By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.192.74) on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 01:29 pm:

A record Label
that has cropped up a lot recently in the past few months for me is The Gotham record Label.

Can anyone tell me when it was actually formed in Philadelphia?

Who owned it?
is it now finished?

I know it goes way back and has gospel connections as well as others and I know it also had a few links with Detroits Joe Van Battle's Label called JVB.

I would appreciate any feedback.
and please no batman Jokes.

many thanks
mel(andthensome)

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 01:56 pm:

Mel:
Bobby Eli & Weldon MacDougal would be the source men for the Philly connection.

From what my R&B sources tell me, Gotham Records was founded in NYC by record man Sam Goode - he had two other labels such as Pick-Up and Roberta and released quite a few Gospel sides by acts such as the Silver Leaf Quartet of Florida & the legendary Reverend C.L. Franklin.

Earl Bostic, Don Byas, Ella Johnson & Jimmy Preston recorded for Gotham as well.

Around the late 1940s the label was bought out by Morris Ballen and relocated to Philadelphia.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By MEL&THEN SOME (217.14.178.104) on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 02:22 pm:

Cheers Kev
thats a great help,
a gospel track that stands out for me regards the Label was by Elder Roma Wilson
where at the time it was unusual to hear 2 harmonicas on a record but apparantly on one of Elders recordings there were actually 3 played on the cut.
I suppose it was a bluesy/gospel kind of thing really.
As far as I can remember
the above cut was leased to the Gotham Label via JVB.
Cheers Kev
mel.

By Eli (64.12.97.7) on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 04:36 pm:

Gotham was located at 1626 federal street in Philly.
They were at the time a "full service" company including a pressing plant, fabrication service, and a recording studio.

Lee Andrews and the Hearts recorded their very early sides for ant at Gotham.
Morris Ballin's son Ivan runs Discmakers.

By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.192.24) on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 12:08 am:

Cheers Bobby
mel