Neil Bogart founded Casablanca Records, the label closely associated with 1970s disco.
Bogart established the company in 1973 after leaving Buddah Records. He named it Casablanca Records and built the label around a flamboyant image, ambitious promotion, and artists who appealed to emerging rock, funk, and dance audiences.
The label’s major disco success came through acts including Donna Summer, whose releases helped make Casablanca one of the era’s best-known dance-music companies. Parliament also became an important Casablanca act, while the label developed a reputation for colorful packaging and theatrical marketing.
Casablanca was not the only label shaping disco: Salsoul, RSO, Atlantic, and Philadelphia International were also central to the movement. A common mix-up is confusing Neil Bogart with the artists signed to the label. Bogart was the founder and executive behind the company, not a performer responsible for Casablanca’s hit recordings.