Tiger Lily Records Explained

Tiger Lily Records
Founded:Late 1960s
Parent:Roulette Records
Country:USA
Location:40 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
Founder:Morris Levy

The United States version of Tiger Lily Records was a record label that was run by Roulette Records founder Morris Levy. Purportedly it was a tax scam created by Levy and was never intended to make a profit. Tiger Lily's primary modus operandi was to acquire demo tapes from artists or studios and then release them without the artists consent and sometimes without even the artist's knowledge. Other albums released by Tiger Lily have been identified as bootlegs of albums released in the early 1970s by Artie Ripp's Family Productions and two cases of performers who were actually signed to Tiger Lily Records have been identified.[1]

The most prominent artists known to have a record released by Tiger Lily were Richard Pryor, whose album L.A. Jail was released by Tiger Lily, and Rod Stewart, who had a live recording of him in performance at the 1973 Reading and Leeds Festivals released by Tiger Lily in 1976 under the title Reading Festival Featuring Rod Stewart. The album credited to Stewart was really a collection of various artists from the Reading Festival, with Rod Stewart and the Faces only appearing on one track. The most expensive and best known Tiger Lily Records release is the album "Stonewall"[2] credited to a band of the same name. It has sold for as much as $14,100.

Along with Guinness Records, Tiger Lily was one of the major tax scam labels of the 1970s with around 70 albums being released. The types of albums released by Tiger Lily fell into several broad categories:

Record collector and music producer Stephan Colloredo-Mansfeld is said to own the largest collection of Tiger Lily releases in the world.

List of Records

!!Artist!Title!Year !Cover
1AirborneAirborne1976
2Brother BaitBrother Bait1976
3Brubeck, Darius & FriendsDarius Brubeck & Friends1976
4Cahoon Lindsay Band, JamesKinky Mersey1976
5CalliopeCalliope1976
6Carr, FrankieFrankie Carr1975
7Clarke, LindaYes, Indeed!
8Claude & SherryClaude & Sherry
9Corbitt & DanielsLive I
10Corbitt & DanielsLive II
11Drake Band, SteveNature Intended
12Fields & ShipleyFields & Shipley
13Gordon, JonJon Gordon
14Gray, DobieGray, Dobie
15Heavy CruiserHeavy Cruiser
16Holbrook Experience, JohnMiserable You
17Howard, James NewtonJames Newton Howard
18Jade, Roland12 For The Road
19James, JayGood Times & Bad Times
20King, ClydieRushing To Meet You
21Lewis, DavidJust Mollie and Me..
22Mead, DavidI'm On Stage
23Oliver WalrusMe, Myself And I
24Pryor, RichardL.A. Jail1976
25Rose, TimUnfinished Song
26Sherman, SteveIt Is What It Is...
27Starr, CharlieCharlie Starr
28Stewart, Rod & FriendsReading Festival
29Titus, LibbyTitus, Libby
30Woodstock RevivalCruisin' In Time
31OnionMade from Plate1976
32Sounds of the City ExperienceSounds of the City Experience1976
33Too SmoothToo Smooth1976
34Turner, VelvertVelvert Turner1976

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Tiger Lily path to rock stardom (Scoggins & Airborne). Lundborg. Patrick. Patrick Lundborg. Acid Archives Blog. December 2, 2012. April 2, 2018.
  2. Web site: Lysergic Sound Distributors Music Amigos. 2021-02-20. www.lsdsounds.com.