Sparton Records was a Canadian record company which was based in
London, Ontario
London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
.
History
Sparton Records was founded in 1930 by the American electronics company Sparks-Withington Corp., of
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along Interstate 94 in Michigan, Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127 in Michigan, U.S ...
, which made Sparton radios. It manufactured and distributed
in Canada from 1939 to 1954. It had distribution arrangements with other American record companies, most notably
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
. It was the first record company in Canada to manufacture stereo records in 1958. Sparton Records suffered a potentially fatal blow when ABC Records switched Canadian distribution from Sparton to
Polydor Records
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
in November 1968.
While the record company folded the following year, Sparton Corporation is still in operation. Sparton closed its London operations in 2009.
Sparton Records artists
*The Bill Smith Combo aka
Tommy & The Tom Toms
*Ward Allen
*
Paul Anka
*
Merle Haggard
*Joyce Haun
The Page Quartet*Cliff McKay
*Jimmy Namaro
*
Donn Reynolds
*
Ramblin' Lou Schriver
*Lou Breese
*Bob Scott
*Don & Priscilla Wright
*The Velvetones
References
Canadian independent record labels
Record labels established in 1930
Record labels disestablished in 1969
Companies based in London, Ontario
Defunct record labels of Canada
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