Buddah Records

Buddah Records (now known as Buddha Records) was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding. Buddah handled a variety of music genres, including bubblegum pop (the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company), folk-rock (Melanie), experimental music (Captain Beafheart), and soul (Gladys Knight And The Pips).

In addition to the Buddah imprint, the company distributed many other independent labels, including Kama Sutra Records (after Kama Sutra cut their distribution ties with MGM in 1969), Curtom Records (Curtis Mayfield), T-Neck Records (the Isley Brothers), Charisma Records (Genesis, Monty Python), Sussex Records (Bill Withers), Hot Wax Records (Holland-Doxier-Holland) post-Motown productions) and smaller subsidiaries.


Kama Sutra Records helped bolster MGM Records' profits during 1965 and 1966, primarily due to the success of Kama Sutra's flagship artists The Lovin' Spoonful. Kama Sutra's head, Art Kass ultimately grew dissatisfied with his distribution deal with MGM and started Buddah Records in 1967, with his Kama Sutra partners, Artie Ripp, Hy Mizrahi, Phil Steinberg, and (allegedly) Italian mobster Sonny Franzese.
Kass brought in 24-year-old Neil Bogart to oversee Buddah's daily operations. Bogart had been an MGM General Manager in the early sixties before taking a VP/Sales Director position at Cameo-Parkway Records. Bogart would quickly enlist Cameo-Parkway producers, Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz., The Ohio Express (a band signed to Kasenetz's and Katz's Super K Production firm), and The Five Stairsteps into the new label. Buddah's first single was "Yes, We Have No Bananas"/"The Audition" by the Mulberry Fruit Band (BDA 1); the label's first album was Safe As Milk by Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band (BDM-1001/BDS-5001).
Buddah Records initially made its mark as a "bubblegum pop" music label as that music genre's success peaked in 1968-69, with Kasenetz's and Katz's bands Ohio Express, the 1910 Fruitgum Company and Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus regularly placing Buddah on the map. However, it was The Lemon Pipers who gave Buddah its first #1 hit with "Green Tambourine," produced by Paul Leka in February 1968.
The New York-area visual aids company, Viewlex purchased a controlling interest in Buddah in 1968 with Ripp, Steinberg and Mizrahi departing the company at this time, leaving Kass and Bogart at the helm.
As bubblegum music's popularity declined at the turn of the decade, Buddah branched out in various musical directions, including gospel, folk-country and R&B. Bogart, a master promoter, would go to great lengths to generate hit singles for "Top 40" radio airplay, and got results; music industry historian Bob Hyde has estimated that, during their heyday, Buddah and its associated labels charted over 100 singles, with about one in five singles issued by the company charting (vs. the ratio of one chart hit to 20 singles released that most "major labels" experienced in that time period).