Gotham Records was an American

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

formed by Sam Goode (Goody) and Ivin Ballen in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1946. In January 1948 Ballen acquired the interest of Goode and became the sole owner. He then moved the company to

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, where the label was based for the rest of its existence until 1956. The label specialized in

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

. Ivin Ballen died in Miami Beach, Florida, in February 1978.

Artists

;Dan Pickett Gotham's most notable contribution to American music was the release of recordings by the acoustic bluesman Dan Pickett, originally recorded in 1949. ; Doug Quattlebaum Another artist who recorded for Gotham was Doug Quattlebaum. His song "Lizzie Lou" was one of the last releases for the label. ; Doris Browne, The Capris Doris Browne was a singer who around the 1949/1950 period had performed on a weekly show which was broadcast by WPEN-AM in Philadelphia. The hour long show was called the "Parisian Tailor Kiddie Hour".Vocal Group Harmony
Spotlight on the Gotham Label – Part One
/ref> In 1953, the label appeared to be keen to push Browne's profile with her single "Please Believe Me" b/w "Oh, Baby!". She was backed by

Doc Bagby Harry "Doc" Bagby ''(né'' Harry Camilus Bagby) was an American studio musician who played piano and organ, and backed many artists in pop and jazz. He played a major part in the music scene from the late 1940s to the late 1960s. He was also a ban ...

on that recording. He also backed her on her single, "Until The End Of Time" b/w "Why Don't You Love Me Now, Now, Now?" (Gotham G-296), and another recording "The Game Of Love" b/w "My Cherie" which was released on Gotham G-298 as a 45rpm single. The single, "Until The End Of Time"/"Why Don't You Love Me Now", originally credited to Doris Browne, Doc Bagby Orchestra, was re-released on

Collectables Records Collectables Records is an American reissue record label, founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene also formed the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels. History It maintains a catalogue of over 3,400 active titles on compact disc, with thousands ...

, but this time credited to Doris Browne & The Capris. Gotham Records also had a

Capris Capri pants (also known as three quarter legs, or capris, crop pants, man-pris, clam-diggers, flood pants, ankle pants, jams, highwaters, or toreador pants) are pants that are longer than shorts, but are not as long as trousers. ''Capri pants'' ...

group of their own which released their debut single "

God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album ''Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a Baroque pop, baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and complex ...

" b/w "That's What You're Doing To Me", (Gotham 304) in 1954. They also had two other singles released; "It Was Moonglow" b/w "Too Poor To Love" (Gotham 306), and "It's A Miracle" b/w "Let's Linger A While" (Gotham 308).

Santa Monica-based label

A same-named label is available in Santa Monica. It was founded by Patrick Arn in New York City in 1994. The label specializes in newcomer

rock bands A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrume ...

. Some of the older bands who signed at this Gotham Records signed later at

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

(for example:

Flybanger Flybanger was a Canadian metal band from Vancouver. They are best known for their 2001 major label release ''Headtrip to Nowhere''. History The band started out performing under the name Jar. They released two CDs under that name, including '' ...

) or to

Lava Records Lava Records is an American record label owned by Jason Flom, in partnership with Universal Music Group. Company history In 1995, Flom launched Lava Records in partnership with Atlantic Records. For the next decade, he continued to discover an ...

(

Liquid Gang Liquid is a state of matter with a definite volume but no fixed shape. Liquids adapt to the shape of their container and are nearly incompressible, maintaining their volume even under pressure. The density of a liquid is usually close to that ...

). The Loose Nutz produced their first Gold Record ''Wishen'' at Gotham Records.

Background

In 2013, the label was releasing eight LPs and eight CDs per year. Its distribution was being handled by Sony RED.

Artists

Around 2007, it was announced in punknews.org that Red Horizon had signed to the label and recently released their album ''Across the World''.''punknews.org''
Red Horizon sign to Gotham Records
/ref> ;Bands and artists currently signed at Gotham Records * Red Horizon * Supafuzz * The day After... ;Bands who were signed at Gotham Records *

* Fear The Clown *

Chiba-Ken is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the nor ...

References

External links

Gotham Records Official homepage
{{Authority control Record labels established in 1946 Rhythm and blues record labels American record labels 1946 establishments in New York City