The Peacock record label was started in 1949 in Houston, Texas by nightclub owner, songwriter and talent manager Don Robey.
Also appears as "Peacock" only. Also consider label as 2nd label for reissues. See label for unofficial releases.
For the companies, see label (50s), Peacock Records, Inc. (60s), ABC Records, Inc. (1973-).
Robey discovered and managed Peacock's first artist artist and built up an impressive roster including Big Mama Thornton, whose original version of "Hound Dog" (later covered by Elvis Presley) was recorded on Peacock. The label is best known for its gospel music division (whose major acts included The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Sensational Nightingales and The Mighty Clouds of Joy) whose output soon outnumbered the the label's R&B releases. Robey created the gospel sister label Song Bird (2) sometime around 1964. Though Peacock still issued R&B recordings well into the Sixties, Robey created the Back Beat (2) label in 1957 and used it in tandem with the Duke label (which he initially merged Peacock with in 1952 and gained control of a year later) for R&B material.
On May 23, 1973 Peacock was sold to ABC Records. Robey stayed on as a consultant with ABC supervising reissues from the Peacock/Songbird/Duke/Back Beat catalog until his death on June 16, 1975.
It persevered as the gospel-only ABC Peacock division from 1974 despite the Mighty Clouds of Joy being moved to Dunhill Records (and then the parent ABC label as Dunhill wound down that same year) until ABC Records' sale to MCA Records in late 1978. MCA reissued 100-plus Peacock and Songbird gospel LPs in the early Eighties on with references to Peacock and Songbird eliminated from the covers and new MCA catalog numbers stamped in gold.
45 RPM Catalog Number, Date and Label Identification:
1500 through 1604 (1949–1952): Flat maroon label
1605 through 1675 (1952–1957): Glossy red label.
1676 through 1699 (1957–1961): White label.
1700 through 1899 (1952–1961): Black label.
1900 through 1925 (1961–1962): White label.
1926 and higher (1962 forward): Blue and multi-colored label.
Red plastic exists in the 1700 series. This series was Peacock's gospel series and, as the years indicate, it paralleled their 1600 pop series rather than followed it.