Tollie Records
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Predecessor | Vee-Jay Records |
| Founded | February 1964 |
| Defunct | May 1965 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Parent | Vee-Jay Records |
Tollie Records was a record label founded in February 1964 as a branch of Vee-Jay Records, and it discontinued its operations in May 1965.
Background
Before Capitol Records assumed distribution, Tollie issued two singles by the Beatles in the United States. The initial release was "Twist and Shout" backed with "There's a Place" (Tollie 9001), which came out in February 1964 amid the peak of Beatlemania. This single climbed to number 2 on Billboard's Top 40 chart, while its B-side reached number 74.
The follow-up single, "Love Me Do" with "P.S. I Love You" as the B-side (Tollie 9008), launched in April 1964, achieved the number 1 position on Billboard, and its flip side attained number 10. Although Tollie released a total of 48 singles before shutting down, only the Beatles' records reached million-seller status. The label's second issued record featured the Dowlands covering "All My Loving" coupled with "Hey Sally" (Tollie 9002), produced by Joe Meek, closely emulating George Martin's production style for the Beatles.
Earlier Vee-Jay-issued Beatles tracks during summer 1963 did not perform well nationally in the U.S., with "From Me to You" peaking only at No. 47 on a regional chart.
History
In 1964, Don Cole and Alleyne released the single "Something's Got a Hold of Me" / "Gotta' Find My Baby" (Tollie 4186). The Angelos recorded "Backfield in Motion" (Tollie 9003), which gained regional radio play and was selected as a Cash Box Newcomer Pick. This song later inspired covers by Joe South and the Believers; notably, Joe South's band The Chips also recorded under Tollie.
By November 1964, Tollie ventured into country music, issuing four singles from artists such as Ray Smith and Eddie McDuff. Steve Clark, who served as Tollie's executive and was vice-president at Vee-Jay, intended to widen Tollie's market reach to rival its parent company. Plans included releasing country albums. Around this period, Terry Black from Tollie appeared on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart with "Unless You Care," while Joey Paige released "Going Back to Tennessee," a Chuck Berry-influenced rocker noted for appealing to teenage audiences.
A December 1964 advertisement promoted releases by Jimmy Hughes ("I'm Getting Better" / "I Want Justice"), distributed solely through Tollie, alongside Ray Smith's "Here Comes My Baby Back Again" / "Did We Have a Party" (Tollie 9029). Furthermore, Steve Clark acquired masters from Dallas vocalist Eddie McDuff for "Toy Heart" and "Hello Lonesome," which received radio airplay.