GTO Records

GTO Records is a British record label which released many hits during the 1970s. It ran from 1974 to 1981 and mainly concentrated on pop music and disco. The acronym represented the Gem Toby Organization.

Background

The record label was founded by Laurence Myers in 1974, after he had set up GTO Films and Arcade Records over the past two years. The label signed mainly pop and disco acts such as Billy Ocean, the Dooleys and Heatwave, and released Donna Summer's records in the UK, all of which proved to be successful. Lulu also briefly recorded for the label. The biggest hit released by the label was Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", which reached No.1 in 1977.

In 1978, the label was sold to CBS Records after achieving a high level of hits for a new label. From this time, the Donna Summer records moved to Casablanca Records, while the hits for other acts began to dry up over the next two years. The label was wrapped up in late 1981 when its roster of acts were either dropped or moved onto Epic Records - also owned by CBS. Prior to the sell and transfer of artists, Epic distributed many of GTO albums, namely Heatwave's output.