In the very earliest days of the music recording industry a vintage record label, which still operates today, was born. Perhaps the most iconic of all record labels – certainly the oldest record label operating today. This is, of course, Columbia Records.
On 28 March 1887, the American Graphophone Company was founded to commercialize the graphophone, an advancement on Edison’s phonograph made by Chichester Bell (nephew of A.G. Bell) and Charles Tainter.
Columbia Records was founded (as the Columbia Phonograph Company) on 15 January 1889 by Edward Denison Easton, William Herbert Smith, and a group of investors, with the purpose of distributing the products of the American Graphophone Company in Washington, D.C. (hence the name, Columbia), Maryland, and Delaware. At the same time, Columbia was also exclusive supplier for Edison’s phonograph products in those territories.
Although their initial focus was on the use of the phonograph as a dictation machine for local businessmen, Columbia was soon making recordings for home listening. In fact, by 1891, Columbia’s catalogue of musical records ran to 10 pages. It is believed that Columbia was the first company outside Edison to begin recordings. At this time, Columbia (and Edison’s) records were still cylindrical.
In 1894, Columbia and the American Graphophone Company were consolidated as Columbia Phonograph Company. Columbia remained the sales and recording branch, and American Graphophone continuing to manufacture the phonograph machines.
Columbia in the 1890s were pioneers in the commercial record industry by aggressively promoting and selling musical cylinders. This contributed greatly to the popularization of recorded music. Early stars on the Columbia label in the old-style cylindrical format include John Yorke AtLee’s Why Should I Keep from Whistling? (1893), Issler’s Orchestra with Thoughts of Home Polka (1896), and Manhansett Quartette with their It Don’t Seem Like the Same Old Smile (1897),
The Primordial Soup of Early Twentieth Century Popular Music
Take a moment to imagine the musical landscape at the turn of the 20th century. Ragtime sounds wafted through the air, and jazz was gestating in the vibrant cultural climate of America’s cities. Military bands were also a feature of the time and featured on a good many releases of the time.
As the decade progressed towards the new century, Columbia were early adopters of Emile Berliner’s new flat disc records, much to that gentleman’s chagrin. Columbia’s first player of flat discs was called the ‘Toy Graphophone’ and was hand-cranked, and the discs played from inside. Released in 1899, it came with a small supply of little discs, which contained nursery rhymes.
Wax cylinders and phonographs, which had not long since represented (literally!) cutting-edge technology, were on their way to be replaced with Berliner’s flat discs and Columbia Records was poised to be a leader in exploiting this exciting new medium. Furthermore, Columbia was busy capturing the sounds of an era yearning for progress and expression, therefore, addressing an entertainment market but also nurturing the soundtrack to unprecedented social changes.
For a decade, Columbia competed with both the Edison Phonograph Company’s cylinder records and Berliner’s Victor Talking Machine Company’s disc records as one of the top three names in American recorded sound. Columbia’s first 7- or 10-inch shellac discs released included tracks such as W.S. Mygrant’s Floral Waltz (1902), Harry Spencer’s Schultz’s Trip to Chicago (1902), and the King Edward VII March (1902) which although uncredited is believed to have been by John Philip Sousa’s band.
As we transition into exploring the illustrious array of artists and their music that became synonymous with Columbia Records, it’s clear that the groundwork laid by Easton and his associates allowed for a rich variety of genres to flourish. Columbia Records was an active participant in the development of the playlist of the 20th century.
From Early Adopters to Hardware Developers
From the end of the Edwardian Era or Gilded Age, record technology remained pretty much static until the early 1930s. Attempts were made to develop a new material to replace shellac, but financial crashes and World Wars got in the way.
In 1948, Columbia Records finally released a new product. The vinyl Long Play (LP) record marked a significant leap in the music industry – the first truly ground-breaking development since Berliner’s flat discs. At a stroke, the way in which music was consumed and distributed was changed for ever.
Before the LP, music was primarily released on shellac 78 rpm records which would shatter if dropped and perhaps more importantly, could only hold about three to five minutes of music on each side. This limitation was particularly challenging for recordings of classical music and musicals which were constrained by the need to frequently change records. I’d add in concept albums, but they probably owe their existence to the invention of the LP.
Holding around 22 minutes per side, the introduction of the 12-inch vinyl LP, spinning at 33⅓ rpm, was a game-changer; the amount of music that could be enjoyed without interruption was drastically increased. This innovation not only improved the listening experience but also opened new avenues for artists to create more cohesive and complex works, like the concept album. It’s perhaps not such a leap of hyperbole to suggest that Columbia’s innovation fundamentally shifted the music landscape, influencing not just how music was listened to, but how it was conceived and produced, laying the groundwork for the modern music industry.
Rhythmic Roots and Legendary Talents of Columbia
With Edison jettisoned as competitors by the late 1920s, Columbia and the Victor Talking Machine Company (soon to be bought out by Radio Corporation of America and become RCA Victor) had a strange relationship. The pair were direct competitors, but they also colluded to suppress their use (from 1925 onwards) of Western Electric’s new electrical recording techniques, presumably to sustain sales in acoustically recorded materials as they both built up their respective catalogues of electrical recordings.
Columbia bought the Okeh record company in 1926 and subsequently became a leader in jazz and blues. Okeh brought with it the likes of Louis Armstrong and Clarence Williams, adding to Columbia’s roster of artists which boasted already stars such as Bessie Smith. During the Great Depression, Columbia nearly expired. The signing of a country gospel group called The Chuck Wagon Gang in 1936 was a slice of good luck from which they were able to plot their recovery. In 1938, still fragile, Columbia was bought out by the Columbia Broadcasting System or CBS.
This was a case of the child helping the parent because in 1927, Columbia had bought 47 commercial radio stations. Calling this new concern the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System, they had intended to use the stations to further expand their commercial and artistic reach and sell more records. Unfortunately, things had not worked out as intended and the radio conglomerate was soon sold off to a group led by William Paley who dropped the phonograph part of the name and rechristened it the Columbia Broadcasting System or CBS. Thus, a long collaboration between the broadcasting and recording companies was begun.
Through this inter-war period, Columbia continued to innovate musically. It set out its stall as a place where musical genres were developed and taken in all kids of new directions. From the more modern genres from jazz to rock pioneers; from hip-hop to pop, Columbia has been a melting pot of styles. It’s hard to box Columbia into a single genre, but there’s no denying the label has had a hand in shaping jazz, rock, folk, and more.
Post War to the 1970s
Immediately after the Second World War, Columbia got heavily into pop music, especially with the likes of Frank Sinatra. As we have heard, in this immediate post-War period Columbia launched their higher fidelity discs to replace 78 rpm records – the LP. It was aptly named, as, for example, Columbia’s reissue of Sinatra’s first album The Voice of Frank Sinatra in 1948 on a single 10-inch vin. The single 10-inch 33⅓ rpm vinyl disc replaced the four 10-inch 78 rpm shellac records of the 1946 original.
In 1951 Columbia Records began issuing 45 rpm records. The format had been introduced by RCA two years earlier, and unlike RCA who had resisted embracing the new LP format, Columbia were happy to release tracks on this new format. Together with the LP, singles on 45 rpm became the standard way to issue pre-recorded music for decades to come.
Mitch Miller and a Non-Rock Label
The 1950s saw a great surge in Columbia’s power and influence in the music industry. Lured from Mercury Records in 1050, singer and composer Mitch Miller became head of Artists and Repertoire (A&R) and was soon busy signing key recording artists to the label.
Under his watch, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Mathis soon became Columbia Records stars. One genre though, was still an area where Columbia was not so successful. Although Columbia was probably the most commercially successful non-rock labels, it was not until the late 1960s that Columbia would make a significant impact in rock music.
It was not for want of trying. For example, RCA beat Columbia to the punch when a young man from Tupelo, Mississippi left the care of Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955. But then, thinking about Miller’s dislike of the new rock music, perhaps they didn’t try too hard?
The Advent of Stereo
Ever the innovator, Columbia began recording in stereo in the 1956 – one of their first recordings was made in December that year, and featured a Leonard Bernstein conducted version of Handel’s Messiah by the New York Philharmonic and the Westminster Choir.
No stereo LPs were released to the public until 1958 but these did include pop music as well as classical works. In fact, quite a few of Columbia’s first few stereo LPs were stereo versions of previously released mono recordings – when they first started, they were simultaneously releasing both mono and stereo versions of the same albums.
Columbia Records in the 1960s
As the 1960s dawned, Mitch Miller’s taste or rather distaste (for rock music) was becoming a bit of an issue. Rock was clearly going to be the next big thing in town, although Columbia Records did make moves into the growing folk music market. Bob Dylan was signed to the label and released his first album in 1962; Simon and Garfunkel soon became part of the Columbia roster.
Barbra Streisand became a pop mainstay for the company when she was signed in 1963. Miller left Columbia in 1965, and with Brooklynite Clive Davis appointed president in 1967 it was not long until rock music artists popped up on his radar with Janis Joplin his first signing following his attendance at the Monterey International Pop Festival.
Also during the 1960s, Columbia had done away with its distribution deals in countires other than the US and set up its own distribution company, known as CBS Records International. Columbia could not be used because EMI in the UK owned another label called Columbia Graphophone Company.
Columbia Music Legends
Columbia helped/facilitated/supported in the creation of legends. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyoncé to name but three are all artists whose reach extends far beyond the Billboard 200 Albums chart of the Hot 100.
There are many objective reasons why Columbia Records is thought of as an industry trendsetter – the invention of the LP to name but one. Then there are the subjective calls that Columbia has got right over the years. These have made them appear pivotal in identifying and signing transformative artists. Would the music scene be the same if Dylan had signed to RCA?
Columbia trusted acts like Adele and John Legend with the stage upon which to forge themselves as global phenomena. We have heard about other artists, such as Miles Davis, who migrated to Columbia and then proceeded to change their direction of travel into uncharted musical territories. Did he move because of creative differences? Or was there some other reason? The fact is what he produced for Columbia stands head and shoulders above most of the rest of his output.
Obviously, Columbia’s legacy wasn’t built overnight. It’s the result of a many different business decisions, taken by a great array of different personalities. These have led to a diverse lineup with a catalogue as varied as it is stellar. It was never all smooth sailing; some signings were viewed as gambles, some were serendipitous, and others were the result of a relentless pursuit of the next big thing.
Crafting Classics the Columbia Records Way
Did Columbia have its own distinct sound in the same way, as say, Motown? That was, quite literally, a production line. Berry Gordy, Jr. modelled his approach, somewhat prosaically on the approach taken in the automobile production lines of Detroit to produce a body of work which although having that Motown feel, did not sound all the same.
As Motown, Columbia Records’ utilised influential production techniques which contributed significantly to its sound. The studios, often regarded as instruments in themselves by musicians and producers alike, were the delivery suites for sounds that embedded themselves into the heart of popular culture.
Then there were the producers. People like John Henry Hammond Jr., Ted Macero and Tom Wilson each brough their own personalities, technical and musical knowledge to bear on the process for the artists with whom they worked.
John Henry Hammond Jr. was a legendary record producer and talent scout for Columbia Records, renowned for discovering and signing Bob Dylan and then working with him to produce his eponymous debut album. He had a keen ear for talent and also brought the likes of Billie Holiday, Bruce Springsteen, and Aretha Franklin into the Columbia fold.
Hammond’s advocated racial integration in music and his passion for jazz and blues left a lasting impact. He was also active as a civil rights activist. His vision and dedication to nurturing groundbreaking talent made him a pivotal figure in the music industry, cementing his legacy as a true pioneer.
Macero is best recognized for his groundbreaking work as a producer with jazz legend Miles Davis. Macero’s innovative production techniques were instrumental in the creation of landmark albums such as Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew, blending jazz with elements of rock, funk, and electronic music. His avant-garde approach to editing and studio effects, which marked a significant departure from traditional music production, facilitated Davis in taking his music in new directions in jazz and beyond.
Like Macero, Tom Wilson was a visionary producer, revered at Columbia. Wilso’s work transcended genre boundaries, making significant impacts at Columbia and beyond. He played a key role in the early career of Bob Dylan, for whom he produced the groundbreaking album Bringing It All Back Home, blending folk with electric rock.
His innovative approach also shaped the sounds of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence and the Velvet Underground’s debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. His ability to fuse diverse musical styles and his forward-thinking production techniques have cemented his legacy as a transformative figure in the music industry.
Columbia Records also made technological studio advancements such as in multitrack recording. These innovations not only transformed how music was recorded but also how it was consumed. They were pioneers in using stereo sound, enhancing the listener’s experience by simulating a more natural distribution of instruments and vocals.
Recording Studios
Columbia Records owned and operated some of the most respected recording studios of all time. They housed their first studio in the Woolworth Building in New York City. Opening in 1913, some of the earliest jazz recordings were made there. Notably, the Original Dixieland Jass Band (sic), who auditioned at the studio in 1917.
Designed by J. Cleaveland Cady, the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York was nicknamed “The Church” because it was originally the home of the Adams-Parkhurst Memorial Presbyterian Church. Being a former church, the acoustics were especially suited to music recording. It operated between 1948 and 1981 when Columbia, who had only leased the building, decided to vacate the premises. By 1985 it had been demolished – cultural vandalism if there ever was.
Among the legendary recordings made there were Miles Davis’ 1959 jazz landmark Kind of Blue, Leonard Bernstein’s 1957 Broadway cast recording of West Side Story, and the 1979 epic from Pink Floyd, The Wall.
The location of Columbia Records’ headquarters and studios of the late 1970s is writ large in the title of Billy Joel’s landmark album 52nd Street, his fifth for Columbia, which was recorded at 799 7th Avenue, at 52nd Street, New York City. Incidentally, this location was where Bob Dylan recorded The Times They Are a Changin’.
Other cities with Columbia studios include Nashville, Hollywood and San Francisco.
The Enduring Legacy of Columbia Records’ Eternal Echoes
Columbia Records has existed in one form or another since the foundation in 1889 as Columbia Phonograph Company. In the normal run of business, it has been independent, then part of bigger groups – including being bought out by its own subsidiaries on two occasions. Then in 1988 it was acquired by Sony Corporation where it has remained ever since in various guises. Columbia is now a premier subsidiary label of Sony.
Sony are obviously keen to maintain the label as a separate entity within their larger music group. And why not? With such as illustrious history, it’s abundantly clear that as well as a music label, it’s driver of cultural change and a timeless influence.
Columbia Records is much more than just part of Sony Music Group‘s impressive portfolio. Its semi-autonomous stature grants it the latitude to nurture talent, innovate, and continue to be a trendsetter. The label’s story is far from over. With a balance of honouring its roots and branching out into the future, Columbia Records is poised to adapt to, and perhaps again transform, the music industry.
The legacy of Columbia is nothing short of remarkable – from marketing machines for recording business conversations to Bruce Springsteen at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. It’s bound into the history of vinyl records and music in general. It has a heritage peppered with awards, achievements, and firsts; it’s received countless accolades from peers and entities across the music industry, underscoring its stature as a paragon of musical excellence.