WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — Smithsonian Folkways, a nonprofit record label dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, has announced its acquisition of Young People’s Records.
Founded in 1956 by musician and academic Horace Grenell, Young People’s Records was an early pioneer of the record club sales model and focused on providing content geared toward elementary and preschool-aged children.
In its first five years, Young People’s Records sold thousands of albums through its mail-order catalogs. It later became part of the Children’s Record Guild, owned by John Stevenson—one of the first commercially significant record clubs in the world.
The acquisition includes 135 releases and about 300 tracks, which will be made available to the public for the first time in decades. The catalog includes 10 works by American folk singer and songwriter Tom Glazer, best known as the writer of the classic children’s song “On Top of Spaghetti,” which will be available for streaming and digital download.
The catalog was donated to Smithsonian Folkways by Susan Brown, Laura Maslon, and Francine Ringold.
“Like millions of other children, we grew up singing, dancing, and learning from the extraordinary artists on the YPR and CRG labels. We loved everything they offered—from the bloom of carrot seeds to the rumble of trains to the promise of space. Our father, John Stevenson, proudly brought Horace Grenell’s musical and educational vision to a whole generation of young Americans.
Today, through our archival donation, Smithsonian Folkways is making these groundbreaking records available again to enrich the lives of generations to come! We cannot think of a more meaningful and loving way to honor our father’s pioneering legacy.”
