Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Secondary R&B labels
- Check-Mate Records: Short-lived (1961–1962) R&B/soul subsidiary, purchased from Chess Records. Notable artists included David Ruffin and The Del-Phis (later Martha and the Vandellas).
- Miracle Records: Short-lived (1961) R&B/soul subsidiary that lasted less than a year. Some pressings featured the infamous tagline, "If it's a hit, it's a Miracle." Shut down and reorganized as Gordy Records in 1962. Notable releases included early recordings by Jimmy Ruffin and The Temptations).
- MoWest Records: MoWest was a short-lived (1971–1973) subsidiary for R&B/soul artists based on the West Coast. Shut down when the main Motown office moved to Los Angeles. Notable artists included G. C. Cameron, Syreeta Wright, The Four Seasons, Commodores (their first two singles in 1972 and 1973), and Los Angeles DJ Tom Clay.
- Motown Yesteryear: a label created in late 1970s and used through the 1980s for the reissues of 7-inch singles from all eras of the company's history, after printing in the initial label has ceased.[8] One Motown Yesteryear single made Billboard's Top 40 - The Contours' "Do You Love Me", in 1988, when its inclusion in the film Dirty Dancing revived interest.
- Soul Records: Established 1964, Soul was a R&B/soul subsidiary for releases with less of a pop feel and/or more of a traditional soul/blues feel. Notable Soul artists included Jr. Walker & the All-Stars, Shorty Long, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Jimmy Ruffin. The label was dissolved in 1978.
- V.I.P. Records: Established 1964, V.I.P. was a R&B/soul subsidiary. Notable artists included The Velvelettes, The Spinners, The Monitors, The Elgins and Chris Clark. The label was dissolved in 1974.
- Weed Records: A very short-lived subsidiary. Only one release, Chris Clark's 1969 CC Rides AgainWeed." The name "Weed Records" is now owned by the Tokyo-New York based Weed Records. album, was issued. This release featured the tongue-in-cheek tagline, "Your Favorite Artists Are On
Monday, 18 April 2011
Major divisions
- Motown Records: Established 1960, Motown was and remains the company's main label for mainstream R&B/soul music (and, today, hip hop music as well). The label's numbering system was combined with those of Tamla and Gordy in 1982, and the label (and company) was purchased by MCA in 1988. Notable Motown artists have included Mary Wells, The Supremes, Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Commodores, and Erykah Badu. Motown Records slogan: "The Sound of Young America."
- Tamla Records: Established 1959, Tamla was a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Tamla is actually the company's original label: Gordy incorporated Tamla Records several months before establishing the Motown Record Corporation. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Gordy in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Tamla artists included Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Marvelettes. Tamla Records slogan: "The Sound that Makes the World Go 'Round."
- Gordy Records: Established 1962, Gordy was also a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Originally known as Miracle Records (slogan: "If It's a Hit, It's a Miracle"), the name was changed in 1962 to avoid confusion with the Miracles singing group. The label's numbering system was combined with those of Motown and Tamla in 1982, and the label was merged with Motown in 1988. Notable Gordy artists included The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, The Contours, Edwin Starr, Rick James, Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, and DeBarge. Gordy Records slogan: "It's What's in the Grooves that Counts"
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Quantum Of Soul
Really enjoyed last night at the Quantum Of Soul. The music here is always topnotch but last night Stuart, Neil and guest dj Danny completely excelled. It's really good to hear so many underplayed and rare sounds, looking forward to next month now!
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