RCA Victor

RCA Victor on vinyl: the dog, the 45 and Elvis

In short: RCA Victor is one of the oldest record labels in the world – known for Nipper the dog, listening into the horn of a gramophone. The label introduced the 45 rpm single in 1949, signed Elvis Presley and released jazz by Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus and Nina Simone. The Vinyl Room currently has 100 RCA Victor records, above all seventies soul and funk.

From our stock

RCA Victor first pressings

Soul & funk

Jazz on RCA Victor

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→ RCA · Soul & funk on vinyl · Jazz on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing

What makes RCA Victor special?

The story begins in 1901 with the Victor Talking Machine Company in New Jersey. In 1929 the electronics company RCA took it over – hence the name RCA Victor. Nipper the dog stayed and is still one of the best-known trademarks in music history.

RCA Victor wrote record history: the small 45 rpm single with the big hole came from here in 1949, and in the mid-fifties the label signed Elvis Presley. From 1958 came the “Living Stereo” recordings – early copies with the “Shaded Dog” label are still sought after by classical collectors. In jazz there are Sonny Rollins’ “The Bridge”, Charles Mingus’ “Tijuana Moods” and Nina Simone’s RCA albums.

In our stock the seventies set the tone: soul, funk and disco, plus The Jimmy Castor Bunch’s “It’s Just Begun”, soundtracks by Henry Mancini, Latin records from Brazil and Mexico – and Scandinavian RCA editions, for example by the Swedish band Kent or Danish artists such as Birgit Lystager.

FAQ

Why is there a dog on the RCA Victor label? The dog is called Nipper and is listening to a gramophone – the picture “His Master’s Voice” was already the trademark of the Victor Talking Machine Company and remained so at RCA Victor.

What’s the difference between RCA and RCA Victor? Both belong to the same company; depending on the period and country, the label just says “RCA” or “RCA Victor”. In the shop you’ll find both as separate label pages.

What does “Living Stereo” mean? That was the name of RCA Victor’s stereo series from 1958, mainly for classical music. You can recognise early American classical copies by the “Shaded Dog” label.

What music do you have on RCA Victor? Mostly seventies soul, funk and disco, plus rock, pop, jazz and Latin – 100 records in all.