Private Stock Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Larry Uttal |
| Defunct | 1978 |
| Fate | Ceased operations after founder moved to London |
Key people | Larry Uttal |
| Products | Pop music records |
Private Stock Records was a record label active between 1974 and 1978, established by Larry Uttal following his departure from Bell Records. Specializing in pop music, the label released numerous charting singles, many by artists known primarily for one major hit. Among these were David Soul’s "Don't Give Up on Us," Starbuck’s "Moonlight Feels Right," Austin Roberts’ "Rocky," Samantha Sang’s "Emotion," Walter Murphy’s "A Fifth of Beethoven," Cyndi Grecco’s "Making Our Dreams Come True" (the theme for Laverne & Shirley), as well as hits by Frankie Valli such as "My Eyes Adored You."
In 1977, Private Stock issued Brownsville Station’s self-titled album along with accompanying singles. During 1976 and 1977, Jose Feliciano released two albums through the label: "Sweet Soul Music," produced by Jerry Wexler, and the soundtrack album "Angela." The label also compiled a U.S. release featuring Rod Stewart’s live performances from the mid-1960s, capturing his period between Mercury and Warner Brothers contracts. In the early 1980s, a compilation from Stray Cats was released under the Private Stock name; however, its affiliation with the original company remains uncertain.
Blondie’s debut album was first launched by Private Stock in 1976 but did not achieve commercial success at that time. The label also put out two final singles by Junior Campbell. In 1978, Phil Murray issued one single before transitioning to Mickie Most's RAK label. Additional noteworthy releases include Tom Paxton’s 1975 album Something in My Life, Rupert Holmes’ fourth studio album Pursuit of Happiness, and subsequent recordings by Peter Lemongello after his debut; none of these attained chart positions. Gospel and soul vocalist Cissy Houston recorded two albums for Private Stock: Cissy Houston (1977) and Think It Over (1978).
Operations ceased when Uttal moved to London; he later returned to New York and passed away in 1993. The rights to the catalog were inherited by his son Jai Uttal, who sold them around 2016 to 43 North Broadway, LLC.