Nighthawk Records
Nighthawk Records was an American independent record label, founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue albums. This series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues recordings from Chicago, Detroit, Memphis and the Delta, New Orleans and the Southwest. In 1979, Nighthawk expanded by launching the 200 series of blues productions with Mule, an album by Henry Townsend.
Nighthawk Records
- Name
- Nighthawk Records
- Founded
- Nighthawk Records was established or created in 1976.
- Headquarters
- Nighthawk Records is situated in United States.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Nighthawk Records was an American independent record label, founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue albums. This series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues recordings from Chicago, Detroit, Memphis and the Delta, New Orleans and the Southwest. In 1979, Nighthawk expanded by launching the 200 series of blues productions with Mule, an album by Henry Townsend.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Nighthawk Records. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q602948 · wikipedia · Nighthawk Records
In this article
Overview
Overview
Townsend made his first recordings for Columbia Records in 1929. Since then he recorded and performed on a variety of labels including RCA/Bluebird, as well as Paramount, Bullet and Prestige/Bluesville. In the 1980s, Nighthawk became a predominantly conscious roots reggae label before going out of business in the late 1990s. The 300 series began in 1980 with Wiser Dread, an anthology of Rastafarian roots music recorded between 1972 and 1978. Steven Davis, author of Reggae Bloodlines, has called Wiser Dread the "..best reggae anthology since The Harder They Come ten years ago." Since then Nighthawk released a self-produced album by The Morwells of some of their singles and three volumes of Nighthawk's own Jamaican productions: Brutal Out Deh by the Itals, Symbol of Reality by the Gladiators and Calling Rastafari featuring Culture, the Itals, the Gladiators, Wailing Souls and Mighty Diamonds. In October 2017, Omnivore Recordings acquired the back catalogue of Nighthawk Records.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Nighthawk Records • Founded — 1976 • Founder — Robert Schoenfeld • Defunct — 2017 • Status — acquired by Omnivore Recordings • Country — United States • Website — www.nghthwk.com
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
The full dated record · 2 entries
1976
Nighthawk Records established.
1976
Nighthawk Records is recorded from 1976.
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.
Nighthawk Records is situated in United States.
Country
Nighthawk Records is associated with United States.
Country
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Nighthawk Records”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q602948: Nighthawk 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.
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.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,934 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Nigel OsbornePerson
- Nigel WrightPerson
- Night LovellPerson
- Night SlugsOrganisation
- Niilo SevänenPerson
- Nik BärtschPerson
- Nik KershawPerson
- Nik P.Person
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Nighthawk Records?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.