GTO Records
GTO Records was a British record label which released many hits during the 1970s. It ran from 1974 to 1981 and mainly concentrated on pop music and disco. The acronym represented the Gem Toby Organization.
Also recorded as Gem Toby Organization · GTO Records Ltd. · GTO
GTO Records
- Founded
- 1974
- Headquarters
- London
- Dissolved
- 1981
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Documentary summary
GTO Records was a British record label which released many hits during the 1970s. It ran from 1974 to 1981 and mainly concentrated on pop music and disco. The acronym represented the Gem Toby Organization.
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GTO Records was founded in 1974, with headquarters in London. Its output covers disco, Hi-NRG and pop music, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Parent — CBS Records (from 1978) • Founded — 1974 • Genre — Pop, Rock, Disco, Hi-NRG • Country — United Kingdom
Background
Background
The record label was co-founded by Bell Records UK's Dick Leahy and Gem Records's Laurence Myers in 1974, after Myers had set up GTO Films and Arcade Records in the period between 1972 and 1974. The first GTO release – on June 28th 1974 was Scott Fitzgerald - “Judy Played The Jukebox” (Gt 1) and the second release, on July 5th 1974, was the single "Up in a Puff of Smoke" by Polly Brown (GT 2) and the label's focus would remain on pop and disco acts such as Billy Ocean, The Dooleys and Heatwave, and released Donna Summer's albums in the UK, all of which proved to be successful. Lulu also briefly recorded for the label. The biggest hit released by the label was Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", which reached No.1 in 1977. In 1978, the label was sold to CBS Records after achieving a high level of hits for a new label. From this time, the Donna Summer records moved to Casablanca Records, while the hits for other acts began to dry up over the next two years. The label was wrapped up in late 1981 when its roster of acts were either dropped or moved on to Epic Records – also owned by CBS. Prior to the sale and transfer of artists, Epic distributed many of GTO albums, namely Heatwave's output. The GTO back catalogue is currently owned by Sony Music.
Hit singles
Hit singles
• Top 40 singles • "Only You Can" – Fox (1975 UK #3) • "Imagine Me Imagine You" – Fox (1975 UK #15) • "Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar" – Duane Eddy (1975 UK #9) • "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello" – Dana (1975 UK #8) • "It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas" – Dana (1975 UK #4) • "No Regrets" – The Walker Brothers (1976 UK #7) • "S-S-S-Single Bed" – Fox (1976 UK #4) • "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" – Dana (1976 UK #31) • "Fairytale" – Dana (1976 UK#13) • "Love Really Hurts Without You" – Billy Ocean (1976 UK #2) • "L.O.D. (Love on Delivery)" – Billy Ocean (1976 UK #19) • "Stop Me (If You've Heard it All Before)" – Billy Ocean (1976 UK #12) • "Love to Love You Baby" – Donna Summer (1976 UK #4) • "Winter Melody" – Donna Summer (1976 UK #27) • "Red Light Spells Danger" – Billy Ocean (1977 UK #2) • "I Feel Love" – Donna Summer (1977 UK #1) • "I Remember Yesterday" – Donna Summer (1977 UK #14) • "Love's Unkind" – Donna Summer (1977 UK #3) • "Boogie Nights" – Heatwave (1977 UK #2) • "Too Hot to Handle" – Heatwave (1977 UK #15) • "I Can Prove It" – Tony Etoria (1977 UK #21) • "Think I'm Gonna Fall in Love With You" – The Dooleys (1977 UK #13) • "Georgina Bailey" Noosha Fox (1977 UK #31) • "Love of My Life" – The Dooleys (1977 UK #9) • "Back in Love Again" – Donna Summer (1978 UK #29)) • "The Groove Line" – Heatwave (1978 UK #12) • "Mind Blowing Decisions" – Heatwave (1978 UK #12) • "Always and Forever" – Heatwave (1978 UK #9) • "A Rose Has to Die" – The Dooleys (1978 UK #11) • "From East to West" – Voyage (1978 UK #13) • "Honey I'm Lost" – The Dooleys (1979 UK #24) • "Let's Fly Away" – Voyage (1979 UK #38) • "Wanted" – The Dooleys (1979 UK #3) • "The Chosen Few" – The Dooleys (1979 UK #7) • "Love Patrol" – The Dooleys (1980 UK #29) • "Living By Numbers" – New Musik (1980 UK #13) • "This World of Water" – New Musik (1980 UK #31) • "Sanctuary" – New Musik (1980 UK #31) • "Gangsters of the Groove" – Heatwave (1981 UK #19)
Hit albums
Hit albums
• Fox – Fox (1975 UK #7) • No Regrets – The Walker Brothers (1976 UK #49) • Love to Love You Baby – Donna Summer (1976 UK #16) • A Love Trilogy – Donna Summer (1976 UK #41) • Too Hot to Handle – Heatwave (1977 UK #46) • I Remember Yesterday – Donna Summer (1977 UK #3) • Central Heating – Heatwave (1978 UK #26) • Greatest Hits – Donna Summer (1978 UK #4) • Voyage – Voyage (1978 UK #59) • The Best of The Dooleys – The Dooleys (1979 UK #6) • The Chosen Few – The Dooleys (1979 UK #56) • Full House – The Dooleys (1980 UK #54) • From A to B – New Musik (1980 UK #35) • Candles – Heatwave (1981 UK #29) • Anywhere – New Musik (1981 UK #68)
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
Explore 1974–1981
The full dated record · 5 entries
1974
GTO Records established.
1974
GTO Records is recorded from 1974.
1974
GTO Records was established or created on 1 January 1974.
1981
GTO Records ceased.
1981
GTO Records was dissolved or ceased in 1981.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United Kingdom
Named but not plotted · 1
GTO Records is associated with United Kingdom.
Country
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which GTO Records stands. Established or created on 1 January 1974. Dissolved or ceased in 1981. Records has its headquarters at London. Situated in United Kingdom. Recorded as record label.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “GTO Records”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2153168: GTO Records
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Sweeting, Adam. Dick Leahy obituary. The Guardian. 3 September 2020.
- 2.Laurence Myers. Lawrence Myers Biography.
- 3.Discogs. GTO Discography.
- 4.Rate Your Music. GTO Records.
- 5.Official Charts Company. Fox – Full Official Chart History.
- 6.Official Charts Company. Duane Eddy – Full Official Chart History.
- 7.Official Charts Company. Dana – Full Official Chart History.
- 8.Official Charts Company. Walker Brothers – Full Official Chart History.
- 9.Official Charts Company. Billy Ocean – Full Official Chart History.
- 10.Official Charts Company. Donna Summer – Full Official Chart History.
- 11.Official Charts Company. Heatwave – Full Official Chart History.
- 12.Official Charts Company. Tony Etoria – Full Official Chart History.
- 13.Official Charts Company. Dooleys – Full Official Chart History.
- 14.Official Charts Company. Voyage – Full Official Chart History.
- 15.Official Charts Company. New Musik – Full Official Chart History.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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