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Post by JamesP on Apr 12, 2018 13:02:44 GMT -5
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Post by rooster on Apr 12, 2018 13:53:22 GMT -5
I'm not sure I would call the King Label "obscure", (at least not from the standpoint of a record collector). They were pretty big, for an independent label. They had plenty of hit making artists over the years. Most well known of them was James Brown, who was originally on the King subsidiary, Federal but later had many releases on the Parent Label. In addition to Brown, the label had Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, Bill Doggett, Roy Brown, Ivory Joe Hunter, Little Willie John, Etta James and many others.
The label itself was founded by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a " Hillbilly/Country" label. As such, King released records by some of the great early country artists, like Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, the Delmore Bros., Homer And Jethro, Reno And Smiley, Hard rock Gunter, Merle Travis and so on. King also carried Blues, R&B Vocal Groups and even a few Jazz artists on their roster.
rooster
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Post by rooster on Apr 14, 2018 16:06:53 GMT -5
Just a word about obscure record labels.
Most of the time, record labels during the time period were talking about weren't just R&B labels, but rather, labels that released music in various genres dominated by black artists. The owners of record labels certainly didn't want their labels to be obscure. They usually recorded a variety of artists because they were trying to produce that elusive hit record. Generally, one can find Blues, R&B, Jazz, and even a stab at Pop music on small, independent black owned labels of the 1950's and early 1960s. Their eventual failure, even though they may have produced some fine records along the way, was often due to a lack of money for recording, pressing, promotion and distribution of their product. Some of the recordings released by these small companies may have even been local or regional "hits", but the lack of resources caused the songs to go no further.
The Club 51 label of Chicago, I'll. is an example of one such record company:
The Club 51 US Labelography
The Club 51 label existed between 1955-1957. All Club 51 records were released on 78 and 45 RPM formats. There were only seven releases during the lifetime of the label. The label was started by Jimmie and Lillian Davis in 1955 as an adjunct to their record store, The Savoy Record Mart. They were also the owners of The Park City Bowl, a roller skating rink, that was also utilized as a music venue.
Club 51 101 Prince Cooper The Wiggler/I'm Sitting On Top Of The World; 1955 (Prince Cooper was a pianist and vocalist who also recorded for the Aristocrat label (a forerunner of Chess) and the Exclusive label. This recording features his combo, Hal Ashby on Tenor Saxophone, Wilbur Wynne on Guitar, Jimmy Crosby on Bass and James Slaughter on Drums. Prince Cooper also backed other artists on their own sessions).
Club 51 102 is unknown.
Club 51 103 Rudy Greene Highway No. 1/You Mean Everything To Me; 1955 ("B" side as by Rudy Greene And The Four Buddies. Rudy Greene had recorded some Blues sides for Memphis, Tennessee's Bullet label in 1949. He had also recorded for Chicago's Chance label and would later record what would become his best known side, "Juicyfruit", for the Ember Label in NYC).
Bobbie James And The Four Buddies Club 51 104 I Need You So/Baby I'm Tired; 1955 ("B" side as by Bobbie James. The "A" side was originally written and recorded by Ivory Joe Hunter who had a hit with the song in 1950. Bobbie James seems to have faded from the music industry within the next few years).
The Four Buddies Club 51 105 Look Out/"Delores; 1955 (The Four Buddies formed in 1952 in Chicago, I'll. They were "discovered" by Jimmie Davis at an R&B show put on by DJ McKie Fitzhugh).
Sunnyland Slim Club 51 106 Be Mine Alone/Sad And Lonesome; 1955 (Sunnyland Slim was Club 51's best known artist even back in 1955. He had recorded for a number of small labels, including one of his own. This however was one of the last 45 releases for Sunnyland Slim until the 1960's.)
Honey Brown Club 51 107 No Good Daddy/Ain't No Need; 1956 (Honey Brown was a Blues singer, apparently of some renown, in Chicago, Il. and Detroit Mi. She seems to have appeared frequently in both cities during her heyday. She had previously recorded for the Derby label of NYC and would later have one release on the M&M label of Chicago,I'll. In 1961).
The King's Men Club 51 108 Kickin' With My Stallion/Don't Say You're Sorry; 1957 (The King's Men were formed in 1954 by five friends while still in high school in Chicago,I'll. This record was recorded in 1956.)
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