Roi Recording
A label based in classical music in the early 1960s with a few releases in other genres.
Started by Dana King, director of the Vanderbilt University band, the company used his last name in French to distinguish it from other King recording labels. According to a Tennessean article in 1961, Don Cassel, an assistant professor of music at Peabody College was vice president, and Stephen Sefsik, a Fisk University teacher as treasurer. Sefsik performed as a clarinetist for the Nashville Symphony, which at that time was a part-time commitment, meaning performers had to supplement their income with other paying jobs. IN an article for The Tennessean chronicling the other lives of Symphony performers, Sefsik is seen in the ROI studios with Dana King who is holding one of the label's classical releases.
It could be an offshoot of Roi Recording Studios at that same address (821 19th Avenue South) throughout the 1960s, listed in early1961 as owned by Murray Nash. A newspaper write-up gives the new date for ROI Studio in Oct 1961 possibly indicating a change in ownership. The address for Roi becomes the studio known as Music City Recorders, which was bought in 1964 by a group of investors, one of which being guitarist and producer Scotty Moore.
Releases involved with the label include a pair of classical recordings, as well as releases from a folk group of the day called The Cape Gay Trio. A themed release related to trap shooting by artists named Van Spaulding and Charlotte Williams help complete some of the label's only known releases. Neither of those artists recorded for other labels making it possible they are pseudonyms, with one Van Spaulding release including songs written by Cam Mullins. A quick listing in Cash Box in 1963 also references a release by Bryan Lindsey called "The Kangaroo" to be released by an Oklahoma based label, both in 1963 and again in 1964.
Dana King continued on in music in Nashville, including songwriting credits shared with his wife, Emma Neale, on a Brenda Lee song (in 1965), as well as co-writing credits on a Buzz Cason 45 and a song for The Casuals, both of which from 1966 and both were on Monument Records.
External References[edit | edit source]
https://www.discogs.com/label/1135355-ROI-Recording-Inc
https://www.discogs.com/label/1135354-ROI
https://www.discogs.com/label/716852-Music-City-Recorders-Nashville
https://www.45cat.com/label/roi-nashville
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1415948-Dana-King
https://www.discogs.com/release/14604456-Bryan-Lindsey-The-Kangaroo-The-Zoo