HORIZON RECORDS HISTORY
A&M Records announced Horizon as a jazz series not a label in May 1975. A&M planned to release one album per month retailing for $5.98. John Snyder, who started his career under Creed Taylor at CTI Records, was to head the series. Billboard quoted Mr. Snyder, "The Horizon Series concept is to present sophisticated contemporary jazz in the best production and merchandising package possible....We hope to widen the jazz market by creative merchandising and packaging at the high level of taste and quality that has been associated with A&M." (June 7, 1975)
Like CTI, Horizon developed distinctive album packaging and liner notes for its recordings. Each of the original albums was packaged in a gatefold cover. The inside of the cover contained artist biography and/or song notes, discography, lead sheet transcription of a song on the album, photos of the artist or the recording session, and a stereo mix diagram or graphic scope that showed the channels of the instruments during the mix of a song so the listener could set his stereo system to replicate the intended sound.
Horizon was based in A&M's New York offices. On October 31, 1975, the first five Horizon albums were released and were supported with a marketing campaign. The Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond album "The Duets" was Horizon's first Top 200 album on the Billboard Pop Album Chart. Horizon would not chart again for three years.
In March 1977, A&M launched a major sales campaign of more than 70 titles from CTI, A&M and Horizon. The campaign included print and radio ads, and for retailers, posters, mobiles and an in-store play sampler.
Inexplicably, A&M Records used the Horizon Records logo for its Superstar Teaching Machine Series. These were reading and activity packages for early elementary school children. There were packages featuring The Captain and Tennille, the Carpenters, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston, Cat Stevens and Paul Williams. Each featured a cardboard carrying case, reissued 45, poster, and activity book.
In June 1977, John Snyder left Horizon Records. In its first two years, Horzion had built a catalog of 25 albums. None of the artists who recorded the albums were still signed to Horizon. (Note: John Snyder was Chet Baker's manager. In 1977, Baker recorded two albums that were finally released in 1990 on CD, The Best Thing for You and You Can't Go Home Again. The albums were somewhat of a reunion of CTI personnel Don Sebesky produced, Paul Desmond played his final recording sessions, Ron Carter sat in on drums. Former CTI artist Hubert Laws and Horizon artist Richard Beirach appeared on the recordings too.
In December 1977, A&M brought Tommy LiPuma (the first A&R head of A&M Records) to Horizon to "redefine the label as a contemporary music series." The first release under LiPuma was by Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela.
In February 1978, three of Horizon's first five albums were on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Each would sell around 50,000 copies. A&M created a sampler album from these albums for radio, retail and colleges. Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela recorded a concert, "The Main Event Live," on Horizon. It was a Top 100 Billboard Pop album.
Horizon's last Billboard successes would be in 1979 when Brenda Russell charted with a Top 100 album and a Top 40 single.
In September 1979, both Billboard and Melody Maker reported that A&M closed Horizon Records because of an industry-wide slump in music sales.
Horizon released 28 singles with one Top 30 Billboard Pop Chart hit and 55 albums including 14 from What? Records. Four of the albums were on Billboard's Top Pop Album chart; two were Top 100 and two were Top 200.
In 1988, 11 Horizon titles were reissued on CD in A&M's Jazz Heritage Series (CD 0800). Packaged in trifold digipaks, these were small printings that were taken out of print quickly. Selections from Horizon Records were included on the two A&M Jazz Heritage Series samplers.
SOURCES:
1. Billboard. A&M Horizon Jazz Series Rates Pop-Type Campaign. E. Tiegel. October 11, 1975.2. Billboard. A&M Launces Promo on Jazz. March 19, 1977.
3. Billboard. Re-Defined Horizon Enfolds New Acts. Ed Harrison. July 15, 1978.
4. Billboard. A&M Ponders Fate of Defunct Horizon Acts. September 1, 1979.
5. Ed Michel Jazz Producer
