Van Dyke Records
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | Grey Gull Records (parent company) |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Defunct | 1930 |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
| Products | Records (Jazz, dance band music) |
| Parent | Grey Gull Records |
Van Dyke Records operated as an economical American record label during the years 1929 and 1930. Functioning as a branch of Grey Gull Records based in Boston, Massachusetts, it issued reissued content originally released by its parent company. Positioned in the market as a low-cost option offering substantial profit margins for retailers, Van Dyke discs were produced with minimal expense, which often led to surface noise and frequently excessively amplified sound recordings.
In addition to jazz performances by artists such as Clarence Williams and Cliff Jackson, the majority of Van Dyke’s output consisted of dance band tracks performed by Grey Gull’s in-house ensemble, featuring musicians like Mike Mosiello, Andy Sannella, and Charles Magnante.
The label carried the slogan "Each Record a Masterpiece." Initially, Van Dyke’s release numbers corresponded closely with Grey Gull’s catalog, distinguished only by an added prefix; however, the numbering system later evolved into distinct series, despite all recordings being sourced from Grey Gull. Measures were taken to conceal Van Dyke’s affiliation with its parent company.
Production of Van Dyke records ended alongside Grey Gull’s closure in 1930. Nevertheless, large shipments of these records were later distributed to England through an unidentified intermediary.
See also
External links
- Van Dyke Records at the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project