Alston Records

US Miami, Florida-based R&B, soul and disco label; also appears as "Alston" only. For all unofficial / bootleg releases of this label please use [l187852] Co-founded by [a362536] and [a=Steve Alaimo] in 1964 and remembered for [a=The Beginning Of The End]'s 1971 hit "Funky Nassau" as well as the the early recordings of [a=Betty Wright], [a=Jimmy "Bo" Horne] and the straight R&B cuts by singer-songwriter [a=Clarence Reid], a.k.a. [a=Blowfly]. Originally independent with one early pre-stardom [a=Sam & Dave] single to its credit ("Never, Never" b/w "Lotta Lovin'" on Alston 777, 1964). Picked up for national distribution by the [l47117] division of [l681] Records in 1968, though a local release schedule was maintained (often using the same number for different releases). The local releases were largely available only in South Florida and are easily identified as they lack the Atco-Atlantic distribution label text. Switched distribution to [a=Henry Stone]'s [l139871] in 1974 where it lasted as a subsidiary of the latter until the company went bankrupt and closed down in 1981 and merged with [l54550] Records to create [l275530] Records. The entire [l139871] catalog was sold to [l33244] (in North America) and EMI (in all other countries) due to it being part of the two companies' joint acquisition of the [l54550] Records catalog in 1989.