Bethlehem Discography, Part 1:
BCP-1/BCP-1000 10-inch LP Series (1954-1955)

By David Edwards and Mike Callahan
Last update: April 20, 2014





Bethlehem was formed in 1954 in New York City by Gus Wildi. For the first six months or so, Wildi focused on trying to sell pop records, none of which hit. When he hired Creed Taylor as A&R Director in mid-1954, Taylor began signing jazz artists, and by the end of 1954, Bethlehem was primarily a jazz label. They released their first 10-inch album, Chris Connor's Chris Connor Sings Lullaby of Birdland, the last week of September, 1954.

None of the early pop musicians made their way onto early albums. Bethlehem started with 10-inch albums, which were the more popular medium of the time, but by July, 1955, switched to issuing 12-inch LPs only in response to the wishes of the record-buying public.


The Bethlehem label used for the 10-inch LPs was dark red with silver printing, with "BETHLEHEM" bending around the top edge of the label. Under the label name, above the center hole was a treble clef surrounded by a "leaf cluster."



We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Bethlehem Records, which is currently still active. Should you want to contact Bethlehem, or should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1998, 1999, 2014 by Mike Callahan.




BETHLEHEM ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY, PART 1

Cover


Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents


Bethlehem 10-inch Series:

Note: The early albums started with just a single line of identification on the front cover, i.e., "BETHLEHEM BCP 1004." This was in block letters unless there were italics somewhere on the cover, in which case the line was usually in italics. This changed in May, 1955 (see below).

BCP-1001 - Chris Connor Sings Lullabys of Birdland - Chris Connor with Ellis Larkin Trio [9/54] Recorded 8/54. Lullaby Of Birdland/What Is There To Say/Try A Little Tenderness/Spring Is Here//Why Shouldn't I/All About Ronnie/I Hear Music/Come Back To Sorrento

BCP-1002 - Chris Connor Sings Lullabys for Lovers - Chris Connor with Vinnie Burke Quartet [10/54] Recorded 8/54. Cottage For Sale/How Long Has This Been Going On?/Stella By Starlight/Gone With The Wind//He's Coming Home/Goodbye/Out Of This World/Lush Life

BCP-1003 - Oscar Pettiford - Oscar Pettiford [12/54] Recorded 9/54. Sextette/Golden Touch/Cable Car//Tracticisms/Edge of Love/Oscar Rides Again

BCP-1004 - Great Scott - Bobby Scott [12/54] Recorded 9/54. Pee Wee/Phil's Mood/Moonbeaux/Tenderly/Ode to Monk/Polka Dots and Moonbeams/Lullaby of Birdland/Gone with the Wind

BCP-1005 - Ruby Braff Swings - Ruby Braff Quartet [3/55] Recorded 10/54. Struttin' With Some Barbecue/Mean To Me/Ellie/You're A Sweetheart//Blue And Sentimental/Blue Room/I Can't Get Started/This Can't Be Love

BCP-1006 - Holiday with Hank - Hank D'Amico Quartet [3/55] Recorded 10/54. Hank's Holiday/Billy's Bubble/Tomorrow//Grasshopper/Hank's Dilemma/The Nearness of You

BCP-1007 - Horn o' Plenty - Charlie Shavers Sextet [3/55] Recorded 10/54. Medley: Young Man With A Horn-When It's Sleepy Time Down South-After You're Gone-Echoes Of Harlem-And The Angels Sing-Ciribiribin-Salt Peanuts-Young Man With A Horn//Desert Dawn/Dark Eyes/Moten Swing

BCP-1008 - Aaron Sachs - Aaron Sachs Sextet [3/55] Recorded 11/54. One Track/King Fish/Helen//Conversation/If You Are But a Dream/The Bullfrog

BCP-1009 - The Compositions of Bobby Scott: East Coast Jazz 1 - Bobby Scott Septet [3/55] Recorded 11/54. Dot/Moon Tan/Betty/Aunt Sarah/Cerebellum

BCP-1010 - Vinnie Burke: East Coast Jazz 2 - Vinnie Burke Quartet [3/55] Recorded 1954. The Continental/For All We Know/Yesterdays/Imagination//Time Out/Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise/On The Alamo/Honeysuckle Rose

BCP-1011 - Peter the Great - Pete Brown Sextet [3/55] Recorded 11/54. Moonlight in Vermont/The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise/There Will Never Be Another You/I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me/Used Blues/Tea For Two/Delta Blues

BCP-1012 - Joe Puma: East Coast Jazz 3 - Joe Puma Quintet [3/55] Recorded 11/54. Loris/A Little Rainy/How About You?/Pumatic//What Is There To Say/Hallelujah/Liza/Moon Song (That Wasn't For Me)

BCP-1013 - I Only Have Eyes for Shu - Eddie Shu Quartet [3/55] Recorded 11/54. It's Sand, Man/Don't Blame Me/Day By Day/Tom Dick and Jim//Blues For Baby/On East Side/Peace/Justice

BCP-1014 - Jonah Jones - Jonah Jones Sextet [3/55] Recorded 12/54. Beale Street Blues/Down By The Riverside/European Blues/The Sheik of Araby//You're the Cream In My Coffee/Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams/J.J. Special/Stars Fell On Alabama

BCP-1015 - Terry Pollard - Terry Pollard [4/55] Recorded 1/55. Feddi/Laura/Where Or When/Autumn Serenade//The More I See You/Scrapple From The Apple/Almost Like Being In Love/Emaline

BCP-1016 - Sincerely Conte - Conte Candoli [4/55] Recorded 11/54. Fine And Dandy/Night Flight/I Can't Get Started/On The Alamo//Tune For Tex/They Can't Take That Away From Me/Everything Happens To Me/I'll Remember April

BCP-1017 - Stan Levey Plays the Compositions of Cooper, Holman and Guifre - Stan Levey Sextet [4/55] Recorded 12/54. Exaktamo/Extraversion/Drum Sticks//Lightnin' Bug/West Coasting/Fast Clip

BCP-1018 - Herbie Mann: East Coast Jazz 4 - Herbie Mann Quartet [4/55] Recorded 12/54. Chicken Little/Things We Did Last Summer/Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea//After Work/A Spring Morning/My Little Suede Shoes/The Purple Grotto

BCP-1019 - Basically Duke - Oscar Pettiford [4/55] Recorded 12/54. Jack The Bear/Tamalpais/Chuckles//Mood Indigo/Time On My Hands/Swing Until The Girls Come Home

BCP-1020 - Milt Hinton: East Coast Jazz 5 - Milt Hinton Quartet [4/55] Recorded 1/55. Milt to the Hilt/Don't Blame Me/Ebony Silhouette/Cantus Firmus



Note: About May, 1955, the cover identification logo changes from the one-line ID to a 3-line logo, i.e.,

BETHLEHEM BCP 1032
DELUXE SERIES
HIGH FIDELITY

Several of the albums below were issued before May, 1955, and still have the one-line ID.

BCP-1021 - The Most Intimate Charlie Shavers - Charlie Shavers [5/55] Recorded 1955 in New York City. Ill Wind/Stormy Weather/Let's Fall In Love.//I Cover The Waterfront/You're Mine You/Out Of Nowhere

BCP-1022 - Mariano - Charlie Mariano Sextet [4/55] Recorded 12/53. Chloe/'S Nice/Three Little Words//Green Walls/You Go to My Head/My Melancholy Baby

BCP-1023 - Carmen McRae - Carmen McRae [4/55] Side 1 recorded 10/54; side 2 recorded 12/54. Easy To Love/If I'm Lucky/Old Devil Moon/Tip Toe Gently//You Made Me Care/Last Time For Love/Too Much In Love To Care/Misery

BCP-1024 - Sapphire - Stu Williamson [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Slugger/There Will Never Be Another You/Autumn In New York/Sunday//Sapphire/Don't Get Around Much Anymore/Strike Up the Band/The Things We Did Last Summer

BCP-1025 - Herbie Harper - Herbie Harper Octet [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Anything Goes/I'm Old Fashioned/I'll Take Romance/Topsy/How Deep Is The Ocean/Now You Know/Angus

BCP-1026 - Lou's Blues - Bob Hardaway [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Irresistable You/Jr./Spring Is Here/Lou's Blue//Out Of Nowhere/Deep Purple/I Cover The Waterfront/Indiana (Back Home Again)

BCP-1027 - Down in the Depths - Helen Carr [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Not Mine/I Don't Want to Cry Anymore/Tulip Or Turnip/Memory Of The Rain//Down In The Depth Of The 90th Floor/You're Driving Me Crazy/I'm Glad There Is You/Moments Like This

BCP-1028 - Hence! Home, You Idle Creatures: Get You Home: and Lend an Ear to Max Bennett - Max Bennett Quintet [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Rubberneck/Just Max/Jeepers Creepers/T.K.//I'll Never Smile Again/Sweet Georgia Brown/They Say/Do You Know Why?

BCP-1029 - The Compositions of Bobby Scott: 2 - Bobby Scott [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Wigwam/The Creed/Table Cloth Stomp/A Parable//The Wig/Count Bill/Kwan-Youen/Makin' Whoopee

BCP-1030 - The Songs of Bobby Troup - Bobby Troup [5/55] Recorded 1/55. Cuckoo In The Clock/Midnight Sun/Laura/That Old Black Magic//One For My Baby/Jeepers Creepers/Skylark/I'm WIth You

BCP-1031 - The Australian Jazz Quartet - Australian Jazz Quartet [6/55] Recorded 2/55. A Foggy Day/Little Girl Blue/Loose Walk/Girl With The Flaxen Hair//You Are Too Beautiful/Lullaby Of The Leaves/Things We Did Last Summer/Fascinatin Rhythm

BCP-1032 - Holiday In Braff - Ruby Braff [6/55] Recorded 3/55. When You're Smiling/Easy Living/Pullin' Through/You're a Lucky Guy//Flowers For A Lady/Foolin' Myself/I'll Be Around/It's Too Easy To Blame The Weather

BCP-1033 - Happy Minors - Red Mitchell Sextet featuring Bob Brookmeyer, Zoot Simms [6/55] Recorded 2/55. Happy Minor/Scrapple From The Apple/Long Ago And Far Away/Gone With The Wind/Kelly Green/Bluesology/Once in A While

BCP-1034 - Ball at Bethlehem with Braff - Ruby Braff Sextet [6/55] Recorded 12/54 and 1/55. You Can Depend On Me/Auld Lang Syne/I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter//Rosetta/Sometimes I'm Happy

BCP-1035 - Dick Wetmore - Dick Wetmore Quartet [6/55] Rondette/Sad Walk/Re-Search/Piece Caprico//Just Duo/Pomp/Brash/Shiftful

BCP-1036 - Lost Love - Paula Castle [6/55] I'm Shootin' High/Yesterday's Gardenias/Here I Am In Love Again/Mountain Greenery//Lost Love/You Don't Know What Love Is/Love Is A One Way Street/Why Can't I?

BCP-1037 - [Unissued]

BCP-1038 - [Unissued]

BCP-1039 - Joe Derise Sings - Joe Derise Trio [6/55] Recorded 3/55. Comes Love/It Might As Well Be Spring/My Romance/Maybe//How High the Moon/A Fine Romance/Mountain Greenery/How Long Has This Been Going On

BCP-1040 - Wigville - Russ Garcia Nonet [6/55] Recorded 1955 in Los Angeles. Rocky Road/Floating/Butter Duck/Mellow Bone/Wigville/Smogville/Livin' It Up/Love Row/Lonely One/Then the Lid Blew Off



Note: In the July 2, 1955, issue of Billboard, Bethlehem announced that future LP jazz issues would be exclusively on 12-inch vinyl.





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