Dave Miller (born David Leonard Miller; 4 July 1925, Philadelphia – 24 May 1985, London) was a record producer and the founder of many budget album record companies.
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Following World War II service in the US Navy along with his brother Paul, the two returning veterans formed their first record company with their own savings and those of their father Albert, naming their company Palda (Paul ALbert and DAvid) in Philadelphia, eventually buying out their father's share.[1]
David became the founder of Essex Records in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1951. The label had local popular success, being know mostly for its release of the early Bill Haley & His Comets recordings.[2] Miller originally changed the name of the group from the "Four Aces of Western Swing" to "Bill Haley and the Saddlemen" then repeated a suggestion that the group change their name to the Comets after Haley's Comet.[3]
After the group was signed to Decca Records, Miller was sued by Haley for selling the group's former hits on his Essex label without paying royalties.[4] Miller went bankrupt.[5]
Under his Miller International Company formed in 1957 with his Essex Records office manager George Phillips, he founded Somerset Records and Somerset Stereo Fidelity Records budget albums. Miller's greatest claim to fame was selling large amounts of cheaply priced albums, with Somerset claiming to have manufactured the first stereo budget albums.
The name of Somerset high fidelity albums was suggested by Miller International's West Coast Distributor Jimmy Warren with the name of Stereo Fidelity (stereo albums) thought of by Wally Hill to capitalise on the public's interest in both high fidelity and sterophonic sound.[6]
The economy came from Miller starting his own record factory in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania,[7] using public domain music and non union musicians from outside the United States to record cover versions of hit songs of the time. Many original tunes were written by Monty Kelly, Robert Lowden and Joseph Kuhn with the music published by Miller's own music publisher Chesdel Music[8] created in 1962.[9]
Miller had his own distribution channels of his records in supermarkets and drugstores with the cheap albums being sold in metal racks similar to those holding paperback books or cardboard record holders called "dumps" that could be placed anywhere. Miller's record album's were sold wholesale for 93 cents to salesmen who sold them to merchants who sold them to the publilc for $1.98.[10] Somerset Records used artist Chic Laganella to create attractive eye catching album covers.
Miller used the name 101 Strings for several German orchestras; their first album appearing in September 1957. In 1958 Somerset released 24 101 Strings titles. Miller International's philosophy after their experience with Essex Records was that recording "hits" was too unstable, and recording for teenagers and "sophisticates" was unprofitable as the two types bought "fads". Miller said he didn't want to record anything that would not sell ten years in the future.[11]
In 1959 Miller signed the London Philharmonic Orchestra to his label and had his Somerset albums distributed in the United Kingdom by Pye Records.[12] Disques Vogue of France followed soon afterwards.[13]
Miller sold Somerset to Al Sherman in 1963 but remained credited as a producer on the albums when Sherman changed the name to Alshire Records; though the name Somerset was still used for some albums.
Miller formed Europa Records in Germany to do to European record sales what Somerset did to the American record industry.[14]
Somerset Records discography http://forbiddeneye.com/labels/somerset.html
David L. Miller at Space Age Pop http://www.spaceagepop.com/millerdl.htm