The Times Square Label was founded in March of 1961 by Irving "Slim" Rose, proprietor of the Times Square Record Shop, originally located in a "hole-in-the-wall" shop in the subway entrance on the west side of the old Times Tower (now the Allied Chemical Building) on Broadway and 42nd Street in New York City. His purpose in launching the label was twofold - first, to make money, and second, to promote the then-dying "group" sound in Rock 'N' Roll music. The label continued to operate under the same ownership, releasing 53 singles and one L.P. album, until about mid-1965. The business moved one block east to a larger subway entrance store on the northeast corner of 6th Avenue (a/k/a Avenue Of The Americas) and 42nd Street around June of 1963.

Sometime in mid-1965 or early 1966, Slim sold the business to Eddie Gries and Hal Ginsburg. About a year later Eddie and Hal sold the retail business to Louis Silvani, who re-opened the 6th Avenue store on July 8, 1967. Eddie apparently kept the record masters as part of the deal, and Hal faded from the scene.

The masters were then incorporated into the holdings of the Relic Label (a division of New Jersey's Relic Rack - owned by Eddie and Donn Fileti).

Lou Silvani ultimately moved the business from Manhattan to the Bronx, and released the last three records on the label (one from Manhattan, and two from the Bronx).
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Record #	Title	Artist	Release Date
421	My Love / Here In My Heart * * First pressing, later pressings - "In My Heart"	Timetones	March 1961
422	Go Back Where You Came From / Times Square Stomp	Summits	July 1961

Times Square Records also produced:
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In December of 1962, Slim reactivated the Times Square label with a new label design, in imitation of Chicago's "Chance" label, and starting with record # 1.
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The following six releases were so numbered after Slim sold the masters which originally bore these numbers to other labels (Relic, Lost Nite, and possibly Candlelite).
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Slim's final 45 r.p.m. releases were in a "100" series, beginning with # 101, in December of 1964.
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In 1965, Slim produced the only Times Square Records LP (distributed by Relic):

ACAPPELLA - The Sound Of The City� #201

Side A:
La Di Da - Vitones
Vows Of Love - Tommy & the Tears
Too Young - Tear Stains
Old Love - Vitones
Alka Seltzer - Knick Knocks
Sometimes I Wonder - El Sierros
Punishment - Tommy & the Tears
Temptation - Knick Knocks
Let Him Know - Tommy & the Tears
I Lost My Job - Revlons

Side B:
Stop Look & Listen - Memories
Our Love Is A Vow - El Sierros
The Dream I Had Of You - Revlons
Glory Of Love - El Sierros
If You Love Me - Monteys
This Is The Night - El Sierros
Over The Rainbow - El Sierros
Teardrops - Monteys
Walking Along - El Sierros
Roseanne - Nutmegs

Slim sold the business to Eddie Gries and Hal Ginsburg in 1966, and the label essentially became dormant. Eddie and Hal only renumbered the following records in 1966, placing them ahead of Slim's "100" series.

Then in 1967 Lou Silvani reactivated the label at number 110.
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That's about the story of the Times Square Label, a label and a record store that kept the vocal group harmony sound alive for about 15 years.

Lou Silvani also started a subsidiary label, Romantic Rhythm, which had at least one one release:

Record #	Title	Artist	Release Date
101	Dreams Come True / Mello-Jello (Part 2)	Gee-Chords	1974

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Copyright � 2002-2004 - Doo Wop Gino

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Last updated 9 May 2004.

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