Excelsior Records was an American record label established by

Otis René Otis Joseph René Jr. was an American songwriter and record label owner. As a songwriter, he is notable as the co-author of "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", which became a signature song for Louis Armstrong. Biography Otis René was born in Ne ...

, which existed from 1944 to 1971. It is particularly notable as having released some of the earliest recordings of Nat King Cole. It is not to be confused with former MCA and current independent record label Excelsior Recordings of The Netherlands.

History

The Excelsior record label was established by Otis René in 1944, and ceased operations in original form in 1951, only to live on in a second incarnation until 1971. It is particularly notable for having released some of the first recordings by Nat King Cole. Otis René was noted to have earned $25,000 on one song in 1945, "

I'm Lost "I'm Lost" is a song written by Otis René and recorded in 1944 by Benny Carter and His Orchestra. The single, with vocals by Dick Gray, went to number one on the Harlem Hit Parade and was his most successful of three entries on the Harlem Hit Para ...

", recorded by the

King Cole Trio Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

. René had written and produced the song, as well as distributed the record.Uncredited,

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

, September 1, 1945
Buck-Five Disk of Indies Seen Different Ways
Retrieved 2012-03-21. Other artists on Excelsior Records included

Herb Jeffries Herb Jeffries (born Umberto Alexander Valentino; September 24, 1913 – May 25, 2014) was an American actor of film and television and popular music and jazz singer-songwriter, known for his baritone voice. He starred in several low-budget "ra ...

, the King Perry Orchestra, Timmie Rogers, the Flennoy Trio, Gerald Wilson & His Orchestra, the

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

Sextet,

Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, and talent scout. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He ...

& His Orchestra, the

Gladys Bentley Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 – January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry's Clam House in New York in th ...

Quintet, and the Al Stomp Russell Trio. Otis René and his brother

Leon René Leon René (February 6, 1902 – May 30, 1982) was an American music composer of pop, R&B and rock and roll songs and a record producer in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He sometimes used the songwriting pseudonym Jimmy Thomas or Jimmie Thoma ...

(who owned Exclusive Records) had purchased their own shellac record pressing plant, but when the format changed from 78 rpm to 45 rpm, their old equipment could not press the new smaller vinyl discs, and both labels went out of business, only to be purchased out of bankruptcy in name only, and the label existed another 20 years by selling second and third-run pressings of recordings. In 1952, Otis started up the short-lived Spin Records with musician

Preston Love Preston Haynes Love (April 26, 1921 – February 12, 2004) was an American saxophonist, bandleader, and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, best known as a sideman for jazz and rhythm and blues artists like Count Basie and Ray Char ...

List of artists on Excelsior

* Buddy Banks Orchestra * Eddie Beal Trio *

Quintette *

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and ...

& His Rancheros *

King Cole Coel (Old Welsh: ''Coil''), also called ''Coel Hen'' (Coel the Old) and King Cole, is a figure prominent in Welsh literature and legend since the Middle Ages. Early Welsh tradition knew of a Coel Hen, a 4th-century leader in Roman or Sub-Roman ...

Trio *

* 'Memphis' Jimmy McCracklin *

Sextette *

and his Orchestra * King Perry Orchestra *

Timmie Rogers Timmie Rogers (born Timothy Louis Ancrum July 4, 1915 – December 17, 2006) was an American comedian, singer-songwriter, bandleader and actor who appeared on many national TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Rogers was one of the first Black comed ...

* Jimmy Rushing * Lucky Thompson All Stars *

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

* Gerald Wilson & His Orchestra

CD compilations

* ''The Otis René Story (1942-1952)'' V.S.O.P. Records #121 PC: 7229372121262-CD set - note: features 44 songs from the vaults of Excelsior Records, including 9 previously unreleased tracks and demos; also includes 5 of the 6 tracks released by his short-lived Spin Records label.

References

External links

Excelsior Records
on the Internet Archive'
Great 78 Project
{{Authority control American record labels