In Records

In Records was an American independent record label associated with the folk and hootenanny market of the early 1960s. The label was owned by Dave Hubert and used Dart Record Sales for distribution. Its documented activity centers on 1963 and 1964, when it assembled a small album and singles catalog aimed at the contemporary folk-listening audience. The label emerged during a period when hootenanny music, acoustic folk performance, and related vocal and instrumental styles were being packaged for the expanding LP market. In September 1963, trade reporting indicated that Dart Record Sales was working with executives connected with Horizon and In Records to develop an album catalog. Two hootenanny albums were identified for near-term release, suggesting that In Records was conceived not merely as a singles imprint but as a small catalog label capable of issuing themed long-playing records. The label's initial catalog included The Big Hootenanny and The Swinging 12 String. The latter was credited to the In Group featuring Glen Campbell, connecting the imprint to a prominent session musician and entertainer before his later mainstream country-pop success. In Records also issued the single “Santy Anna,” reflecting the label's interest in traditional or folk-associated repertoire alongside its album program. By June 1964, trade listings identified three albums in the label's catalog: The Big Hootenanny, The Swinging 12 String, and Rod McKuen's Seasons of the Sun. The addition of McKuen's album broadened the catalog beyond a narrowly defined hootenanny concept and gave the imprint an association with a commercially visible singer, poet, and songwriter. Nevertheless, the available documentation shows only a brief period of activity. No later catalog expansion, continuing corporate operation, or current ownership information is established in the supplied references. In Records is therefore best understood as a historical U.S. record-label imprint whose surviving significance lies in its small early-1960s folk catalog and its connection to Dart Record Sales, Glen Campbell, and Rod McKuen.

In Records was a U.S. record-label imprint owned by Dave Hubert and distributed by Dart Record Sales. Its documented history is concentrated in the years 1963 and 1964, during a period when folk music and hootenanny-style performance were being marketed through both singles and LPs. The label's development was reported in September 1963, when Cash Box described Dart Record Sales as working with executives from Horizon and In Records on an album catalog. Two hootenanny albums were expected to appear shortly, indicating that In Records was pursuing a coordinated album strategy rather than operating solely as a singles outlet. The market context was favorable to acoustic folk presentations, ensemble performances, and themed records designed for listeners interested in the contemporary folk revival. By December 1963, a Dart advertisement identified several In Records releases. The Big Hootenanny carried the catalog number IN-LP 1001. The Swinging 12 String, credited to the In Group featuring Glen Campbell, followed as IN-LP 1002. The advertisement also listed the single “Santy Anna” under catalog number IN-778. These releases established the label's early identity around folk-associated repertoire, hootenanny presentation, and acoustic instrumental color. The involvement of Glen Campbell is notable in retrospect, although the supplied sources do not establish the precise nature of his role beyond the credit attached to The Swinging 12 String. Campbell would later become a major country and pop performer, but In Records' documented catalog reflects an earlier stage of his career and places the release within the label's small folk-oriented program. By June 1964, In Records had a three-album catalog: The Big Hootenanny, The Swinging 12 String, and Rod McKuen's Seasons of the Sun, cataloged as IN-LP 1003. McKuen's inclusion expanded the imprint's repertoire beyond a strictly instrumental or ensemble hootenanny format. It also gave the label an association with an established poet, songwriter, and recording artist of the era. The available record does not document substantial activity after 1964. There is no reliable information in the supplied material about a formal closure date, later owners, a successor company, or a current catalog administrator. The label is consequently treated as defunct or inactive for encyclopedia purposes. Its historical importance is modest but specific: In Records represents a brief independent-label venture in the early-1960s folk market, distributed through Dart Record Sales and remembered for a compact catalog involving hootenanny albums, a Glen Campbell-associated twelve-string release, a folk single, and Rod McKuen's Seasons of the Sun.

• 1964

  Catalog expands to three albums

  [1]In Records (United States)en.wikipedia.org

  The label's documented album catalog comprised The Big Hootenanny, The Swinging 12 String, and Rod McKuen's Seasons of the Sun.

• 1963

  Label activity and album planning reported

  [1]In Records (United States)en.wikipedia.org

  Trade reporting identified In Records as part of an album-development program involving Dart Record Sales and described two hootenanny albums as planned for release.

• 1963

  Initial catalog advertised

  [1]In Records (United States)en.wikipedia.org

  Dart advertising listed The Big Hootenanny, The Swinging 12 String, and the single “Santy Anna” on In Records.

A small independent U.S. label positioned around early-1960s folk, hootenanny, and adjacent acoustic repertoire, with a catalog strategy combining themed albums and singles.

• Album · 1963

  The Big Hootenanny

  An early In Records LP associated with the label's hootenanny-oriented launch program. It was advertised in 1963 under catalog number IN-LP 1001 and appears to have served as one of the imprint's foundational folk-market releases.

• Album · 1963

  The Swinging 12 String

  A twelve-string-focused album credited to the In Group featuring Glen Campbell. Listed as IN-LP 1002, it represented the label's acoustic and instrumental side and connected the imprint with Campbell during an early phase of his career.

• Album · 1964

  Seasons of the Sun

  An album by Rod McKuen that appeared as IN-LP 1003 and was part of In Records' three-album catalog by June 1964. Its inclusion broadened the label's repertoire beyond the two earlier hootenanny-oriented releases.

• Single · 1963

  Santy Anna

  A single listed in Dart Record Sales advertising under catalog number IN-778. It formed part of In Records' early folk-associated singles output alongside its initial LP program.

• 1963

  Build a folk and hootenanny album catalogStrategy

  Background

  In Records operated during a period of strong commercial interest in folk and hootenanny recordings and worked with Dart Record Sales on an album program.

  Action taken

  The label prepared and released themed LPs, beginning with The Big Hootenanny and The Swinging 12 String, while also issuing a single.

  Aftermath

  The program produced a documented three-album catalog by June 1964, but no later expansion is established in the supplied sources.

  Source

1. 1In Records (United States)en.wikipedia.org