Label Guide: Alston
Alston Records was a record label founded by Steve Alaimo (Al-) and Henry Stone (-ston) in 1968, initially with a distribution contract with Atlantic Records. Under this contract, Alston's first productions were released on Atlantic's ATCO label, and subsequent albums with an Alston label but Atlantic's SD numbering system.
The biggest act on Alston was Betty Wright, who signed with the label at the young age of 15, and scored plenty of R&B hits for Alston over the years.
When the Atlantic contract expired in 1974, Alaimo and Stone moved distribution to T.K. Productions, and Alston started its own numbering system. It eventually became a division of T.K. and lasted until 1981 when T.K. went bankrupt and Alston was closed down.
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1. Label Variation (I)
first Alston label (1972 - 1974)
The first Alston label when distribution was handled by Atlantic Records and Alston used the Atlantic SD 33 numbering system.
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1. Label Variation (II)
first Alston label (1972 - 1974)
The first Alston label (variation) when distribution was handled by Atlantic Records and Alston used the Atlantic SD 33 numbering system.
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2. Label Variation
second Alston label (1974 - 1976)
In 1974, Alston distribution changed to T.K. and the label started with the 4400-series. This rainbow-style design was in use from 1974 to 1976 for the first six albums in the series, Alston 4400-4405.
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3. Label Variation
third Alston label (1977 - 1981)
The final Alston label, introduced in 1977, was bright gold with a new gold logo. Used for the remaining releases, from Alston 4406 to 4412.