Jubilee

US label; for unofficial releases please use Jubilee (3).

Jubilee was founded by Atlantic co-founder Herb Abramson with bandleader and record wholesaler Jerry Blaine (2) as "Jay-Gee Recording Corporation" (the name would appear on album covers and later 45 RPM singles) in 1946. Blaine bought Abramson's half of Jubilee one year later. The label released a number of classic doo-wop singles, including those by The Orioles, The Gallahads and The Cadillacs. The label also recorded R&B, pop and jazz by Della Reese, The Fifth Estate, Richard Oliver, Mary Wells, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and Moe Koffman.

Jubilee's most successful albums were novelty and comedy recordings which included Kermit Schafer "Blooper" compilations, frat-house R&B by Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts (which had to be issued on a custom label created solely for the band's releases called Gross Records (2) due to their raunchy [for the mid-1960s] lyrics) and "party records" by Rusty Warren. One of the most valued Jubilee LPs by collectors is the 1970 debut album of country star Emmylou Harris. In 1954 Jubilee created a subsidiary called Josie Records, whose biggest stars were New Orleans funk band The Meters. And, from 1964 through 1971, although it was not explicitly stated on the labels, Jubilee also pressed and distributed the The Tokens' B.T. Puppy Records label; Jubilee distributed other labels such as Chex Records, USA Import Records, Blaine, and Euphoria (3) (those labels *did* include a byline stating distribution by Jay-Gee Record Company, Inc.). Jubilee/Josie folded in 1971 and was sold to visual aid manufacturer Viewlex, who later sold the masters to Roulette Records, whose combined catalog holdings (including the Jubilee/Josie master tapes) are today jointly managed by Rhino Records (in North America) and EMI Records (all other countries).

Jubilee entered the stereo market in July 1958. Their first stereo releases had been previously been issued in mono.

LP catalog number, date and label identification:
Blue label: to June 1958 with the last release being JLP 1078 Standard size black label with color spikes: introduced November 1958 with JLP 1079 and ending in August 1959 with JLP 1110 [r16188105].
JLP 1111 unreleased
Catalog number prefix changed from "JLP" to "JGM" in 1960 with the first release being JGM 1112 [r4600185] (earlier "JLP" prefix still appears on the back of the jacket).
This was followed by the small black label with color spikes and then the small flat black label with silver text, both of which are only found with the later JGM prefix.

45 RPM catalog number, date and label identification:
5000 through 5092 (1951–1952): Blue label, with Jubilee in script lettering. No line under "Jubilee."
5093 through 5340 (1952–1958): Blue label, with Jubilee in script lettering and underlined.
5341 and higher (1958 forward): Black label.
Clear red vinyl pressings are found in the 5055 to 5120 series. Numbers prior to the beginning of 45 production are reissues of material first issued on 78 rpms.