Ammor

Ammor Records was a short-lived American record label active in the United States during 1940. Operating as the Ammor Record Corporation, it concentrated on performers based on the West Coast and released approximately 20 discs over a period of only a few months. The label's historical importance rests primarily on its association with Nat King Cole: in February 1940, Cole recorded four sides for Ammor, and the label issued them shortly afterward as his first recordings made available commercially to the general public. Ammor's recording and manufacturing work was handled by C. P. Macgregor, a Los Angeles-based recording operation associated with a range of West Coast artists and orchestras. The label's repertoire also included recordings by the Larry Breese orchestra, the Ceele Burke orchestra, the Seger Ellis orchestra, Sid Gary, and the Pied Pipers. This roster indicates that Ammor operated as a regional label with a mixture of orchestral, ensemble, and vocal material rather than as a specialist imprint built around one dominant star. The company's operating life was brief. After Ammor ceased operations, some of its recordings were reissued through Eli Oberstein's Varsity Records. When Varsity later stopped operating, material that had originated with Ammor was subsequently released on Savoy Records. These later reissues helped preserve parts of the label's catalog even though Ammor itself did not develop into a long-running independent company. Ammor is therefore remembered less for scale or longevity than for its place in recorded-music history. Its small 1940 catalog captured an early stage of Nat King Cole's recording career and provides an example of the short-lived regional record labels that helped circulate American popular music before the consolidation of the postwar recording industry.

Ammor Records entered the American recorded-music market in 1940 under the corporate name Ammor Record Corporation. It was a short-lived label whose activity appears to have lasted only several months. The company concentrated on artists working on the West Coast, reflecting the regional structure of the American recording business at the time. Rather than operating as a large national corporation, Ammor functioned as a small imprint with a limited release schedule and a catalog of roughly 20 discs. Recording and manufacturing were handled by C. P. Macgregor. This arrangement gave Ammor access to the technical and production infrastructure needed to record performers and press commercial records without requiring a large in-house operation. The label's repertoire included the Larry Breese orchestra, the Ceele Burke orchestra, the Seger Ellis orchestra, Sid Gary, and the Pied Pipers, alongside Nat King Cole. The most significant event in Ammor's history occurred in February 1940, when Nat King Cole signed with the label and recorded four sides. Ammor issued those recordings soon afterward. They were Cole's first recordings to be offered commercially to the general public, making the otherwise obscure label an important part of the singer and pianist's early discography. The releases predated the much larger commercial success that Cole would achieve later in his career. Ammor did not remain active long enough to establish a durable independent catalog. Following the label's closure, some recordings that had first appeared on Ammor were issued again by Eli Oberstein's Varsity Records. After Varsity ceased operations, material originating with Ammor was later released through Savoy Records. The succession of reissues allowed portions of the original repertoire to remain available and connected Ammor's brief existence to later catalog-preservation efforts. Today, Ammor Records is chiefly significant as a historical imprint rather than an operating music company. Its importance derives from the surviving 1940 recordings, particularly the four Nat King Cole sides, and from the role that small regional labels played in documenting American performers during the period. Because the available reference material provides little information about the label's ownership, management, financial structure, or exact release chronology, those aspects remain undocumented here.

• 1940

  Ammor Record Corporation begins issuing records

  [1]Ammor Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Ammor Record Corporation entered the market and began releasing records focused largely on West Coast performers.

• 1940

  Nat King Cole records four sides for Ammor

  [1]Ammor Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  In February, Nat King Cole recorded four sides for Ammor. The label issued them shortly afterward as Cole's first recordings commercially available to the public.

• 1940

  Ammor ceases operations

  [1]Ammor Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  After issuing approximately 20 discs over a few months, Ammor ended operations. Parts of its catalog were later reissued by Varsity Records and subsequently by Savoy Records.

A small, regional American record label focused on West Coast performers and short-run commercial releases.

• Recorded music · 1940

  Ammor 78-rpm record catalog

  Ammor issued approximately 20 commercial discs during its brief 1940 operating period. The catalog consisted primarily of recordings by West Coast-based performers, including orchestras, vocal groups, and individual artists. Production and manufacturing were handled by C. P. Macgregor. Some of the recordings later returned to circulation through Varsity Records and Savoy Records after Ammor closed.

• Jazz and popular music recordings · 1940

  Nat King Cole early recordings

  Nat King Cole recorded four sides for Ammor in February 1940. Issued soon afterward, these were the first Cole recordings made available commercially to the general public. They are the label's most historically notable releases and remain important documents of Cole's early recording career.

1. 1Ammor Recordsen.wikipedia.org