Kapp Records logo during most of the 1960s.

Kapp Records was a record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who had set up American Decca Records in 1934).[1] Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.

In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA; Kapp was consolidated with MCA's other record labels in 1971 and, in 1972, MCA Records released the last Kapp Record.

Throughout Kapp's history, its logo was a stylized "K" incorporating a phonograph record design. Three versions of this logo appeared during the company's history. Until 1970, this logo also appeared on a drum major's cap in a word play of the label's name.

[edit] Label variations

• 1950's: Stylized "K/record" logo and KAPP at top of either red/white, silver/maroon or purplish red/white labels[2]
• Early 1960's: Black label with white "K/record" logo and KAPP in red at top[3], a similar design had a red drum major cap and KAPP in yellow at top.[4]
• Mid to late 60's: Black label with red drum major cap (showing "K/record" logo in yellow) and KAPP in black letters in white box at left for singles, at top for albums.[5]
• 1970-1972: Purple, red, orange and yellow label with new "K" logo, either in black or in white inside black box, at left[6] (A few 70's releases were also pressed with the mid-to-late 60's black label)

[edit] Subsidiaries

• Leader Records: It was launched to release more "middle of the road" material.
• Four Corners Records, with its "4 Corners of the World" logo. The record label was launched to promote European artists like Françoise Hardy, Raymond Lefevre, and the Barclay Singers.
• Another subsidiary label was Congress Records.

[edit] History

• 1954: Kapp Records was created by David Kapp.

• 1960: Kapp Records released one of the first cover versions of songs from The Sound of Music, which was running on Broadway at that time. The Pete King Chorale was featured on the album.

• 1966: The record label released the original cast album of Man of La Mancha, perhaps their most successful cast album.

• 1967: David Kapp sold his label to MCA and became a division of Universal City Records.

• 1972: MCA released the last Kapp Record. The catalog and artist roster was absorbed by MCA Records.

[edit] Kapp Records artists

• The Trophies
• Eddie Albert
• Louis Armstrong
• Paul Arnoldi
• Fred Astaire
• Burt Bacharach
• Change
• Kenny Ball
• Kenny Ballard
• Gilbert Bécaud
• Gregory Howard and group
• Budgie
• Cher
• The Critters
• El Chicano
• The D-Men
• Bill Dana (a.k.a. José Jiménez)
• Anita Darian, 1960, a self-titled album “Anita Darian” (later titled “East of the Sun”), KL-1168
• Shirley Ellis (Congress)
• The Flying Machine (Congress)
• The Four Lads
• Sergio Franchi (Four Corners)
• The Ginger Snaps (including Judi Weiner)
• Tom Glazer
• Good Rats
• The Greenwood County Singers (including Van Dyke Parks)
• Françoise Hardy (Four Corners)
• The Hesitations
• Brian Hyland (Leader & Kapp)
• Art Mooney
• Elton John (2 singles on Congress)
• Jack Jones
• Just Us
• The Latin Souls
• Raymond Lefèvre (Four Corners)
• Rod McKuen
• Miriam Makeba
• Carmen McRae
• David McWilliams
• Chad Mitchell Trio
• Jane Morgan
• The Nightcrawlers
• Pat Rolle
• David Rose
• Ruby & The Romantics
• Sugar & Spice
• The Searchers
• Kermit Schaefer
• Harry Simeone Chorale
• Cal Smith
• Silver Apples
• Sonny & Cher
• Sylvia Telles
• Mel Tillis
• The Unifics
• Billy Usselton
• Leroy Van Dyke
• Lenny Welch
• Billy Edd Wheeler
• Roger Williams
• Bob Wills
• Pete King Chorale
• Billy Mure (Tough Strings, KL-1253)
• Linda Scott
• Thee Prophets

[edit] References

• Hall, Claude: "MCA Drops Vocalion, Decca, Kapp and Uni", Billboard, February 10, 1973

[edit] External links

• A collection of Kapp record labels
• Kapp Records 45 rpm discography