Bullet Records

Last updated

At least five record labels with the name Bullet Records have existed.

Contents

Bullet Records, Nashville, 1946-1952

Wild Man Boogie by Ray Bates, Bullet Records #754 WildManBoogie.jpg
Wild Man Boogie by Ray Bates, Bullet Records #754

The earliest Bullet Records was a record label based in Nashville, United States, which was started in 1946 by Jim Bulleit and C.V. Hitchcock. [1] Bulleit was an early partner in Sun Records. Its only national hits were by orchestra leader Francis Craig. The pop hit "Near You" made in early 1947 [2] was a monster, topping the charts for seventeen weeks and having a chart run of twenty-five weeks. Craig also made the charts at #3 with "Beg Your Pardon", but no further hits were forthcoming. [3] Despite these hits, the label was known for country music artists such as Boots Woodall's Radio Wranglers, who also recorded for Capitol Records, and Southern Gospel artists such as the Rangers Quartet and Speer Family. The label also recorded blues singer and pianist Cecil Gant. [4] In 1949 they released B. B. King's first commercial single, "Miss Martha King". [5] [6] Too much money was spent in hope of repeating the success of Francis Craig's "Near You" and the label was in trouble by 1949. Jim Bulleit sold out to his share to Hitchcock in February of that year. The label limped on for a few years but was out of business by 1952. [7]

The Bullet, Sur-Speed and Delta catalogs were purchased by Bluesland Productions in the mid-1990s. [8] [ citation needed ]

Other Bullet record labels

Another label with the same name released In A Moment by the Intrigues, a Philadelphia R&B quartet, in 1969. The song was re-released by Yew Records and became a top-40 hit. [9]

Another Bullet label was a short-lived subsidiary of American Bang Records. Only one album by Peabo Bryson in 1976 was ever released.[ citation needed ] Bryson's next label Capitol Records now owns the rights to the album Peabo and Bryson's unreleased Bullet material.

The fourth known label with this name was based in England in the early 1980s and released NWOBHM artists. Among known releases is the self-titled 1983 debut EP from Danish Pretty Maids. Bullet Records UK was an offshoot of Bullet Mail Order. Because of its close ties with the British heavy metal scene at that time, it seemed a logical progression to form a label to promote little-known unsigned bands. Amongst the bands on the label were Wrathchild, Pretty Maids, Black Rose [from N.E.England], Le Griffe, Crisis (from Salt Lake City, US), Silverwing, Chrome Molly and Taipan [from Australia]. Whilst many of the releases were critically acclaimed, the company suffered from a lack of experience and through various reasons, cash-flow being one, was forced to cease trading in 1984. Bullet Records is currently a Registered Trademark owned by Clark Enslin.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Records</span> US and UK record label

Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamont Dozier</span> American singer-songwriter (1941–2022)

Lamont Herbert Dozier was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit. He co-wrote and produced 14 US Billboard number-one hits and four number ones in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peabo Bryson</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1951)

Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads including the hit singles "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", "You're Looking Like Love To Me" and "As Long As There's Christmas" with Roberta Flack, "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle, and "Beauty and the Beast" with Canadian singer Celine Dion. Bryson has contributed to two Disney animated feature soundtracks. Bryson is a winner of two Grammy Awards.

Bang Records was created by Bert Berns in 1965 together with his partners from Atlantic Records: Ahmet Ertegun, Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler. The first letters of their names formed the label's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Jackson</span> American rhythm and blues singer (born 1956)

Frederick Anthony Jackson is an American singer. Originally from New York, Jackson began his professional music career in the late 1970s with the California funk band Mystic Merlin. Among his well–known R&B/soul hits are "Rock Me Tonight " (1985), "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" (1986), "Jam Tonight" (1986), "Do Me Again" (1990), and "You Are My Lady" (1985). He contributed to the soundtrack for the 1989 film, All Dogs Go to Heaven with the Michael Lloyd-produced duet "Love Survives" alongside Irene Cara. He also appeared in the movie King of New York.

"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the singing voices of the main characters Aladdin and Jasmine, the ballad serves as both the film's love and theme song. Lyrically, "A Whole New World" describes Aladdin showing the confined princess a life of freedom and the pair's acknowledgment of their love for each other while riding on a magic carpet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil Gant</span> American blues musician (1913–1951)

Cecil Gant was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist, whose recordings of both ballads and "fiery piano rockers" were successful in the mid- and late 1940s, and influenced the early development of rock and roll. His biggest hits were the 1944 ballad, "I Wonder," We are going to Rock. Cecil Gant is considered the forefather of rock n roll due to his rocking style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Upchurch</span> American jazz and blues guitarist

Philip Upchurch is an American jazz and blues guitarist and bassist.

"Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)" is a popular rock novelty song written in late 1954 by the rhythm and blues partnership of Forest Gene Wilson and Eunice Levy, and also credited to Jake Porter. One of the earliest rock and roll songs, it was probably "the most extensively recorded rock 'n' roll song of that time".

John William Pate is an American former musician, a jazz bassist who became a producer, arranger, and leading figure in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues.

<i>Love Lives Forever</i> 1980 studio album by Minnie Riperton

Love Lives Forever is the sixth and final studio album by the American soul singer Minnie Riperton. Released posthumously in 1980, it was co-produced by her husband Richard Rudolph and released on her then-label Capitol Records. It consists of tracks that she recorded in 1978 during vocal sessions before her death, and music recorded after her early death, occurred on July 12, 1979.

"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" is a romantic ballad written by lyricist Gerry Goffin with Michael Masser and recorded by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack for their 1983 album of duets, Born to Love, issued as the lead single. The track—produced by Masser—became a million-selling international hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Beckett</span> American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder

Barry Edward Beckett was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which performed with numerous notable artists on their studio albums and helped define the "Muscle Shoals sound".

<i>Born to Love</i> (Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack album) 1983 studio album by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack

Born to Love is a 1983 studio album of duets by American singers Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack. It was released by Bryson's label Capitol Records on July 22, 1983, in the United States. The album yielded the hit single "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love", written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser. The track "Maybe" was written and recorded for the film Romantic Comedy (1983).

<i>D.C. Cab</i> (soundtrack) 1983 soundtrack album by Various artists

D.C. Cab: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1983 film D.C. Cab. The producers selected artists for the album who were popular with a young, black audience, and the popularity of one of the film's stars, Mr. T, prompted the film's distributor to release the film four months earlier than planned. D.C. Cab performed poorly at the box office, and the soundtrack peaked at number 181 on the album chart in Billboard magazine.

<i>Peabo</i> 1976 studio album by Peabo Bryson

Peabo is the debut album by soul vocalist Peabo Bryson. Luther Vandross and Cissy Houston were among the background vocalists on this album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minute by Minute (The Doobie Brothers song)</span> Single by the Doobie Brothers

"Minute by Minute" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Lester Abrams originally released by the Doobie Brothers on their 1978 album Minute by Minute. The single was released in April 1979, and reached number 14 on June 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, but lost out to the Doobie Brothers' own "What a Fool Believes". "Minute by Minute" did win a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>I Am Love</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Peabo Bryson

I Am Love is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Peabo Bryson, released in 1981 under Capitol Records. The album features singles, "There's No Guarantee" and the top ten R&B hit, "Let the Feeling Flow".

<i>All My Love</i> (Peabo Bryson album) 1989 studio album by Peabo Bryson

All My Love is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Capitol Records in May 1989 in the United States. The album marked Bryson's first release with the label after four years with Elektra Records.

<i>Can You Stop the Rain</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Peabo Bryson

Can You Stop the Rain is the fifteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1991, in the United States. Following the release of All My Love (1989), his sole return release with his longtime label, Capitol Records, the singer signed with label Columbia to complete work on his next project along with Walter Afanasieff, Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff, and Barry Mann. Bryson himself became instrumental in composing and producing several songs on his own for the album along with Sir Gant and Dwight W. Watkins.

References

  1. Kingsbury, Paul (2005). The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music. Oxford University Press. p. 65. ISBN   978-0-19-517608-7.
  2. Billboard. Vol. 13, no. 79. 1 April 1967. ISSN   0006-2510.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. Pop Memories 1890-1954. Joel Whitburn. 1986. Record Research Inc. p. 232. ISBN   0-89820-083-0
  4. "Biography by Bill Dahl". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  5. Kostelanetz, Richard (2006). The B.B. King reader: 6 decades of commentary . Hal Leonard. pp.  6. ISBN   978-0-634-09927-4.
  6. Blues Access Interview by Wayne Robins (Spring 1999) – Accessed 16 April 2011
  7. Gart, Galen (1989). The American Record Label Directory and Dating Guide, 1940-1959. Milford, New Hampshire: Big Nickel Publications. pp. 36–37. ISBN   0-936433-11-6.
  8. "A Pioneer Music Man Crossed Over The Mountain!". victorynetwork.org. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  9. https://www.45cat.com/record/n1001us [ bare URL ]