Began its existance as a 1970s budget reissue/2nd tier imprint of
MGM Records.
Most notably released the original 1972 off-Broadway cast album of
Grease and the first recordings of The
Sylvers and the
Incredible Bongo Band, a studio creation of producer/arranger
Michael Viner (1944-2009).
The label switched distribution to
Atlantic in 1974* and was closed by 1976. The MGM-distributed material (mainly the Sylvers' Pride albums after they moved to Capitol in 1975 and the
Grease 1972 cast album, later reissued on
Polydor after the 1978 movie became a hit; Viner later gained the rights to the Incredible Bongo Band material) was reissued on the parent label. The Atlantic-period material (including LPs by jazz organist
Jimmy Smith and the R&B band
New Censation, The) has rarely, if ever, been reissued.
Note: There is a 12" single of
Foster Sylvers' 1973 hit
Misdemeanor issued in 1986 with remixes by
Danny Krivit but this is an unofficial release bearing facsimile Pride labels.
*Although the second Incredible Bongo Band LP,
The Return of the Incredible Bongo Band, was released through Atlantic (and GRT in Canada), its lead single "Ohkey Dokey" was issued by
United Artists Records and the parent album was given an UA catalog number (
PR-LA226-G), Viner (who had bought the rights to the Pride label name after leaving MGM) moved distribution to Atlantic before the LP was released.