Label Scan
Number - Release Date - Artist - Songs
Bell started issuing mono/stereo promos in October, 1969, about the time they switched from the dark blue label to the silver label for commercial singles. The first mono/stereo promo was actually a two-promo set from Bell 832, "The Time For Love Is Anytime ('Cactus Flower' Theme"). The commercial single was mono, and had a vocal by Sarah Vaughan on one side and an instrumental by Quincy Jones on the other. Both sides were afforded their own mono/stereo promo, the vocal numbered B-832 and the instrumental numbered B-833 (see top left).
There were no stereo singles before 1970, although some pressings of the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" show the stereo master number on the A-side (see bottom left). This was probably a typo carried over from the stereo promo.
Even after 1970, there were only a few commercial stereo singles before the company became Arista in 1975. But Bell released tons of mono/stereo singles to radio stations to promote their plug sides right up to the end of 1974.
B-832 - 10/69 - Sarah Vaughan - The Time For Love Is Anytime ( Cactus Flower' Theme") (M/S) [see note 1]
B-833 - 10/69 - Quincy Jones - The Time For Love Is Anytime ( Cactus Flower' Theme") (M/S) [see note 1]
B-847 - 11/69 - Eddie Rambeau - Who Will Buy-Where Is The Love (M/S) [see note 1]
857 - 2/70 - Blossoms - I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else (M/S) [see note 1]
B-863 - 3/70 - Steve Rowland with The Family Dogg - Sympathy (M/S) [see note 2]
B-875 - 3/70 - Crazy Elephant - There Ain't No Umbopo (M/S) [see note 1]
B-876 - 4/70 - Brass Buttons - Before My Time (M/S) [see note 2]
B-880 - 4/70 - 5th Dimension - Puppet Man (M/S) [see note 1]
B-886 - 5/70 - Julie Budd - California Shoeshine Boys (M/S) [see note 2]
B-894 - 6/70 - Andrea Marcovicci - What Is A Friend [see note 1]
B-897 - 6/70 - Ireen Sheer - Big Yellow Taxi (M/S) [see note 2]
909 - 8/70 - Al Wilson - You Do The Right Things (M/S) [see note 1]
B-910 - 8/70 - Partridge Family - I Think I Love You (S)/Somebody Wants To Love You (M) [see note 1]
B-911 - 8/70 - Symbols - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (M/S) [see note 1]
B-912 - 9/70 - Tony Burrows - I've Still Got My Heart, Jo [see note 1]
B-912 - 9/70 - Tony Burrows - Every Little Move She Makes (M/S) [see note 1]
916 - 9/70 - Julie Budd - Then He Kissed Me (M/S) [see note 1]
B-917 - 9/70 - Peter Duchin - Getting Straight (M/S) [see note 1]
B-923 - 10/70 - Box Tops - Let Me Go (M/S) [see note 1]
B-928 - 10/70 - Phil Flowers - The Man, The Wife & The Little Baby Daughter (M/S) [see note 1]
B-938 - 11/70 - Dawn - Knock Three Times (M/S) [see note 1]
B-940 - 10/70 - 5th Dimension - One Less Bell To Answer (M/S) [see note 1]
941 - 10/70 - Jeff Thomas - Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll (M/S) [see note 1]
B-944 - 11/70 - Billy Taylor - Dirty Ole Man (M/S) [see note 1]
B-958 - 12/70 - Bob Ryer - Africa (M/S) [see note 2]
Bell Notes:
1. The commercial copy of this single is mono.
2. May be promo-only; we have not seen a commercial copy of this single.
AGP (American Production Group) was a label out of Memphis distributed by Bell Records. They issued singles from October, 1968, to December, 1969. None of the commercial singles were stereo, but they did release a number of mono/stereo promotional singles. Merilee Rush's hit "Angel Of The Morning" was released in February, 1968, on Bell 705.
107 - 11/68 - Merilee Rush - Reach Out (M/S)
121 - 9/69 - Merilee Rush - Sign On For The Good Times (M/S)
124 - 11/69 - American Group - Room 222 (M/S)
125 - 12/69 - Roy Hamilton - It's Only Make Believe (M/S)
126 - 12/69 - Merilee Rush - Angel On My Shoulder (M/S)
Amos Records was distributed by Bell. They issued several mono/stereo promos in 1970, but apparently no commercial stereo singles.
ABJ 142 - 7/70 - Oxen Freez & The Buffalo Hunters - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme Your Love (M/S)
AJB 146 - 8/70 - Johnny Tillotson - I Don't Believe In If Anymore (M/S)
AJB 152 - 10/70 - Pat Shannon - I Ain't Got Time Anymore (M/S)
Amy Records was established in early 1960 as a subsidiary to Bell Records. They operated until the fall of 1969, releasing their last single (Lee Dorsey's "Give It Up"/"Candy Yam" - 11,057) in September.
Amy released no known stereo commercial singles. They did release one mono/stereo promo single in June, 1968.
A-11,027 - 6/68 - Mike Stoller & The Stoller System - Silver Sea Horse (M/S)
Crewe Records was started in 1969 by Bob Crewe as a vehicle for his productions. The first two releases (333 and 334), in August, 1969, both had a white label with red rings around the center hole. By the next month, Crewe 335, released in September, 1969, had a green label with a white "C" logo.
Stereo singles were not always marked as such (only 335 and 336 are marked stereo), but can be identified by the master numbers. For the first two singles, mono versions used a CX 3100 number, while the stereo versions used a CX 3100 S number. This numbering system changed with 335, the first release with the green label. From that point, mono releases used CXM 3100 while stereo releases used CX 3100.
All singles from 338 to 344 were mono on commercial copies, but 338, 339, 342, 343, and 344 had mono/stereo promos. The promo for Oliver's "Angelica" was mono on both sides, but had an edited version on side B.
Promos were originally on the same labels, but had a promotional notation on the label. After the label changed to the green label, promotional copies were grey with black print.
In 1971, Crewe started a 600 series with the same design as the green label, but with an orange label. These singles were stereo as opposed to the mono singles in the 300 series.
334 - 8/69 - Oliver - Jean/The Arrangement [see note 1]
335 - 9/69 - Julius LaRosa - Where Do I Go/This Is All I Had
336 - 10/69 - Bobby Dimple - American Moon//Darvana Payne - St. Mark's Place
337 - 11/69 - Oliver - Sunday Morning/Letmekissyouwithadream [see note 2]
Crewe Notes:
1. Crewe 334 was issued on both mono and stereo singles. The A-side for the mono singles have master
number "CX-3113", while the stereo copies have master number "CX 3113 S" on the label. These are
illustrated at right, with the mono pressing on the left of the two. This single was released on both the
white and later the green labels, although the mono versions are only known on the white label. 2. There have been reports of Crewe 337 having both mono and stereo releases, but all the copies we have seen have the stereo master number on the label. A mono copy would have the mono master number (CXM-3154) either on the label or in the dead wax. The stereo single is not marked as such.
Direction Records was founded in late 1968 by Bobby Darin. Direction only released six singles and one album. It initially was distributed by Bell Records for its first year, after which it was distributed by Commonwealth United until its demise in early 1970. The label while under Bell distribution was yellow, and under Commonwealth United was an off-white.
Direction released no commercial stereo singles, but did issue a stereo promo single.
DIS-4001 - 11/69 - Bob Darin - Baby May/Sweet Reason
Elf was a label owned by songwriters/artists Bobby Russell and Buzz Cason. It operated from 1967 to 1969. It was distributed by Bell Records.
There were no known stereo commercial or promotional singles released.
Goldwax Records was founded in Memphis in 1964 by Quinton Claunch and Doc Russell. Independently distributed at first, in December, 1965, they began to be distributed by Bell Records. This relationship continued until December, 1969, when the company discontinued releasing records.
During that time, Goldwax released no commercial or promotional stereo singles.
Hot Line Music Journal (not to be confused with the New Orleans-based Hot Line Records) was a short-lived Grand Rapids, Michigan-based label distributed by Bell Records. It lasted from 1967 to 1968, and released three early singles by 1970s R&B star Al Green, then known as Al Greene.
Hot Line Music Journal did not issue any known commercial or promotional stereo singles.
Mala was established in 1959 as a subsidiary of Bell Records. They are best known as the label for the Box Tops' big 1960s hits. They released singles until September, 1969.
There were no known stereo commercial singles or stereo promos on Mala.
Maxwell was part of the Bob Crewe group of labels.
Maxwell released two mono/stereo singles in late 1969, but we found no commercial stereo singles.
MAX 800 - 11/69 - Ben E. King - Goodbye My Old Gal (M/S)
MAX 801 - 12/69 - Andy Alston & Alice Presley - Our Love Will Never Change (M/S)
New Voice was started in 1965 as a sister label to DynoVoice. It released singles until mid-1968 and was distributed by Bell Records.
New Voice releases one mono/stereo promo single, the last single released on the label. They released no commercial stereo singles.
830 - 5/68 - Mitch Ryder - Ruby Baby & Peaches On A Cherry Tree (M/S)
Page One was a British label owned by Larry Page and distributed in the US by Bell.
Although they released no known commercial stereo singles from 1968-70, they did issue two mono/stereo promotional singles, listed below.
21,029 - 3/70 - Vanity Fare - Hitchin' A Ride (M/S)
21,034 - 8/70 - Vanity Fare - Take Me To The Pilot (M/S)
Philly Groove was an independent label run by Thom Bell out of Philadelphia. Their biggest-selling artists were the Delfonics. Philly Groove was distributed by Bell Records.
There were no known commercial stereo singles before 1971, although they did issue a mono/stereo promotional single in 1970. After 1970, mono/stereo promos became much more common.
163 - 8/70 - Delfonics - When You Get Right Down To It (M/S)
The T-A label's name was short for "Talent Associates," and they were distributed by Bell Records. Their major stars were Seals and Crofts, before they moved to Warner Bros., and the Original Caste.
T-A did not issue any commercial stereo singles. Beginning in February, 1970, all A-sides were treated to mono/stereo promo singles. This was discontinued in November, 1970, as all releases after that were mono in both promo and commercial copies.
191 - 2/70 - Seals & Crofts - See My Life (M/S)
192 - 3/70 - Original Caste - Mr. Monday (M/S)
193 - 4/70 - Eden Kane - Reason To Believe (M/S)
194 - 4/70 - Malcolm Hayes - You Made The Rain Fall Down (M/S)
195 - 4/70 - Morning Reign - Can I Believe In You (M/S)
196 - 4/70 - Country Store - Your Love (Is The Only Love) (M/S)
197 - 5/70 - Original Caste - Nothing Can Touch Me (Don't Worry Baby, It's Alright) (M/S)
198 - 5/70 - Master's Children - Watch The Children & Give A Damn (M/S)
200 - 6/70 - Easy - Goin' Down (M/S)
202 - 8/70 - Five Flights Up - Do What You Wanna Do (M/S)
203 - 8/70 - Country Store - Days Of Icy Fingers (M/S)
204 - 9/70 - Original Caste - Ain't That Tellin' You People (M/S)
205 - 10/70 - Celebration - Sweet Sunday (M/S)
T-A Notes:
1. T-A 199 and 201 were apparently not issued.
Windfall was a label founded in 1969 as a vehicle for the recordings of the group Mountain and their lead singer/guitarist Leslie West. From 1969 to 1972, they were distributed by Bell Records.
During that time, they released eight singles (plus four albums), all by Leslie West or Mountain. No known commercial stereo singles were released, although there was a mono/stereo promotional single in 1972. After that time, the label was incorporated into the Columbia empire. Because of the scant output of the label, we have included a listing of the 1972 promo stereo single below.
537 - 5/72 - Mountain - Waiting To Take You Away (M/S)
