Skye Records
Skye Records was a United States–based record label established in early 1968 by music executive/producer/artist manager Norman Schwartz, in partnership with musician/arranger Gary McFarland, guitarist Gábor Szabó, and vibraphonist Cal Tjader. According to Billboard magazine, the label aimed to attract "established artists who are unhappy with their present record company affiliation." It said Schwartz "believes that too many recording artists have been shortchanged when it comes to their agreements with record companies and that they have not been given enough control over their recording output." The label offered artists profit-sharing, insurance benefits, and performance subsidies. Its catalog was primarily jazz, although some Skye artists played pop, soft rock, and orchestral music.
Skye Records
- Name
- Skye Records
- Founded
- 1968
- Founder
- Cal Tjader
- Headquarters
- New York City
- Dissolved
- 1970
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Skye Records was a United States–based record label established in early 1968 by music executive/producer/artist manager Norman Schwartz, in partnership with musician/arranger Gary McFarland, guitarist Gábor Szabó, and vibraphonist Cal Tjader. According to Billboard magazine, the label aimed to attract "established artists who are unhappy with their present record company affiliation." It said Schwartz "believes that too many recording artists have been shortchanged when it comes to their agreements with record companies and that they have not been given enough control over their recording output." The label offered artists profit-sharing, insurance benefits, and performance subsidies. Its catalog was primarily jazz, although some Skye artists played pop, soft rock, and orchestral music.
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Overview
Overview
The three musician partners each released three solo albums on the label. Szabó also collaborated with vocalist Lena Horne on the release, Lena and Gabor, for which McFarland provided arrangements. McFarland arranged and conducted the Grady Tate album Slaves, and produced and arranged the soft rock album Genesis, by Wendy and Bonnie. The Horne/Szabó album scored a surprising Top 40 hit in 1970 with "Watch What Happens." The label released 21 studio albums before declaring bankruptcy in 1970. The rights to the label's catalog were retained by Schwartz, who licensed a handful of titles to Buddha. In 1978 Schwartz founded Gryphon Records, through which he reissued a number of Skye titles, as well as new recordings by such artists as Mel Torme, Michel Legrand, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. The U.S.-founded Skye has no relation to a label of the same name founded in Scotland in 2003.
It is associated with United States. The record gives 1968 as its date of establishment or first appearance. Activity is recorded as ending in 1970. Recorded genres are jazz. Its recorded founders are Cal Tjader. Its recorded seat is New York City.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Skye Records • Founded — 1968 • Founder — Norman Schwartz, Gary McFarland, Gábor Szabó, Cal Tjader • Defunct — 1970 • Status — Defunct • Genre — Jazz, pop • Country — U.S. • Location — New York
Artists
Artists
• Ruth Brown • Lena Horne • Gary McFarland • Airto Moreira • Armando Peraza • Chuck Rainey • Gábor Szabó • Grady Tate • Cal Tjader • Wendy and Bonnie
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- United States
Named but not plotted · 1
Skye Records is associated with United States.
Country
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.Creed Taylor, a produit tous les albums de cal Tjader chez Verve Records (Voir discographie 1962 à 1967 Cal Tjader). La naissance de Skye Records en 1968 coïncide avec le départ de Creed Taylor en 1967 parti chez A&M pour fonder son propre label Creed Taylor Incorporated / CTI Records, une nouvelle filiale d'A&M. Il semble que Cal Tjader alors sans producteur, soucieux d'explorer de nouvelles directions artistiques et ne souhataitant visiblement pas suivre Taylor, est décidé, de quitter Verve Records pour fonder son propre label : Skye Records.
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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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