Downey Records

{{Short description|American record label}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox record label

| name = Downey Records

| founded = 1961

| genre =

| location = 13117 Lakewood Blvd, Downey, California, U.S.

| founder = Bill Wenzel

| distributor = Dot Records

}}

Downey Records was an American record label owned by Bill Wenzel (July 26, 1912 – November 20, 1999) in Downey, California,{{Cite magazine|date=November 10, 1962|title=Music As Written: Hollywood|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1962/Billboard%201962-11-10.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=61}} and distributed at times by Dot Records.{{Cite magazine|date=March 2, 1963|title=Dot Released "Pipe Line"|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1963/Billboard%201963-03-02.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=28}}

Wenzel worked as a sound engineer for MGM studios and in 1958, opened Wenzel's Music Town in Downey, California. In 1959, he began the Jack Bee label which he eventually turned into the Downey label with a studio in the back of the record store. Wenzel operated the store with his wife, his son and daughter-in-law. When they were not creating masters in the studio, the studio was rented out. Wenzel produced Downey Records at his studio and made dubs of out-of-stock songs upon request.{{Cite magazine|date=November 16, 1963|title=Coast Store Leaning on Oldies, Moves 3,000 a Wk.|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1963/Billboard%201963-11-16.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=4}} When Wenzel retired from the business in the 1960s, his son Tom Wenzel (1935–2008) and Tom's wife Maxine continued running the shop.

The biggest hit on the label was the instrumental "Pipeline" by the Chantay's, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 11 on the R&B chart in 1963.{{Cite web|title=Pipeline (song by The Chantays) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts|url=https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Pipeline+by+The+Chantays&id=41873|website=www.musicvf.com|access-date=January 9, 2020}} Singer-songwriter Barry White produced "Feel Aw Right" by the Bel Canto's on Downey Records in 1965, and released his first recordings under the name Lee Barry on the label in 1966.{{Cite web|title=Barry White was the voice of romance|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-07-07-0307070271-story.html|last=Ollison|first=Rashod D.|date=July 7, 2003|website=Baltimore Sun|language=en-US|access-date=January 9, 2020}} During the early 1960s, Downey was also producing records by The Rumblers, whose biggest hit "Boss" was leased to Dot Records, as well as "Pipeline", which had been leased around the same time.

In 2007, Big Beat Records released the compilation album It Came from the Garage! Nuggets from Southern California, compiled from Downey recordings.