Editing Signature Records

{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Signature Records
| image       = SignatureRecord.jpg
| image_size  = 200px
| image_alt   = Signature Record by Coleman Hawkins
| caption     = <!-- a caption for the image -->
| parent      = <!-- parent company, such as "[[Warner Music Group]]" -->
| founded     = {{start date|1939}}
| founder     = [[Bob Thiele]]
| fate        = <!-- explain the reason of the closing-->
| defunct     = 1948?
| status      = Inactive
| distributor = 
| genre       = Jazz
| country     = U.S.
| location    = New York City
| url         = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" -->
}}
'''Signature Records''' was a jazz record company and label founded in 1939 by [[Bob Thiele]] when he was 17 years old. Its roster included [[Coleman Hawkins]], [[Earl Hines]], [[Erroll Garner]], and [[Lester Young]].

At age 14, Thiele was a disc jockey for his own jazz radio show, edited his own jazz magazine, and played clarinet with bands in New York City. He started Signature at age 17. Thiele was head producer and president of the label.<ref name=Yanow>{{cite web|last1=Yanow|first1=Scott|title=Bob Thiele {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-thiele-mn0000076822/biography|website=AllMusic|accessdate=6 July 2016}}</ref> Its musical director was orchestra leader [[Ray Bloch]].<ref name=BSN>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/new/signature.pdf|title=The Labels of Bob Thiele|website=Both Sides Now Publications|accessdate=17 December 2016}}</ref>

Some sources recite that Signature closed in 1948.<ref name=Watrous>{{cite web|last1=Watrous|first1=Peter|title=Bob Thiele, 73, Record Producer for Jazz Legends|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/01/nyregion/bob-thiele-73-record-producer-for-jazz-legends.html|website=The New York Times|accessdate=5 July 2016|date=1 February 1996}}</ref><ref name=Yanow /> However, other sources indicate that the label continued to release records into the 50s, but that by the late 50s it was moribund.<ref name=BSN />
Having freelanced and produced for [[Decca Records]] and its [[Coral Records|Coral]] and [[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]] labels,<ref name=Yanow /> and served as vice president for [[A&R]] for [[Dot Records]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giEEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+thiele+ankles+dot&pg=PA3|title=''Billboard Magazine''|date=27 April 1959|pages=3–4}}</ref> Thiele announced in May 1959 that he was reactivating the Signature label.<ref name=Gart>{{cite book|last1=Gart|first1=Galen|title=First Pressings: 1959|year=2002|publisher=Big Nickel Publications|isbn=9780936433097|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ojBLAAAAYAAJ&q=%22steve+allen%22+hanover|accessdate=17 December 2016}}</ref> The venture appears to have been in partnership with Steve Allen, one of the co-owners of Hanover Records, who brought the label into the arrangement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiAEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22steve+allen%22+hanover&pg=PA11|title=''Billboard Magazine''|date=1 June 1959|page=11}}</ref> The new company was known as Hanover-Signature Records.<ref name=Gart /> Orchestra leader [[Milton Delugg]], who had worked with Thiele at Dot and Coral, was named musical director.<ref name=June>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiAEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22De+Lugg%22Hanover+staff%22&pg=PA2|title=''Billboard Magazine''|date=1 June 1959|page=2}}</ref>

The company continued to release records on both labels. Thiele produced records for his then-wife, singer Teresa Brewer, as late as 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/label/signature|title= Signature Label Discography|website=cat45.com}}</ref> Hanover releases continued into 1961.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globaldogproductions.info/h/hanover.html|title= 45 Discography for Hanover Records|website=GlobalDogProductions.info}}</ref> Thiele reissued Signature recordings on his later [[Flying Dutchman Records|Flying Dutchman]] and [[Doctor Jazz Records|Doctor Jazz]] record labels.<ref>{{cite Grove|last=Kennedy|first=Gary W.|date=2003|title=Signature (ii)|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J693000 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=publisher:signature Signature Records] on the Internet Archive's [http://great78.archive.org/ Great 78 Project]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American jazz record labels]]