3 Rabbit Band

3 Rabbit Band

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Moon Shot Records

Moon Shot records put out some wonderful
soul music in 1968-1969. Some records list the address as 1631 Broadway, others
just say "distributed by Calla".


6701: The Dippers: Honey Bunch (Pts. 1 & 2)
6702: The Vontastics: Lady Love / When My Baby Comes Back Home
6703: The Delfonics: He Don't Really Love You / Without You
6704: ?
6705: Virgil Blanding: Birth Of A Man / Little Girl There's Going To Be
Trouble
6706: Subway Riders: Adam / After The Session
6707: The Sub-Dominants: Anyone Can Do It / Bang Bang
6708: Jimmy Raye: It's Written All Over Your Face / That'll Get It
6709: ?
6710: Cliff Nobles: Pony The Horse / Little Claudie
6711: Landy: Doctor Good Soul / Mama Dear
6712: Tony Fox: Say What You Mean Mean What You Say / Powerful Love

Julia Records



Horoscope Records

 SARU , HOROSCOPE, ASTROSCOPE and PISCES Records

Saru was financed by Chuck Brown, who together with his father owned a bail bonds business. Brown was not strongly musically inclined, so he hired Lou Ragland and members of the O'Jays to handle the artistic side of the label. Supposedly Saru is a conjunction of two of Brown's family members, seems probable but not proven.
The first two 45s by the Out Of Sights have an address of 2300 Payne, which was the address of the Brown's business. In 1971, the O'Jays were in a down cycle and Brown hired them to write and produce. They leased space on 14009 Miles that had a business office and music studio. The 122x numbering is the result of that collaboration. The Saru 45s were most if not all recorded at Agency.
By late 1971 Brown acquired some new partners and decided to start a new label, Horoscope records. The first 45 was by Pandella Kelly, about which little is known at this time. The next release was by the Ponderosa Twins + 1 and became a big local and regional hit. Brown struck a distribution deal with All Platinum records in New Jersey for the record. All Platinum decided to rename the label Astroscope and took over the imprint. In 1972 All Platinum took some O'Jays track cut for Brown at Agency Recording and released them as a 45. This was just prior to the O'Jays hitting it big with the Philly Gamble and Huff team. The remaining Astroscope artists were not from Cleveland, although a couple NE Ohio natives moved east to join some of All Platinum's acts.
In 1972 Brown started a third label, Pisces. This label seems to have existed for only two records and one group - the Ba-Roz. The numbering of the Ba-Roz 45s suggests that Brown transferred the Horoscope numbering sequence to Pisces, as the first 45 has H-103 in the dead wax (the 3840 number is on the label). This seems to have been Brown's last attempt in the recording business. When the O'Jays signed up with CBS in 1972, Brown's key musical talent left as well.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Fox Records



The FOX Record Company was a small independent label based out of Detroit Michigan. The label was owned by George Braxton. I only know of two different releases on this small label.
The label's address was
Fox Record Co.
15836 Plymouth Rd.
Detroit, MI

Symbol Records

Sue Records ("The Sound Of Soul") was founded in 1957 by Henry 'Juggy' Murray in New York City. Also within the group was Symbol Records and Sue also financed and distributed A.F.O.Records owned by Harold Battiste in New Orleans. The label's first success came with Bobby Hendricks and Don Covay and continued into the sixties with Ike and Tina Turner, The Duals' "Stick Shift" and "Mockingbird" by Inez and Charlie Foxx.
1959-1962 were good years for Sue with hits by Ike and Tina Turner, Justine "Baby" Washington, the Soul Sisters, the Duals, Jimmy McGriff and Inez and Charlie Foxx.
The hits dried up by 1963 and Sue seemed to be out of step. They never really produced records to compete with the hot new sounds of soul on Atlantic, Stax or Motown.
Murray initially released his records in the UK through Decca's London Records but switched to a licensing deal with Island Records in 1964. This deal resulted in a split in the ownership of the Sue name. Island used the label to distribute Sue in the UK. Problems began when Island also leased discs from other US labels that interested them and released them on UK Sue too - which was not in the agreement.
After failing to chart in the U.S., Murray sold the Sue masters to United Artists Records, but retained rights to the Sue name and constantly attempted to re-activate the label until his death in 2005. The Sue Records catalogue is now owned by EMI.

Rust Records









Randy & The Rainbows were from Queens,NY. and started as The Dialtones and Jr. & The Counts.

Members included: Domnick Safuto(Lead),Frankie Safuto(1st Tenor),Sal Zero(2nd Tenor),Mike Zero(Baritone) and Kenny Arcipowski(bass). They were know as Jr. & The Counts when their manager Frank Carrarie presented the group to songwritter Neil Levenson who liked the group and introduced them to the Tokens who signed them to their B.T.Puppy label.

The Tokens sent the group to Laurie Records and the label changed their name to Randy & The Rainbows and offered two songs to the group "Denise" and "Come Back" both written by Neil Levenson. These 2 sides were released in 1963 on the Laurie subsidiary label Rust Records. "Denise" was a big hit and charted in August 1963. "Denise" charted #10 nationally and #2 locally, later in September it charted #14 on the R&B chart.  "Denise" moved the group a have a few TV appearances and a tour across the country.

Three singles followed on Laurie Records without success and the group moved to Mike Records owned by Eddie Matthews. In 1966 they recorded three other singles and as none of them made the charts the group returned with B. T. Puppy Records where they recorded one single in late 1966 and the group finally broke up.


Denise b/w Come Back  1963 Rust Records #5059
Why Do Kids Grow Up b/w She's My Angel 1963 Rust Records #5073
Happy Teenager b/w Dry Your Eyes 1964 Rust Records #5080
Little Star b/w Sharin 1965 Rust Records #5091
Joyride b/w Little Hot Rod Susie 1965 Rust Records #5101


Tornado Records


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Seven Arts Records


Thereway Records

The Softones are a male singing group from the city of Baltimore, Maryland, best known for their 'sweet' soul recordings of the 1970s.


They recorded for the New York-based Avco Records label (later renamed H&L Records) from the early '70s, releasing three albums and about a dozen singles. The most popular tracks were "My Dream", "Can't Help Falling In Love", "I'm Gonna Prove It" and "That Old Black Magic", (#29 Billboard R&B, #2 Disco; 1976). Their first single, "Any Street" was picked up from tiny Baltimore label, Thereway, along with a few other early recordings including "My Dream". They were initially known as "The Soft Tones" until the release of their first album in late 1973.
Like later recordings for Avco by The Stylistics, The Softones were produced by label owners, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and arranger/producer Van McCoy, whose orchestra, comprising some of the top New York session players of the time, served as the house band for many of their Avco records.
Since then, the group has released several further recordings, including a joint album in 1979 on Park-Way International with another Baltimore group, First Class called "Together", which included the popular "Carla My Love".
Although not so successful as peer groups such as The Stylistics and The Moments, most of their recorded output has gained in reputation among collectors over the years, although some material written by Hugo & Luigi has been described as "insipid" by critics such as Andrew Hamilton (All Music Guide).
The group is notable for lead singer J. Marvin Brown's high falsetto, similar to that of Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey, and derived from Eddie Kendricks' falsetto style with The Temptations. Also in the group are Steven Jackson, Elton Lynch and Byron Summerville. To this date, the group are still together singing and cds of their best recordings remain in print.
Byron Summerville died in 2012.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Omen Records



The Omen Records story began in the late 1950s at Madison Records with a doo-wop group called The Untouchables and their producers. Two members of The Untouchables were Brice Coefield and Chester Pipkin. Herb Alpert and Lou Adler were the group's producers. Alpert also played trumpet on some of those sessions and these singles. By 1961, all of them had met Jerry Moss who was at Keen Records.
Around 1964, Adler brought Pipkin and Coefield to A&M. Having worked together in the past, a new arrangement was formed, Omen Records. At some point, the label was deactivated and in 1965, Leland Rogers was hired to reactivate the label. In November 1965, the Sims Twins were signed. Having recorded for Sam Cooke's label, the Sims were a group that Herb Alpert knew.
From 1964 until 1966, the label produced 18 singles in the rhythm and blues, soul and doo-wop genres. It appeared that A&M had hopes for the label's success as its number of releases doubled each year. Chester Pipkin was the primary producer for the label. He also wrote and arranged or co-arranged some of the songs. He even adapted Tchaikovsy's 1st Piano Concerto into "Should I Give My Love Tonight" which was an "A" side by The Wooden Nickels on Omen.
Four of the label's 13 artists created two singles and the remainder had one-shot deals. Brice Coefield had a single that was also released on A&M. It was "Ain't That Right" (Omen 10 and A&M 774). Each single is collectible because the "B" side was different on each label. The single that is most collectible from Omen is "The Sweetheart Tree" by Joe Phillips, a Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer tune from the motion picture "The Great Race."
Pipkin and Coefield would reunite again in the group Africa which recorded two singles and an album for Lou Adler's Ode Records during the time that label was distributed by A&M.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Thunderbird Records


RPC Records


Flair Records


Pye Records


Prescriptune Records



Intended for tonsillectomy patients.
A picture sleeve exists with places to fill in the names of the patient and doctor.

Down To Earth Records

General Crook (born General Columbus Crook Jr., February 28, 1945, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, United States) is an American soul musician.
Crook was raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and moved to Chicago, Illinois, when he was 17. In 1969 he signed with Capitol Records, recording with an early version of Earth, Wind and Fire. His debut single, "In the Warmth of My Arms", appeared in 1969, followed by "When Love Leaves You Crying" in 1970. Neither sold well, and Capitol soon dropped Crook.
His 1970-71 releases for Down to Earth Records fared better; "Gimme Some" reached #22 on the US Billboard R&B chart in 1970, and "What Time It Is" peaked at #31 on the same chart the following year. He later recorded for Wand Records, including a full-length self-titled album in 1974. After the mid-1970s he was active primarily as a songwriter and record producer, principally with Syl Johnson and Willie Clayton.



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Wil-Nil Records


Everlast Records

Everlast Records was a small, New York label that is best known today for the Harlem doo-wop of The Charts. It had an initial burst of activity around 1957-1958, then after a hiatus of several years, it then began releasing soul and blues releases around 1963.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Memphis Records

The label was owned by Billy Butler and Jerry Butler and only issued five singles before going bust in 1971.



Billy Butler (born June 7, 1945, Chicago, Illinois) is an American soul singer and songwriter active principally in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Butler is Jerry Butler's younger brother. He formed the vocal group The Enchanters while at high school. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1963, and was produced initially by Curtis Mayfield and later by Carl Davis. On early recordings he was backed by The Chanters, a renamed version of the Enchanters; other members were Errol Batts and Jesse Tillman. His first and biggest hit was 1965's "I Can't Work No Longer", which reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group disbanded in 1966, and after a minor solo hit with "The Right Track" he left Okeh.
He later formed a new group, Infinity, with Batts, Larry Wade and Phyllis Knox. They had three minor R&B hits: "Get on the Case" (#41 R&B, Fountain Records, 1969), "I Don't Want To Lose You" (Memphis Records, #38 R&B, 1971), and "Hung Up On You" (Pride Records, #48 R&B, 1973). He also wrote songs for his brother, as well as for musicians such as Major Lance and Gene Chandler.
Today, Butler plays the guitar in his brother, Jerry's, band.

Clock Records


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Brown Sugar Records


High Note Records


North American Records


The Spaniels are best known for their massive 1954 hit, "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" (number five R&B). They were the first successful Midwestern R&B group, coming from Gary, IN, by way of Chicago. Lead vocalist James "Pookie" Hudson was a graceful lead singer who influenced many who came after him, most notably Aaron Neville. They were also one of the first (if not the first) R&B groups to perform with the lead singer on one microphone and the rest of the group sharing another, and initiated a trend toward using tap dance routines in live shows. Their often a cappella recordings showcase the purity of a sound and style uniquely their own. It was also The Spaniels who partially brought about the formation of one of R&B's legendary labels, Vee-Jay, which became one of the most successful black-owned record companies in the country.
The story of how The Spaniels came to prominence begins in late 1952, when lead singer Hudson was convinced by four of his Roosevelt High classmates -- Ernest Warren (first tenor), Opal Courtney, Jr. (baritone), Willie Jackson (second tenor), and Gerald Gregory (bass) to join them for a school talent show. They had debuted as Pookie Hudson and the Hudsonaires for the Christmas show and fared so well they decided to continue. Not wanting to join the bird group club (Orioles, Ravens, etc.), they decided on the name Spaniels. In the spring, the group visited the local record shop owned by James and Vivian Bracken, who had begun developing a record label called Vee-Jay Records. They soon moved their operation to Chicago, in a garage off 47th Street (later they would relocate to offices at 1449 South Michigan Avenue). The Spaniels were one of the first two artists signed to the label (the other was blues guitarist Jimmy Reed). On May 5, 1953, The Spaniels recorded "Baby It's You," released in July. On September 5, "Baby" hit number ten on the national R&B best-seller charts. The Spaniels' next session produced additional singles, including "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight," which took off in March 1954, but it took about six months for the record to break nationally, charting at number five on the R&B charts. Its success prompted the McGuire Sisters to cover it for the "white" market, stealing a lot of The Spaniels' thunder when their version landed in the Top Ten (number seven). The Spaniels' next single, "Let's Make Up," earned more for songwriter Hudson as someone else's B-side when it appeared on the flip of the Top 20 hit "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (number 14, 1955). On June 11, 1954, The Spaniels made the first of numerous appearances at the Apollo Theatre and began touring the greater Midwest. Another single, "You Painted Pictures," reached number 13 R&B in October. After Opal Courtney, Jr. was drafted, Vee-Jay A&R man and Spaniels producer Calvin Carter was pressed into service during their road trips for a few months until James "Dimples" Cochran took over permanently. Shortly thereafter, Ernest Warren was drafted and the group continued recording as a quartet. Two subsequent Spaniels singles failed to connect. Disappointed, Pookie Hudson and Willie Jackson both decided to leave the group. The Spaniels bravely continued on, with Carl Rainge (lead), Gerald Gregory (bass), James Cochran (baritone), and Don Porter (second tenor). This contingent lasted for only one single until Pookie rejoined. In April 1957, Vee-Jay released the first full-length album, Goodnight, It's Time to Go. By mid-summer, the group was back to turning out terrific singles. Incidentally, around this same time Hank Ballard (of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters) had just re-written the Drifters' 1955 number two pop hit "What'cha Gonna Do" -- already a revision of an old gospel tune, "What're You Going to Do" -- and offered his rewrite, called "The Twist," to The Spaniels, but they passed on it. It later became a number one hit for Ernest Evans, who recorded it under the name Chubby Checker. By 1960, The Spaniels were Hudson, Ernest Warren, Gerald Gregory, Bill Carey, and Andy McGruder (former lead of the Five Blue Notes). They recorded the group's last Vee-Jay single "I Know" in 1960; it reached number 23 R&B that summer. Meanwhile, Vee-Jay Records issued a second full-length album. A year later, McGruder and Gregory left the group, and the group broke up briefly after trying to sort out what to do. Road manager Ricky Burden took over on bass for the group's recording for Neptune. Hudson did a few solo sides for Jamie and in 1962 recorded with the Imperials (minus Little Anthony) for Lloyd Price's Double-L label. In the late '60s, Hudson formed his own North American Records and issued "Fairytales," which was picked up by Nat McCalla's Calla Records (distributed by Roulette). It became Pookie's last charting single (number 45 R&B) in the fall of 1970. Two more singles were issued in the early '70s with a new Spaniels lineup: Hudson, Charles Douglas (first tenor), Alvin Wheeler (second tenor), Alvin Lloyd (baritone), and former guitarist for the group Pete Simmons (bass). He was later replaced by Andrew Lawyer (the Truetones) when the group recorded a remake of "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" for Buddah. Their last release was for Henry Farag's Canterbury label of Gary, IN, in 1974. Hudson and The Spaniels remained active and were one of the more in-demand acts on the oldies circuit. Pookie Hudson is still performing with a Spaniels group. Courtney and Willie Jackson are also alive. Gregory died in the '90s.

Allied Records


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Twinight Records


Twinight Records was a minor American recording label, founded in Chicago 1967 by Howard Bedno and Peter Wright, who later added E. Rodney Jones as a partner. Specializing in R&B and soul music, for a few months the label was called Twilight Records until it was discovered that another company already owned the Twilight name. Over five years, the label released (or at least recorded) 55 singles and charted seven times. The label’s star was Syl Johnson, an established R&B performer who had had a number of hits for King Records and who would have his biggest hits for Hi Records in the 1970s.

Johnson’s hits at Twinight included "Come on Sock it to Me" (1967), "Sorry ‘Bout Dat", "Different Strokes", "Is It Because I'm Black" (1969), and "Concrete Reservation". Some of these songs were recorded with Willie Mitchell in Nashville, which would later prove the undoing for the company, as Mitchell would ultimately lure Johnson away to Hi Records in 1971.
The success of Johnson's music permitted the company to scout and record local Chicago talent, making numerous recordings of varying quality. Johnson proved to be an able producer as well as performer, and he often produced the songs on behalf of the company. While many of the artists never went on to later fame, some standout material was produced including singles by Nate Evans (who later joined The Impressions), The Perfections, Velma Perkins (later charting as Vee Allen), Krystal Generation, Johnny Williams, The Notations, The Radiants, and Annette Poindexter. The house band was called Pieces of Peace. Donny Hathaway got his start at Twinight, penning songs for other artists on the roster before moving on to better things.
Except for Johnson’s hits, the only other artists to chart were The Notations ("I'm Still Here") and falsetto Renaldo Domino, whose “Not Too Cool to Cry” reached Number 7 on the Chicago R&B charts in 1970. As a rule, the Twinight singles were all relegated to the “lunar rotation” of late night radio, which virtually guaranteed them a place in everlasting obscurity. Within a few months of Johnson’s defection, the label folded early in 1972.


Air Town Records


Marsh Records


Musicnote Records


Troy Records


Candy Records


Better Records


Robee Records


VMC Records