ROULETTE
RECORDS
American, out of New York City. Roulette was
started by George Goldner and Joe Kolsky c.1956. They made Morris
Levy president of the company; he bought them out in 1957, and remained in
charge until the end of its independent existence. Roulette didn't
specialise in any particular kind of music. It had a good Jazz
catalogue, with vocal contributions from Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and
it enjoyed Pop success in its homeland with such artists as Buddy Knox, Jimmie
Rodgers, Lou Christie and Tommy James. By the time the '80s came
around, however, it had lost most of its impetus, and had become mainly a
vehicle for reissues and compilations. In 1989 it was sold to
Rhino-EMI. In Britain, Roulette had a much shorter
existence. For most of the time it leased its products to other
companies; it issued at least two singles on its own label in 1966, one of
which, 'Hanky Panky', by Tommy James & The Shondells (RK-7000), just about
edged into the Top 40. However, the next Tommy James single came out
on Major Minor, which suggests a quick return to the licensing
deals. The Roulette label reappeared in 1968, with manufacture and
distribution by Major Minor, and put out several more singles, this time using
an RO-500 numerical series. The RO-500s changed to the 2097-000s in
1970, when Major Minor closed down and Roulette moved to Polydor; all the
Polydor family labels adopted seven-number catalogue numbering at that
time. The second and third incarnations yielded no more hits;
Roulette as a label doesn't seem to have survived into 1972 over here, though
its records continued to be issued throughout the '70s on Pye International and
later on Creole. The company sleeve pictured above may well be an
American one; it didn't come with the record and the 'dip' at the top looks
suspiciously un-British. Thank to Robert Lyons for the info.
| 66 |
James Tommy & The
Shondells |
Hanky Panky |
ROULETTE |
RK |
7000 |
| 66 |
Cortez
Dave Baby |
Countdown |
ROULETTE |
RK |
7001 |
| 68 |
James Tommy & The
Shondells |
Do Something To
Me |
ROULETTE |
RO |
500 |
| 68 |
Ricardo Ray |
Nitty Gritty |
ROULETTE |
RO |
501 |
| 69 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Crimson And Clover |
ROULETTE |
RO |
502 |
| 69 |
Harris Brenda Jo |
I Can Remember |
ROULETTE |
RO |
503 |
| 69 |
Shadow Mann |
Come Live With Me |
ROULETTE |
RO |
504 |
| 69 |
Phillips Esther |
Too Late To Worry Too Blue To Cry |
ROULETTE |
RO |
505 |
| 69 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Sweet Cherry Wine |
ROULETTE |
RO |
506 |
| 69 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Crystal Blue |
ROULETTE |
RO |
507 |
| 69 |
Phillips Esther |
Tonight I'Ll Be Staying Here With You |
ROULETTE |
RO |
508 |
| 69 |
Scott Freddie |
Sugar On A Sunday |
ROULETTE |
RO |
509 |
| 69 |
Little Jimmy Gandy |
Cool Thirteen |
ROULETTE |
RO |
510 |
| 69 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Ball Of Fire |
ROULETTE |
RO |
511 |
| 70 |
Hawkins Ronnie |
Who Do You Love |
ROULETTE |
RO |
512 |
| 70 |
James Tommy & The Shondells |
She |
ROULETTE |
RO |
513 |
| 70 |
Chantels |
Maybe |
ROULETTE |
RO |
514 |
| 70 |
Hunt Geraldine |
Never Never Leave Me |
ROULETTE |
RO |
515 |
| 70 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Come To Me |
ROULETTE |
RO |
516 |
| 70 |
Alive 'N' Kicking |
Tighter Tighter |
ROULETTE |
RO |
517 |
| 70 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Ball And Chain |
ROULETTE |
RO |
518 |
| 71 |
James Tommy &
Shondells |
Adrienne |
ROULETTE |
2097 |
001 |
| 71 |
Alive 'N' Kicking |
Tighter Tighter |
ROULETTE |
2097 |
002 |
| 71 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Draggin´The Line |
ROULETTE |
2097 |
003 |
| 71 |
Not Traced |
|
ROULETTE |
2097 |
004 |
| 72 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
I'M Coming Home |
ROULETTE |
2097 |
005 |
| 72 |
James Tommy & Shondells |
Tell Em Willie Boy'S A Comin |
ROULETTE |
2097 |
006 |
