Started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell.

Russell remained with Shelter until 1976, when he and Cordell fell out and he left to start his own label, Paradise Records.

Shelter Records was originally distributed by Blue Thumb Records, but then by Capitol/EMI (1970-73), MCA (1974-75) and subsequently by ABC Records until 1979, when ABC was sold off to MCA. MCA released one more album (by J.J. Cale) using the Shelter label and then all remaining Shelter artists were put on another MCA subsidiary, Backstreet Records.