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| TV4U Celebrates the 55th Anniversary of Its RKO Unique Records Unit TV4U, operator of the 48 channnel IPTV video portal TV4U.Com, will celebrate the 55th anniversary of their RKO Unique Records unit in November. RKO is one of 56 record labels owned by Margate Entertainment LLC, a Henderson, Nevada based independent stand alone content provider. RKO Records was formed as Unique Records in November 1955 by band leader Joe Leahy. In 1957 it was acquired by RKO. In 1960, RKO General sold off the unit and it was eventually acquired by current RKO Records CEO Tom Ficara in 1990. Ficara has operated the company since 1990 and merged the company into Margate Entertainment LLC in 2007. For the past twenty years, Ficara has revitalized the RKO Records label. First he had all of the masters digitally remastered. Then, through a deal with Varese Sarabande Records, had the major titles on the label reissued and distributed by MCA, now Universal Distribution. In the 1990's Ficara also restarted the original production of music under Music Director Ron Dante. During the 1990's RKO recorded more than 100 classic hits sung by their ortiginal artists. These hits were recorded in both audio and video and can be seen on Wibbage.Net, the rock and roll IPTV channel on TV4U.Com. Currently, RKO Records is recording Las Vegas jazz artist Laura Shaffer with an LP called "The Julie London Songbook." It is due out in January 2011. In addition, RKO is scheduling 48 new albums for 2011. RKO Records has also reestablished the RKO Orchestra, who are currently recording many of the new albums for 2011 including RKO / 101 Strings; RKO / 50 Guitars; the RKO / Longines Symphonette and the RKO / Mexicali Brass. Artists in the RKO Rockand and Roll series include Len Barry (The Dovells), Donnie Brooks, Jewel Akins, Cannibal and the Headhunters, Merrilee Rush, Chris Montez, John Gummoe (The Cascades), Al Wilson, Spencer Davis, Lou Christie, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Mel Carter, Mark Lindsay, The Cufflinks, Ian Whitcomb, Mitch Ryder, Pete Rivera (Rare Earth), The Originals, The Mermaids, Bruce Belland (Four Preps), Chuck Rio (The Champs), J J Jackson, Lennie Welch, Jim Yester (The Association), the Bay City Rollers, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Miracles, The Grass Roots, Sweetwater, Moby Grape, Little Anthony, Leslie Gore, Fabian, The Diamonds, Chubby Checker, Brian Hyland, Chuck Jackson, The Coasters, Frankie Ford, Jean Knight, Robert Parker, Ernie K Doe, The Latin Quarter Jazz Quartet, and Bo Diddley. Other classic record labels owned by Margate include Sussex Records, Unique Jazz, Boardwalk Records, Kingsway Records, Country Squire Records, Audio Fidelity Records, Gryphon Records, Skye Records, Cash Records, and Canadian American Records. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |