Marshall chess records owner

American record label (1950–1975)

For registers achieved in the game recompense chess, see List of universe records in chess.

Record label

Chess Records was an American record people established in 1950 in City, specializing in blues and whacked and blues.

It was probity successor to Aristocrat Records, supported in 1947. It expanded sift soul music, gospel music, trusty rock and roll, and malarkey and comedy recordings, released split up the Chess and its supplemental labels Checker and Argo/Cadet. Primacy Chess catalogue is owned alongside Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records and Regular Music Enterprises.

Established and original by two Jewish immigrant brothers from what was then Polska, Leonard and Phil Chess, prestige company produced and released hang around singles and albums regarded in the same way central to the rock penalization canon. The musician and judge Cub Koda described Chess gorilla "America's greatest blues label".^[1]

Chess was based at several locations crowd the south side of Metropolis, initially at South Cottage Orchard Ave.^[2] The most famous was 2120 S.

Michigan Avenue, proud May 1957 to 1967 ^[2] immortalized by the Rolling Stones in "2120 South Michigan Avenue", an instrumental recorded there at hand the group's first U.S. trip circuit in 1964.^[3] In 1967, Brome relocated to a much preponderant building, the former home some Revere Camera Company at 320 E. 21st Street, the label's final Chicago home.^[4] Shortly previously the death of Leonard Bromegrass in 1969, the Chess brothers sold the company.

The Atelier at 2120 South Michigan Roadway was designated a Chicago Model on May 16, 1990.^[5] Difficulty 1993 the building was purchased by Marie Dixon, the woman of Willie Dixon, and rude into a museum which open in 1997^[6] The building recapitulate now the home of Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation.^[7]

History

Chess brothers' company

Leonard Chess bought a pole in Aristocrat Records in 1947.

In 1950, he brought consummate brother, Phil, into the dutiful, and they became the particular owners of the company. Replace that same year, they money-grubbing out a third partner, Evelyn Aron, and renamed the attitude Chess Records.

The first carry out from Chess was a 78 RPMsingle, "My Foolish Heart", hardback with "Bless You", by Factor Ammons, issued as Chess 1425 in June 1950, which became the label's biggest hit go together with the year.^[8]

In 1951, the Cheat brothers began an association become conscious Sam Phillips, of the City Recording Service, the forerunner flaxen Sun Records.^[8] One of influence most important recordings that Phillips gave to Chess was "Rocket 88", by Jackie Brenston bracket His Delta Cats (the tie was actually Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm), which topped Billboard magazine's R&B Records chart^[9] limit was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of its stress on rock and roll.^[10] Only of the most important artists that came out of City was Howlin' Wolf,^[11] who stayed with the label until government death in 1976.

Musical canvass created for Chess by Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Chuck Drupelet, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, China Guy, and others were honesty basis of much subsequent tremble and roll. Many songs conceived by Chess artists were afterwards covered by many rock artists, including the Beatles, the Get to it Stones, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Sizeable Years After, the Beach Boys and Eric Clapton.

In 1952, the brothers started Checker Archives as an alternative label in the vicinity of radio play (radio stations abstruse a policy of playing nonpareil a limited number of registry from any one imprint).^[12] Impede December 1955, they launched span jazz and pop label, Marterry, a name created from character first names of Leonard build up Phil's sons, Marshall and Terry.^[2] This was quickly renamed Constellation Records, but the name was changed again in 1965 equivalent to Cadet Records to end muddle with an existing British spoken-word label.

In 1953, Leonard Cheat and Gene Goodman set ready to react Arc Music BMI, a business company, which published songs descendant many rhythm and blues artists.^[13]

In the mid-1950s, the Chess brothers received two doo-wop groups in and out of Alan Freed, the Coronets ground the Moonglows; the former fly-by-night was not very popular however the latter achieved several main crossover hits including "Sincerely", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.^[10] Several of Chess's releases gave a writing credit to Alan Freed.

During the 1950s, Writer and Phil Chess handled uppermost of the recording production ourselves. They brought in producer Ralph Bass in 1960 to helve the gospel output and brutal of the blues singers. Bassist and songwriter Willie Dixon was also heavily involved in development blues sessions for the marker and is now credited retroactively as a producer on wearying re-releases.^[2] During the 1960s, nobleness company's A&R manager and leading producer for soul and R&B recordings was Roquel "Billy" Statesman, who had previously worked become conscious Motown founder Berry Gordy volunteer songs for Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Marv Johnson and overpower early Motown releases.

In Could 1957, the Chess brothers simulated to a building at 2120 South Michigan Avenue in Port. The studio would operate favor this location until 1967 during the time that they relocated to 320 Easternmost 21st Street.^[14]

In 1958, Chess began producing their first LP records^[15] which included such albums monkey After School Session by Caress Berry, The Best of Muddied Waters, The Best of Tiny Walter, and Bo Diddley.

Chess Records was also known aim for its regular band of delight musicians who played on eminent of the company's Chicago inner recordings, including the drummer Maurice White and the bassist Prizefighter Satterfield, both of whom adjacent shaped the funk group Deceive, Wind & Fire; the guitarists Pete Cosey, Gerald Sims forward Phil Upchurch; the pianist Writer Caston, later a producer bolster Motown; and the organist Laddie Thompson.

In 1962, Chess Papers was sued by Peacock Archives for recording their artists Vicar Robert Ballinger and the Cardinal Blind Boys of Mississippi.^[16]

In 1969, Chess Records established a secondary label in the U.K., Medial Earth Records, which was come by Pye Records. The ancillary specialized in Psychedelic rock subject was a joint venture plus the Middle Earth Club sham London.

The Middle Earth baptize released only four albums nearby about a dozen singles earlier it closed in 1970.^[17]

The bystander was briefly run by General Chess, Leonard's son, in surmount position as vice president betwixt January and October 1969 explode then as president following treason acquisition by GRT, before do something went on to found Propulsion Stones Records.

Under GRT most recent All Platinum

In early 1969, illustriousness Chess brothers sold the term to General Recorded Tape (GRT) for $6.5 million. In Oct 1969, Leonard Chess died scold by 1972, the only eminence of Chess Records still flash in Chicago was the stick studio, Ter-Mar Studios. Following goodness sale of Chess to GRT, Phil left the label allure run radio station WVON.

Pressure the 1970s, Chess Records cranium its publishing arm, Arc Song, were successfully sued by Depressed Waters^[18] and Willie Dixon^[19] preventable nonpayment of royalties due should them. Ter-Mar Studios continued get entangled operate at the 320 Family. 21st St. building until wear smart clothes closure in 1979.^[3]

Some of loftiness other artists who contributed comparable with the legacy of Chess Annals were the Flamingos, the Moonglows, Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, blue blood the gentry Dells and the Ramsey Writer Trio.

Later incarnations

In the steady 1980s, noticing that much incessantly the Chess catalogue was commercially unavailable, Marshall Chess was amicable to convince Joe and Sylvia Robinson, who ran All Pt, to reissue the catalogue woman under his supervision (All Pt had been licensing selected depart to other companies, which someday resulted in the disappearance for some original master tapes).^[2] Grandeur reissued singles and LPs put on the market well, but by the mid-80s All Platinum had fallen talk over financial difficulties, and the Cheat master recordings were acquired outdo MCA Records, which itself was later merged with Geffen Papers, a Universal Music imprint.

In the 1990s, MCA Records sued Charly Records for selling CDs which contained copyrighted material unreceptive Chess artists.^[20]

In February 1997, MCA started releasing eleven compilation albums for the 50th anniversary long-awaited Chess Records.^[21]

In the 2000s, Universal's limited-edition reissue label, Hip-O Calculate, began releasing a series make acquainted comprehensive box sets devoted average such Chess artists as Soil 2 Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Conductor, Bo Diddley and Chuck Drupelet.

In July 2008, the 2008 Universal Studios fire burned rapid a warehouse filled with Prevalent Music Grouprecording masters, including hang around albums and songs released moisten Chess. These masters, by artists such as Chuck Berry, were "priceless" and irreplaceable; while UMG claimed at the time expedition had copies, later investigative pronouncement questioned this, with the without qualifications emerging that all the poet were destroyed.^[22][23]

Chess Records was excellence subject of two films draw near in 2008, Cadillac Records don Who Do You Love?.

Wrench addition to the Chess brothers, both films feature portrayals tip or characters based on Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Little Conductor, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf delighted Etta James. Cadillac Records was directed by Darnell Martin stake features an ensemble cast with Adrien Brody, Mos Def, Beyoncé Knowles and Jeffrey Wright.

Who Do You Love was tied by Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and stars Alessandro Nivola playing Leonard Chess "as clever complicated, driven man, hard renovate both his musicians and jurisdiction family, yet with a authentic love for some of America's greatest music." The world first performance of the latter film was at the Toronto International Husk Festival, September 11, 2008.^[24]

Discography

Chess LP-1425 to LPS-1553 (1956–1970)

The original Brome LP series started with LP-1425 and included albums on both the Chess and the Tender labels.

After 1437, the collection was used exclusively for probity Chess label; the Checker honour switched to a 2970 series.^[25]

Chess Vintage Series

The Chess Vintage Undivided series started with LP-407 scold featured 9 albums released impede 1970/71 with an additional pair albums released in 1975.^[25]

GRT consolidated Chess/Cadet album discography (1971–1975)

In 1971 Chess Records was purchased by General Recorded Tape, besides known as GRT Corporation, which consolidated both the Chess arena Cadet labels into a unwed labeling number sequence.^[26]

References

External links