Dot Records

Dot Records was an independent American record company that was founded in 1950 by Randy Wood ( 1917-2011 ) in Gallatin / Tennessee, 1956 the company headquarters to Los Angeles moved and in 1965 sold to the film company Gulf & Western, the dot to a sub label of ABC Records did.

Randy Wood had one of the largest record mail order business in the southern U.S. when he founded Dot Records in a small town near Nashville in 1951. Through its mail order and the construction of a new distribution operation succeeded Wood relatively quickly to become independent from the sales by the major label and was in 1952 with the title of the Hilltoppers Trying to land a hit in the pop field.

The most important producer of the label was Billy Vaughn, who published also as a bandleader 1954-1966 a series of hits on Dot, he was the most successful orchestra leader in the era of rock and roll.

The sales policy of Dot Records in the mid-1950s was influenced by cover versions of R & B hits that were produced by young white singers for the teenage market. The best known example is Pat Boone, next presented Jim Lowe and Tab Hunter a gentle, acceptable for the adults style of rock and roll. On Dot but also appeared a few jazz albums, including Count Basie ( Straight Ahead ), Pete and Conte Candoli ( The Brothers Candoli ), Eddie Costa ( House of Blue Lights) and Buddy DeFranco / Nelson Riddle (Cross Country Suite ).

1956 Dot moved its headquarters from Gallatin, Tennessee to Hollywood. The end of 1956 Dot Records belonged to several partners: the largest shareholder share with 70% held Randy Wood, the remaining 30% was shared by Al Bennett, the former sales manager of Dot, Gilbert Brown, the manager of record sales department and Shipping method in Gallatin, and the disc jockey Gene Nobles. In January 1957 Randy Wood sold his share of the company to Dot Paramount Pictures Corporation, included in the sale were his other companies such as record distribution in Gallatin, his music publishing Randy Smith Publishing Company and the Artist Agency Wood Spina. Wood remained president of the Dot label and was also vice president of Paramount Pictures.