Verve Records founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records (founded in 1946) and Norgran Records (founded in 1953), and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.
Granz sold Verve to MGM in 1961 for $3 million. Creed Taylor was appointed as producer, with the brief to adopt a more commercial approach, thereby ensuring he would leave very little music of any lasting merit. In the seventies, the label became part of the PolyGram label group, at this point incorporating the Mercury/EmArcy jazz catalog, which Philips, part owners of PolyGram, had earlier acquired. Verve Records became the Verve Music Group after PolyGram was merged with Seagram’s Universal Music Group in 1998
Reflecting its serial corporate merger and aquisition history, VMG today is owner of a huge historic catalogue of recordings, most of which it has absolutely no idea what to do with and for which there exists precious little commercial market.
1. Verve Trumpeter (1958)
Black label, deep groove, hand-inscribed catalogue number and matrix number
A beautiful original first pressing with very fine sound, that was fiercely fought over on eBay. And won without paying to much over the odds.
Clef, Verve and MGM mono and stereo labels courtesy of JoeL, Chicago IL USA:
2. Clef Records pre-1956, mono DG
3.Verve Clef Trumpeter – Yellow – mono DG (1956-60)
4. Verve “T” mono DG (1956-60)
4. Verve “T” MGM mono (1960-66)
(Note the appearance of the registered trademark “R” after “Verve”)
6. Verve Stereo (1956-60)
(No “R”)
7. Verve MGM Stereo (1960-66)
With “R”
8. Verve Japan 1980′s
Photos (2-8) courtesy of Joe L
