Status Inactive Country of origin U.S. | Genre Various Defunct 1978 Date founded 1964 | |
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Albums Journey to the Center of the Mind, Graffiti Blues, The Blues Roar, The Loud Minority, The Last Tango = Blues Artists | ||
Mainstream Records was an American record company and independent record label founded by music producer Bob Shad in 1964.
Contents
Mainstream's early releases were reissues from Commodore Records. Its catalogue grew to include Bob Brookmeyer, Maynard Ferguson, Jim Hall, Helen Merrill, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Raney, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, and Sarah Vaughan. Janis Joplin, with Big Brother and the Holding Company, first appeared on Mainstream.
In 1978 Mainstream closed. Bob Shad died in 1985. In 1991, the label was restarted by his daughter, Tamara, and Humphrey Walwyn, the former head of BBC Records. It was bought by Legacy in 1993.
56000/S6000 series (12" LPs)
The Mainstream 56000/S6000 Series commenced in 1964 when the label was established by Bob Shad and ran until 1971 and initially reissued material from Commodore Records and Time Records in addition to some new jazz recordings, then soundtracks, before branching into psychedelic rock around 1966.
300 series (12" LPs)
The Mainstream 300 Series commenced in 1971 as the label focussed more on funk/soul and jazz artists as well as reissuing jazz LP's originally released on Time Records before the label folded around 1976.