Chess Records

Legendary record label founder Leonard Chess was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and with good reason. Together with his brother, Philip Chess, founder of the quintessential recording of time if the roster read like a who's-who of blues music.

Let's explore the story of Chess Records:

Brothers Philip and Leonard Chess were Jewish immigrants from Poland who came to Chicago's south side from the Mississippi Delta in the 30s and 40s. in 1928. They became business partners in spirits sales and 1940s, they owned and operated several bars on the south side. One of the biggest was a nightclub called "Macomba" that featured live entertainment, primarily blues artists who had migrated to Quickly realize that these musicians had not been properly promoted and recorded, they decided to start recording these musicians themselves. In 1947, already aware of what kind of music will appeal to the black community, the brothers partnered with Charles and Evelyn Aron in the Aristocrat Records, which had formed the label specifically to record blues, jazz and rhythm and blues music.

 

Of 1949, as (Aristocrat Records, would ultimately become Chess Records in 1950) was a fixture in the music world, and some of these early recordings remain some of the most impressive collection of blues music ever recorded. Their experience in music helped the brothers' understanding of their predominantly black audience, and they knew what the audience craved.

But they soon realized that the blues can be marketed to a much wider audience. By Philip Chess monitor nightclub and offices at Aristocrat / Chess, this allowed Leonard to produce sessions and scouting around for new and upcoming talent. Through their connections with the Chicago radio stations and nightclubs, was paired in a position to build an up and coming blues musician, Muddy Waters, the area's leading blues attraction.

With the success of Muddy Waters, blues musicians were drawn to Chicago and Chess Records. Artists as slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk, Willie Dixon, Gene Ammon, Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter (who revolutionized the role of the Chicago blues harmonica music) were all drawn to the Chess-it allowed them to record their music and helped to promote self - and blues music that they loved so much.

Despite the success of Chess brothers were with depth as well as local talent, they began to search outside the city for more talent. Leonard was in Memphis and monitored Memphis pianist Roscoe Gordon and also supplied the music of Rufus Thomas, Dr. Isaiah Ross, Joe Hill Louis and Bobby Bland up to his brother in Chicago. But one of his greatest discoveries and one of the largest contributors to the label was the music of Chester Arthur Burnett, aka Howlin 'Wolf. Many more blues legends recorded for Chess Records in the 1950s, including Memphis Slim, Eddie Boyd, Little Walter, Willie Mabon, John Lee Hooker, Joe Williams, Big Bill Bronzy and Washboard Sam. Jazzmen Leo Parker, Tab Smith, Otis Spann, Lynn Hope and Eddie Johnson added diversity to the record company.

In 1955, Chess was able to sign a new talent named Chuck Berry, whose first hit, "Maybellene" added even more credibility to the label. Another new talent was also signed in 1955 (for Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess), a Mississippi blues legend named Sonny Boy Williamson. His first recording for the label "Do not Start Me Talking '" was recorded with help from the Muddy Waters Band. In addition, the undersigned Bo Diddley in 1955 and produced a two-sided smash hit for Checker, self-titled song called "Bo Diddley and back," I'm A Man ".

Furthermore, Chess Records, branched and signed and registered two black vocal groups, the Flamingos and the Moonglows' if sentimental song styles will appeal to both black and white audiences both. But before their books ( "Sincerely" and the Moonglows' "I'll Be Home" by the Flamingos) could be hits, they were covered by white artists (a common practice at the time). The McGuire Sisters recorded "Sincerely" and Pat Boone released his version of the Flamingos' song "I'll Be Home. "Although these white artists received a large proportion of sales, Chess Records was internationally recognized as a record company that could produce hit music.

In 1956 chess established a jazz subsidiary label called Argo. They were able to land some of the largest and most influential jazz musicians of the time, the conclusion of such jazz greats as Sonny Stitt, Yusef Lateef, James Moody, Gene Ammon, Lou Donaldson, Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis, among many others. Although Argo was primarily a jazz label, they also recorded some of the best female R & B with a singer named Etta James. Moreover, in 1956, Chess had a great interest in music through New Orleans and signed veteran musician Paul Gayten. Gayten was able to convince others in the region to log on with chess, including Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Bobby Charles and Eddie Bo. 

Chess also had an extensive collection of recordings of gospel and religious music. They have spent a whole series of recordings of sermons by Reverend CL Franklin, who was pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, located in Detroit, Michigan. They were the first label to record his daughter, Aretha Franklin and their gospel catalog also albums by Five Blind Boys, the Soul Stirrers, Alex Bradford, and violin Aires.

In the early '60s, Chess was record a major player in the music industry, selling thousands of records. They were able to sign some new young talented musicians, Buddy Guy and including Otis Rush. Etta James made her Chess debut in 1960 and many other female artists signed and recorded with the label, as Jan Bradley, Sugar Pie de Santo, Fontella Bass, Jackie Ross, Jo Ann Garrett, Laura Lee and a female vocal group called the Gems (which Minnie Riperton counted as a member). Irma Thomas also joined Chess in 1967, recording her music in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

When R & B merged with gospel influenced music, the formulated amount of soul and right on top of this transformation was Chess Records. Indeed, in the late 60s was extraordinary banner year for the now well established record label. But in 1968, after the departure of Billy Davis and founding partner Leonard Chess (who left the record company to focus its efforts on a radio station that he owned), a large part of the creative structure was lost, and many record producers and songwriters, and left.

In 1969 sold and Philip Leonard Chess of Chess Records, a company called General recorded tape (BRT) for over six and a half million dollars (plus Twenty Thousand shares of GT stock). The company has also suffered a devastating loss when Leonard Chess died the same year. The quality of the music fell, and in the summer of 1972, Chess Chicago offices were hardly manned, distributor and pressing plants were closed, so good. Indeed, the only Chess studio, which was in operation at the Chess Ter-Mar-examination, which also operates with minimal staff.

In the summer of 1975 GT was dismantling what was left of the legendary record label. In August 1975, all the GT up operations were shut down, and what remained was sold to a New Jersey-based company called All Platinum Records.

A catastrophic event occurred, since Chess building in Chicago was sold and the new owners brought in Dumpsters and chainsaws and destroyed over 250,000 vinyl records that had been abandoned. In one of the music industry's most horrific events, classic recordings by Chuck Berry, Howlin 'Wolf, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Muddy Waters and countless others were dragged away to the landfill.

Fortunately, the master tapes survived this apocalyptic event, and is now owned by MCA Records, which has reissued much of the classic Chess material in the 1980s and 1990s. In retrospect, the innovative genius of the Chess brothers, who probably had a clear eye for talent, one of the most compelling stories in music history. The now legendary musicians who recorded music at Chess Records is one of the most influential artists of our generation, which still affects a large number of young musicians to this day.