Bearsville Records
Bearsville Records was founded in 1970 by Albert Grossman. Artists included Todd Rundgren, Elizabeth Barraclough, Foghat, Halfnelson/Sparks, Bobby Charles, Randy VanWarmer, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Lazarus, Jesse Winchester, and NRBQ. The label closed in 1984, two years before Grossman's death. Sally Grossman, Albert Grossman’s widow, has been running Bearsville Records since 2010.
Bearsville's initial distributor was Ampex Records. From 1972 until its folding, the label was distributed by Warner Bros. Records in most countries. In the UK it was distributed by Warner until 1979, and then Island until 1981; its last few British releases were licensed to independent labels Avatar and Lamborghini. Rhino Records currently distributes the Bearsville catalog.
Many of the artists on the roster recorded at Grossman's Bearsville Studios.
Notable artists
- Elizabeth Barraclough
- Paul Butterfield
- Jonathan Cain
- Felix Cavaliere
- Bobby Charles
- The dB's
- Foghat
- Jesse Frederick
- Nick Jameson
- Norma Jean Wright
- Lazarus
- Liar
- Willie Mitchell
- NRBQ
- Roger Powell
- Todd Rundgren
- Utopia
- Randy Vanwarmer
- Jesse Winchester
- Sparks
Discography
1970 (under AMPEX distribution)
- The American Dream - The American Dream
- Gil Evans - Gil Evans
- Great Speckled Bird - Great Speckled Bird
- Jesse Winchester - Jesse Winchester
- Todd Rundgren - Runt 1005
1971
- Jericho - Jericho
- Todd Rundgren - Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren 10116
- Jesse Frederick - Jesse Frederick This was the first album to be released by Bearsville under Warner Bros. distribution. This release was a Bearsville / Reprise records release as noted on the back cover but used a Bearsville label on the LP.
- Lazarus - Lazarus
1972
- Sparks - Half Nelson
- Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? BRX 2066
- Hungry Chuck - Hungry Chuck
- Foghat - Foghat BR 2077
- Jesse Winchester - Third Down, 110 to Go
- Bobby Charles - Bobby Charles
- Paul Butterfield - Better Days
1973
- Sparks - A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
- Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star BR 2133
- Lazarus - A Fool's Paradise
- Foghat - Foghat BR 2136
- Jean Yves Labat - M. Frog
- Paul Butterfield - It All Comes Back
- Todd Rundgren - Todd Rundgren's Rack Job 2BV 2156
- Foghat - Energized BR 6950 First Bearsville release using its own 6000 catalog number sequence
1974
- Todd Rundgren - Todd 2BR 6952
- Jesse Winchester - Learn to Love it
- Todd Rundgren - Todd Rundgren's Utopia BR 6954
- Felix Cavaliere - Felix Cavaliere BR 6955
- Foghat - Rock and Roll Outlaws BR 6956
1975
- Todd Rundgren - Initiation BR 6957
- Felix Cavaliere - Destiny BR 6958
- Foghat - Fool For the City BR 6959
- Paul Butterfield - Put It In Your Ear BR 6960
- Utopia - Another Live BR 6961
1976
- Foghat - Night Shift BR 6962
- Todd Rundgren - Faithful BR 6963
- Jesse Winchester - Let the Rough Side Drag BR 6964
1977
- Utopia - RA BR 6965
- Tony Wilson - I Like Your Style
- Jesse Winchester - Nothing But a Breeze
- Jonathan Cain Band - Windy City Breakdown
- Utopia - Oops! Wrong Planet BR 6970
- Foghat - Foghat Live BR 6971
- Nick Jameson - Already Free
1978
- Foghat - Stone Blue BRK 6977
- Foghat - Fool For The City BRK 6980
- Jesse Winchester - A Touch on the Rainy Side
- Todd Rundgren - Hermit of Mink Hollow BRK 6981
- Elizabeth Barraclough - Elizabeth Barraclough BRK 6978
- Liar - Set the World on Fire
- Norma Jean Wright - Norma Jean
- Todd Rundgren - Back to the Bars 2BRX 6986
1979
- Tony Wilson - Catch One
- Randy Vanwarmer - Warmer
- Elizabeth Barraclough - Hi!
- Foghat - Boogie Motel BRK 6990
- Utopia - Adventures In Utopia BRK 6991
1980
- Roger Powell - Air Pocket BRK 6994
- Kenny Doss - Movin'on A Feeling
- Randy Vanwarmer - Terraform
- Foghat - Tight Shoes BRK 6999
- Pam Windo and the Shades - It First release using the Warner Bros 3000 catalog number sequence
- Brian Briggs - Brian Damage
- Utopia - Deface the Music BRK 3487
1981
- Paul Butterfield - North-South
- Johnny Average Band - Some People
- Todd Rundgren - Healing BHS 3522
- Jesse Winchester - Talk Memphis
- Donald O'Connor - Come Alive
- Willie Mitchell - Listen Dance
- Randy Vanwarmer - Beat of Love
- Foghat - Girls to Chat and Boys to Bounce BRK 3578
1982
- Brian Briggs - Combat Zone
- Utopia - Swing To The Right BRK 3666
- Todd Rundgren - The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect 23732 First release to us the 5 digit Warner Bros. number sequence
- Foghat - In The Mood for Something Rude 23747
1983
- Nicole Wills - Tell Me
- Randy Vanwarmer - The Things That You Dream
- NRBQ - Grooves in Orbit
- Foghat - Zig-Zag Walk 23888
1984
- Human Body - Make You Shake It 23995
- Freida Parton - Two-Faced 23999
- Todd Rundgren - A Cappella 25128
- The dB's - Like This 25146