodes
- Roberta Sherwood
- Joanie Sommers
- Kay Starr
- Them
Discography
| Year | Artist | Title | Number | Chart | Peak |
| 1969 | Buddy Bohn | Places | HTR-1001 | ||
| Priscilla Paris | Priscilla Loves Billy | HTR-1002 | |||
| Red Rhodes and The Detours | Red Rhodes Live at the Palamino | HTR-1003 | |||
| Them | Them | HTR-1004 | |||
| Dan Terry | Lonely Place | HTR-1005 | |||
| 1970 | The Kimberlys | Kimberlys | HTR-1006 | ||
| Count Basie | Basie on the Beatles | HTR-1007 | |||
| Ecology | Environment/Evolution/Ecology | HTR-1008 | |||
| Mason Proffit | Wanted | HTR-1009 | |||
| Aorta | Aorta 2 | HTR-1010 | |||
| 1971 | Hal Rugg | Hal Rugg Steels the Hits of Loretta Lynn | HTR-1011 | ||
| Them | Them in Reality | HTR-1012 | |||
| The Kimberlys | New Horizon | HTR-1014 | |||
| Paul Kelly | Stealin' in the Name of the Lord | HTR-1015 | Billboard Pop Singles | 49 | |
| Anita Kerr Singers | A Tribute to Simon and Garfunkel | HTR-1016 | |||
| Various | Early Chicago, Volume 1 | HTR-1017 | |||
| Buffalo Nickel Jug Band | Buffalo Nickel Jug Band | HTR-1018 | |||
| Mason Proffit | Movin' Toward Happiness | HTR-1019 | Billboard Pop Albums | 177 |