Liberty Records

Liberty Records
Company type	Record label
Industry	Music industry
Founded	1955
Founder	Simon Waronker
Headquarters	Hollywood, California, United States
Key people	Alvin Bennett (president), Theodore Keep (chief engineer)
Products	Music recordings
Parent	EMI (from 1980)

Liberty Records was an American record label established in 1955 by chairman Simon Waronker, with Alvin Bennett serving as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. The label saw a revival in the United Kingdom in 2001, following two previous reactivations.

1950s

At its inception, Liberty concentrated primarily on film scores and orchestral compositions. The label's debut single was "The Girl Upstairs" by Lionel Newman. Its first significant commercial success occurred in 1955 when Julie London's rendition of "Cry Me a River" climbed to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, bolstering sales of her album Julie Is Her Name.

In 1956, Liberty signed composer Henry Mancini, who released several singles and albums before transitioning to RCA Victor in 1958. The label also achieved notable success with the teenage duo sisters Patience and Prudence, whose version of "Tonight You Belong to Me" sold over one million copies and charted internationally. Another Top 10 hit was delivered by Margie Rayburn with "I'm Available"; she recorded approximately twenty-four singles under Liberty.

Rock musician Eddie Cochran was Liberty’s prominent rock artist, known for hits such as "Sittin' in the Balcony" (1957), "Summertime Blues", and "C'mon Everybody". Additionally, Liberty signed the R&B ensemble Billy Ward and His Dominoes, whose 1957 cover of "Stardust" reached No. 13 on both US and UK charts.

By 1958, financial struggles challenged Liberty, but fortunes improved when singer-songwriter Ross Bagdasarian, performing as David Seville, achieved a number one hit with the novelty single "Witch Doctor". Later that year, he pioneered multi-track recording techniques involving speed alteration to create the fictional group the Chipmunks. Their track "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" became the first Christmas record to top the Billboard Hot 100, selling 4.5 million copies.

Also in 1958, Liberty introduced the sublabel Freedom, which operated until 1959. That year, Liberty moved its headquarters to 6920 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, reinforcing its industry foothold.

1960s and 1970s

In the early 1960s, Liberty signed Bobby Vee, who achieved international acclaim with hits like "Rubber Ball" and "Take Good Care of My Baby", reaching No. 1 in the US and No. 3 in the UK charts. Other significant artists included Willie Nelson, Jan and Dean, Johnny Burnette, Gene McDaniels, Del Shannon, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Timi Yuro, and Vikki Carr. Producer Snuff Garrett was responsible for creating easy listening albums credited to "The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett". In its fiscal year 1962 report, Liberty showcased a limited edition vinyl featuring prominent artists as part of strategic marketing initiatives.

In 1963, electronics company Avnet acquired Liberty for $12 million, also purchasing labels such as Blue Note, Imperial, Dolton, Aladdin, and Minit. After incurring losses over two years, Avnet sold these labels back to Al Bennett for $8 million. Prior to this, Liberty had acquired Pacific Jazz Records (established in 1952). In 1966, Liberty launched Sunset Records to reissue catalog material from its acquisitions, including works by jazz musicians like Eddie Harris and Chet Baker.

Liberty’s UK distribution shifted among major companies: initially through Decca on London Records, then EMI, followed by Philips in 1967, before returning to EMI in 1970. The London branch signed groups such as the Bonzo Dog Band, Idle Race, Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, and the Searchers. Liberty released Family’s debut single in 1967. Notable executives included Ron Kass (former president), who later became head of Apple Records, and Ron Bledsoe, who led Columbia’s Nashville division. In 1966 Johnny Rivers established Soul City Records as a subsidiary of Liberty.

In 1967 Liberty discontinued the Dolton label, consolidating its catalog under the main brand. That same year it signed Canned Heat, which produced three hit singles. In 1968 insurance firm Transamerica Corporation purchased Liberty for $24 million and merged it with United Artists Records. By 1970 Imperial and Minit were shuttered with their catalogs absorbed into Liberty and United Artists. Sugarloaf achieved US Top 10 hits in both 1970 ("Green-Eyed Lady") and 1975 ("Don't Call Us, We'll Call You").

In 1971 most remaining Liberty labels (excluding Soul City) were merged into United Artists Records, marking the end of Liberty as an independent entity. In 1978 Artie Mogull and Jerry Rubinstein acquired United Artists and Liberty with financing from Capitol Records; however EMI—the parent company of Capitol—foreclosed early in 1979. Later that year Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI to form Thorn EMI, consolidating ownership further.

1980s and 1990s

In 1980, EMI brought back the Liberty brand, discontinuing the United Artists name, to reissue catalogs originally from United Artists, Liberty, and Imperial. From 1980 until 1984, Capitol primarily utilized Liberty in the United States as a label focused on country music, signing artists such as Kenny Rogers and Dottie West, while also representing the heavy metal group Manowar. Across the UK, new wave bands like The Stranglers and emerging acts including Classix Nouveaux were shifted to Liberty following corporate restructuring related to Kirk Kerkorian's acquisition of the United Artists trademark. In 1991, Capitol-EMI rebranded its Capitol Nashville division as Liberty, though it reverted to Capitol Nashville four years later.

In 1994, Liberty's president, Jimmy Bowen, established Patriot Records as an affiliated label, signing talents such as Bryan Austin, Lisa Brokop, John Berry, and Deana Carter. After Patriot Records was dissolved in 1995, several prominent artists moved over to Capitol Nashville. This era reflects deliberate label strategies designed to broaden EMI’s presence in both country music and new wave markets.

2000s to 2010s

By 2001, Liberty Records shifted its focus toward 'heritage acts,' aligning its approach with competitors like Sanctuary Records Group. The label signed veteran performers including The Alarm (under the name Alarm MMVI) and Prefab Sprout. Meanwhile, The Stranglers issued their first EMI album in more than twenty years with Norfolk Coast (2004). Additionally, Liberty licensed The Bangles’ 2003 release Doll Revolution from their independent label Down Kiddie! Records for distribution in Canada, various European territories, and the UK. Eventually, however, Liberty ceased issuing new recordings.

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