Bibletone Records
Encyclopedia
Bibletone Records was organized in 1942 in New York City
by Arthur Becker.
The company was the first all-gospel
label to release 33 1/3 rpm albums of their releases. It was also one of the first labels to release 10-inch as well as 12-inch long-play albums and one of the first companies to release their "singles" on 45, as well as 78 rpm.
Initially, the early albums were of choirs, sacred music and children's music
, however, the success of the earliest records of The LeFevres
on 78 rpm (in the 1940s), caused the company to shift its focus to Southern Gospel
. The company changed ownership several times during the 1950s, operating for a time in Montrose, Pennsylvania
and also in Wheaton, Illinois
.
, under the management of Dick Engel. During Engel's tenure, the label boasted its own pressing plant, and recorded a number of major Southern gospel groups, including : The LeFevres, The Blue Ridge Quartet, The Rebels Quartet, The Harmoneers, The Homeland Harmony Quartet
, The Happy Goodman Family
and the Sunshine Boys. Initial releases were often pressed by RCA Custom Pressing but Bibletone became known in the 1950s for their colorful red or blue vinyl records, pressed in the company's own pressing plant.
in Rome, Georgia.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Arthur Becker.
The company was the first all-gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
label to release 33 1/3 rpm albums of their releases. It was also one of the first labels to release 10-inch as well as 12-inch long-play albums and one of the first companies to release their "singles" on 45, as well as 78 rpm.
Initially, the early albums were of choirs, sacred music and children's music
Children's music
Children's music is used here to refer to music composed and performed for children by adults. In European influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has historically held both entertainment...
, however, the success of the earliest records of The LeFevres
The LeFevres
The LeFevres, or The Singing LeFevres, were an American Southern gospel singing group, active for nearly 50 years in the middle of the twentieth century....
on 78 rpm (in the 1940s), caused the company to shift its focus to Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
. The company changed ownership several times during the 1950s, operating for a time in Montrose, Pennsylvania
Montrose, Pennsylvania
Montrose is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, north by west of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Montrose was laid out in 1812 and incorporated as a borough on March 19, 1824. Its name is a combination of "mont", the French word for “mountain” and Rose, for Dr. L R. Rose, a...
and also in Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
.
Blue & Red Vinyl Days
The company finally settled in East Orange, New JerseyEast Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
, under the management of Dick Engel. During Engel's tenure, the label boasted its own pressing plant, and recorded a number of major Southern gospel groups, including : The LeFevres, The Blue Ridge Quartet, The Rebels Quartet, The Harmoneers, The Homeland Harmony Quartet
The Homeland Harmony Quartet
The Homeland Harmony Quartet were an American gospel group founded in 1935.The original lineup of the quartet was Otis McCoy, Doyle Blackwood, Fred C. Maples, and B.C. Robinson. The group had lasting ties to the Church of God and went through more than fifty line-up changes in a career that...
, The Happy Goodman Family
The Happy Goodman Family
The Happy Goodman Family was a Southern Gospel group founded in the 1940s by Howard "Happy" Goodman.The Happy Goodman Family began to be known for their singing around 1950. During the 1940s and 1950s there were various combinations of all eight brothers and sisters, with Howard being constant...
and the Sunshine Boys. Initial releases were often pressed by RCA Custom Pressing but Bibletone became known in the 1950s for their colorful red or blue vinyl records, pressed in the company's own pressing plant.
Bibletone Today
A reported accident at the plant caused the original Bibletone label to cease production in the late 1950s, and the trademark on the name lapsed. In 1967, Johnny Carter filed for the Bibletone trademark, and began using the name. Later, the label became a part of the National Recording CorporationNational Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...
in Rome, Georgia.