Evolution Records

{{Short description|Defunct record label (1969–1975)}} '''Evolution Records''' was a record label operated by the Stereo Dimension Records subsidiary of the Longines Symphonette Society, a unit of the Longines watch company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/evolution/evolution.html |title=Evolution Album Discography |publisher=Both Sides Now Publications |accessdate=2014-10-28}}</ref><ref name=bb1>{{cite news |author= |title=Stereo Dimension Shaping New Aim Via Westinghouse |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ggEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA10 |newspaper=Billboard |page=10 |date=February 13, 1971}}</ref> It was founded in 1969 as the retail arm of the mail-order Longines Symphonette Society, which typically issued box sets of old radio shows, such as a two-record set of Orson Welles's 1938 ''Mercury Theatre on the Air'' production of "The War of the Worlds", or traditional pop songs. Loren Becker was the president of the label.<ref name=bb2>{{cite news |author= |title=Polydor Buys Lighthouse |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA6 |newspaper=Billboard |page=6 |date=May 5, 1973}}</ref> In 1973 the label made a concerted effort to break into the soul music genre.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Evolution, Master 5 Pact Accents Soul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA48 |newspaper=Billboard |page=48 |date=March 17, 1973}}</ref>

The Canadian rock group Lighthouse earned Evolution its first gold record.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=One Fine Morning |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ggEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA1 |newspaper=Billboard |page=1 |date=October 23, 1971}}</ref> Evolution sold Lighthouse's contract to Polydor Records, but retained rights to material originally issued on Evolution.<ref name=bb2 />

Longines exited the record business in 1975.

==Artists== * Bloontz<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Evolution gives Bloontz $60G 'Bloontzkreig' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NwkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA58 |newspaper=Billboard |page=58 |date=February 24, 1973}}</ref> * Dorothea Joyce<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Signings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eygEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA18 |newspaper=Billboard |page=18 |date=August 12, 1972}}</ref> * Lighthouse * Richard Sarstedt<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Signings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Evolution+Records%22&pg=PA22 |newspaper=Billboard |page=22 |date=September 25, 1971}}</ref> * Steel River<ref name=bb1 />

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == *[http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/evolution/evolution.html Evolution Album Discography] — Both Sides Now Publications

Category:Defunct record labels of the United States Category:Record labels established in 1969 Category:Record labels disestablished in 1975