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Gaiety Records was formed in 1961 by Don Grashey and Lloyd Palmer. The name of the label came from the fact that Palmer had recently managed the Gaiety Theatre in Winnipeg. Transferred to Thunder Bay, Palmer met up with Grashey and started the label as a means of recording and distributing the music of new-found teen star, Jerry Godick. A name change was in order for Jerry, so he became "Jerry Palmer" (and no, he was not adopted by Lloyd!) and went on to have several Top 30 hits in Canada.

After a year or so, Lloyd Palmer left the company and Joe Fero joined Gaiety. He too departed after a short time, and the resulting vacancy was filled by Chuck Williams. Like Grashey, Williams was a native of Thunder Bay. He had also been a partner in Zero Records, out of Vancouver.

The duo of Grashey and Williams left Thunder Bay and set up shop in California, where they remained until 1969. Operating unlike most labels, much of Gaiety's material ended up on other imprints as a result of lease arrangements with such labels as RCA, Quality, Epic, Frankie, W&G, Decca, Gallo, Columbia, Musicor, and Crusader. During this period, Gaiety released records by Jerry Palmer, The Dudes, Duncan and Fife, The Checkerlads, White Knights, Donnie Hinson, 49th Parallel, Dewline, Myrna Lorrie, The Plague, Lexington Avenue, and Sandi Shore. The majority of the artists came from the Canadian "Prairie Provinces" and Northern Ontario, two areas unjustly neglected by major label A&R types.

In 1969, Grashey and Williams returned to Thunder Bay and set up the DMG recording studio. For the next ten years, they continued to record and lease material to other labels. Relatively little material was released under the Gaiety imprint. In addition to Jerry Palmer, 49th Parallel, and Sandi Shore, Gaiety's roster included Michael and Marnie, Merriday Park, NRG, Del Rondo, Ben Kerr, George Carone, Carroll Baker, Lyn McEachern, Noblemen, Angie Nash, Jarvis Street Revue, Portland Street South, Pork Chop Petrie, Solid Reputation, Souls of Inspyration, Kevin Wara, Wail, Lance Younger, Dave Vonau, Sheila Ann, and Heather Haig. Styles ranged from rock through MOR to country.

Gaiety ceased to record and produce records in 1979, but does continue to lease masters to various labels worldwide and to place songs in movies. Watch for the 49th Parallel to show up in both the made-for-tv movie External Affairs, and the theatrical release Fear of Fiction, which also features The Checkerlads.