Vanguard RecordsVanguard records was originally a classical music distributor, set up by Maynard and Seymour Solomon, in the early 1950's. Throughout the decade the company expanded into jazz and finally at the end of the decade into folk music, the genre with which the company is now linked in recording history. Many important folk and 'folk blues' recordings from the end of the 1950's and early 1960's were released on the label, including those by The Weavers, Rooftop Singers, Joan Baez and Tom Paxton. The label also released live recording from the Newport Folk Festival which included the earliest official releases of Bob Dylan recordings. The company expanded into rock toward the end of the 1960's. Vanguard has continued to release reissues of it's classic recordings and new material despite periods of inactivity and changes of ownership.All Country Joe & The Fish releases were on the Vanguard label as were all Country Joe McDonald recordings up until 1974 and Barry Melton's first solo release. The labels also released recordings by a number of other Bay Area groups of the late sixties including; Serpent Power, Notes From The Underground and The Cleanliness And Godliness Skiffle Band.
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