Southern Gospel label, mainly active from the mid-1960s through the 1980s, and based in Waco, Texas. Canaan Records was established in 1964 by Word, Inc. executive Marvin Norcross as the Southern Gospel subsidiary for Word, Inc. For the rest of the 60s and 70s, the names Canaan Records and Marvin Norcross were synonymous.
In 1965, the label released its first LP, "Wonderful Time Up There," by Plainsmen Quartet. In April 2007, Word announced the revival of the Canaan label, and the first new release was a reissue of the 2006 Hoppers release, "The Ride." In 2009, Word closed Canaan Records, but continued to release "The Canaan Vault" collection on iTunes, which are remastered recordings from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.