AVI Records was an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

established in 1968, as a unit of ''American Variety International''. It released music from numerous genres, and was sufficiently successful with its disco recordings that it began doing its own distribution in 1977.

History

AVI Records began in 1968. It was formed by

Seymour Heller Seymour Heller (September 9, 1914 – October 8, 2001) was an American talent agent and artist's manager. Beginning his career during the Big Band Era, Heller spent more than 60 years in the entertainment industry. He was best known for his ass ...

Ed Cobb Edward C. "Ed" Cobb (February 25, 1938 – September 19, 1999) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for writing the song " Tainted Love" for Gloria Jones, which lat ...

and Ray Harris. American Variety International was subsequently incorporated in 1972, and Harris became president of the Record division. One of the Los Angeles–based label's earliest signings was

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

, who was signed to the label through his manager Heller, and stayed with the company for more than 20 years. The label was initially distributed on a case-by-case basis, usually through either

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or Tower. Harris started the label's disco initiative after attending a

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convention and recognizing the selling potential of mixes and extended cuts. Additionally influenced by

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular m ...

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

and

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approxima ...

, AVI produced an album by studio group El Coco, passing off the product as European. AVI had laid the foundation for its own distribution in 1976, and activated this network in 1977 after having found success in the disco and R&B genres, particularly with El CoCo, while becoming the first label to produce custom jackets for its 12-inch singles. In February 1978, the label hired

Rick Gianatos Rick may refer to: People * Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name * Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality * Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and my ...

as a special consultant for its disco output, and he was later promoted to general A&R director. One of his initiatives was to court disco DJs by introducing expanded grooves, visual cues at key points in the recording accomplished by increasing the width between grooves. They were the second label after

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

to do this. Dubbed "Q-Mix", the method coincided with an increase in price designed to raise profit margins. After finding success in the disco field, AVI tried its hand in another 1970s musical phenomenon,

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

. AVI Records agreed to acquire Nashboro Records in 1979. As a result, AVI made a concerted effort to expand its

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

efforts by releasing new material as well as reissuing classic Nashboro recordings. By the mid-1990s, the label moved to

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, and was largely limited to releasing previously recorded material. In 1997, the label’s catalogue was acquired by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wi ...

, the precursor of

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. All 9,866 of AVI's master tapes were destroyed in the

2008 Universal fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...

Artists

* Air Power * Dominic Allen * Baby Rocker * Don Bennett * David Benoit *

Alicia Bridges Alicia Bridges (born July 15, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter who co-wrote and performed her international hit "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" in 1978. Early years Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in the small Clev ...

Captain Sky Daryl L. Cameron (born July 10, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois), better known as Captain Sky, is an American musician and singer. Captain Sky’s funk-based musical style, futuristic costumes, and psychedelic imagery are similar to those of Geor ...

Vince Cardell Vince Cardell (born Vincent M. Cardile) (September 16, 1938 – May 29, 2012) was an American pianist who was a protégé of Liberace. Cardell became a significant part of Liberace's act in the late 1970s and released several albums international ...

Dorothy Love Coates Dorothy Love Coates (January 30, 1928 – April 9, 2002) was an American gospel singer.

* The Consolers * B.C. & M. Choir * Darkstar * Davis Import * Don De Grate Delegation * Paul Delicato * The Destinations * Rev. Isaac Douglass * Eastbound Expressway * El Coco *

The Fairfield Four The Fairfield Four is an American gospel group that has existed for over 100 years, starting as a trio in the Fairfield Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1921. They were designated as National Heritage Fellows in 1989 by the National En ...

* The Gospel Keynotes * L.J. Johnson *

Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song " Tainted Love" and has w ...

* Le Pamplemousse *

* Lowrell * Kenny Lupper *

Arnold McCuller Arnold McCuller (born August 26, 1950) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was active as a solo artist and session musician, but is perhaps best known for his work as a touring back-u ...

* Passion * The Raindolls * Jerry Rix * Tony Sandler * Seventh Avenue * The Stars of Faith *

Rufus Thomas Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess ...

* Jesus Wayne * James Wells

References

External links

45rpm discography for AVI Records
{{Authority control Record labels established in 1968 American record labels American independent record labels Companies based in Los Angeles