Hilltak Records

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Hilltak Records
Parent company Atlantic
FoundedJune 16, 1978
Founder Tom Takayoshi and Hillery Johnson
GenreR&B, disco
Country of originUnited States
LocationCalifornia

Hilltak records was a Californian Independent record label that was formed in the late 1970s. Artists that produced hits for the label include 9th Creation, Patti Hendrix, Broadway, Dalton & Dubarri, and The Guess Who. The label started out as a subsidiary of Atlantic Records but terminated the relationship some time later.

Contents

Background

In 1978, Tom Takayoshi and Hillery Johnson co-founded Hilltak Records. The name Hilltak was a combination of their names. [1] [2] They had previously worked together for years. As of the time they were interviewed (published June 10, 1979), Johnson was still the vice president of special markets for the Atlantic label and would still liaise between Atlantic and the emerging Los Angeles label as well as handling the promotion and publicity. Takayoshi had left his position with Playboy Records and had taken up office in Los Angeles. [3]

The label was registered June 16, 1978 in California. [4] The Hilltak label was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. [5] Their formation was first announced at a Black Radio convention prior to June 17th. It was also confirmed by Ahmet Ertegun, the chairman of Atlantic Records and Atlantic president Jerry Greenberg. [6] The label's catalogue had a leaning towards the disco and r&b genres. [7] [8] The idea they started with was to keep the roster low to allow them to give their personal attention to the artists. The artists they started off with were Patti Hendrix, Dalton & Dubarri and Broadway, a disco outfit put together by Willie Henderson. [9] [10]

Some of the other artists that had their work released on the label were Lynne Hamilton, The Guess Who, Footloose and The 9th Creation. [11]

History

1978

The focus of the Los Angeles label was to be r&b. It was announced in the June 10 issue of Billboard that the first artist that was to have a record released on the label was Patti Hendrix. [12] At that time they had already acquired the recorded masters of Hendrix and Dalton & Dubarri. [13] Hendrix went on to have success with her single "Lighting a Fire (That You Can't Put Out)" in 1978 which peaked at #65 on September 23rd on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. [14] [15] [16] It also spent a total of ten weeks in the chart. [17] [18] Broadway would have chart success with the first of two singles for the label, "Kiss You All Over" which got to #92 on the r&b chart in December, 1978. [19] Also that month, "C'mon Little Mama" (Hilltak 7803) by The Guess Who was a sleeper in the Record World, December 2 issue Hits of the Week. [20]

1979

By 1979, the label had done well with albums, Magic Man by Broadway and Choice by Dalton & Dubarri. [21]

On March 31, The Guess Who's album, All This For a Song, Hilltak HT 19227 was listed in the Record World Hits of the Week section with the magazine calling it one of the best LPs by the group in years. [22]

In April 1979, Broadway brought in another chart hit for the label with the Willie Henderson composition, "This Funk Is Made for Dancing". [23] In May, the Dalton & Durbarri single, "I (You) Can Dance All By My (Your) Self" bw "Keepin' It Up" was released on Hilltak HT 7806. [24] [25] [26] On June 23, at its fourth week in the Cash Box chart, it peaked at No. 73. [27] and got to #123 on the Record World Singles 101 to 150 Chart. [28] From May 31 to June 14, it held its peak position at number 138 on the Radio Report MS Survey chart. [29] It also made #79 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart on June 30th. [30]

In September 1979 the label had shifted from Atlantic Records to use a network of nine independent distributors which included California Records in L.A. and Big State in Dallas. [31] Also around that period, "On the Inside" ( theme to the TV series, Prisoner ) by Lynne Hamilton was released on Hilltak. [32] [33] DJM Records had also recently signed Hilltak to a three year agreement for the UK and Ireland. [34]

The song, "Leaving for Maui" by Footloose which made the Canadian Top Ten [35] was issued in the United States on Hilltak PW 7905. [36] [37]

9th Creation had their single, "Let's Dance" bw "Shucks, You're Fine" was released on Hilltak PW 7901. [38] The record peaked spent a total of ten weeks in the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at #45 on December 15, 1979. [39] It also spent eleven weeks in the Cash Box Top 100 chart, peaking at #53 on December 12th. [40] [41] [42]

1980

In January, 1980, "Let's Dance" was still in the Record World chart. It peaked at #47 on January 19th, 1980, having spent a total of seven weeks in the Record World Black Oriented Singles chart. [43] [44] [45]

Distributors

Singles
NameAreaNotes
Atlantic Records(Relationship terminated in 1979)
All SouthNew Orleans
BibCharlotte
Big StateDallas, Houston
California RecordsLos Angeles
ChipsPhiladelphia
MalverneNew York, Boston
Pacific Records and TapesSan Francisco, Seattle
Progress RecordsCleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo
Tone DistributorsMiami
ZamioskiBaltimore and Washington, D.C.

[46]

Further reading

Post Hilltak

By 1980, Takayoshi was working as general manager for Sound Music Sales in Los Angeles. [47]

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References

  1. ↑ Billboard, March 10, 1979 - Page 93 General News Record Companies Rushing To Open Disco Divisions HILLTAK
  2. ↑ Seventies Sevens HILLTAK
  3. ↑ Cash Box, June 10, 1978 - Page 7 New Hilltak Label Formed; Atlantic Will Distribute
  4. ↑ California Corporates - HILLTAK RECORDS, INC.
  5. ↑ Billboard, September 20, 1980 - Page 28 Counterpoint Demo Bags Binder For Singing Duo By Jean Williams
  6. ↑ Record World, June 17, 1978 - Page 6 Hilltak Records Sets July Debut
  7. ↑ Soul Express THE MANHATTANS – part 4 (1980 – 1989) “SHINING STAR” SWEET TALK
  8. ↑ Billboard, June 10, 1978 - __General News__, Hilltak Label To Focus On R&B
  9. ↑ Billboard, June 10, 1978 - __General News__, Hilltak Label To Focus On R&B
  10. ↑ Cash Box, February 24, 1979 - Page 14 Personal Contact With Artists Is Hilltak Priority by Michael Glynn
  11. ↑ Global Dog Productions 45 Discography for Hilltak Records
  12. ↑ Billboard, June 10, 1978 - __General News__, Hilltak Label To Focus On R&B
  13. ↑ Cash Box, June 10, 1978 - Page 7 New Hilltak Label Formed; Atlantic Will Distribute
  14. ↑ Billboard, September 16, 1978 - Page 52 Billboard Hot Soul Singles {TW 67 LW 67 Wks 5)
  15. ↑ Billboard, September 23, 1978 - Page 58 Billboard Hot Soul Singles (TW 65 LW 67 Wks 5)
  16. ↑ Billboard, September 30, 1978 - Page 68 Billboard Hot Soul Singles (TW 67 LW 65 Wks 7)
  17. ↑ Billboard, October 21, 1978 - Page 53 Billboard Hot Soul Singles (TW 97 LW 78 Wks 10
  18. ↑ Billboard, October 28, 1978 - Page 68 Billboard Hot Soul Singles (TW _ LW _ Wks _
  19. ↑ Music VF.com - Broadway (American group) Top Songs
  20. ↑ Record World, December 2, 1978 - Page 1 HITS OF THE WEEK, SLEEPERS
  21. ↑ Record World, June 9, 1979 - Page 22 Black Oriented Music:Year in Review
  22. ↑ Record World, March 31, 1979 - Page 1 ALBUMS
  23. ↑ Music VF.com - Broadway (American group) Top Songs
  24. ↑ Billboard , May 5, 1979 – Page 81 Billboard's Top Single Picks, Soul recommended
  25. ↑ Cash Box , May 5, 1979 - Page 17 SINGLES TO WATCH
  26. ↑ Radio Report, Vol 2, No. 23 June 14, 1979 - Page 25 The Disco Directory, Record Companies with Disco Product, 'Releases:
  27. ↑ Cash Box, June 23, 1979 - Page 30 CASH BOX TOP 100
  28. ↑ Record World, June 23, 1979 - Page 37 Record World Singles 101-150
  29. ↑ Radio Report, Vol 2, No. 23 June 14, 1979 - Page 37 MAS SURVEY SONGS
  30. ↑ Billboard, June 30, 1979 - Page 47 Billboard Hot Soul Singles
  31. ↑ Billboard, September 8, 1979 - General News NEW DISTRIBS FOR HILLTAK
  32. ↑ Global Dog Productions - 45 Discography for Hilltak Records
  33. ↑ Cash Box, September 15, 1979 - Page 12 Hilltak Drops Atlantic, Chooses Indie Distribs
  34. ↑ Cash Box, September 8, 1979 - Page 40 INTERNATIONAL, United Kingdom
  35. ↑ Edmonton Journal, Nov 05, 2014 - Local News, Nov. 5, 1979: Leaving for Maui an international hit - Chris Zdeb
  36. ↑ 45Cat - Footloose (Hilltak) - Discography
  37. ↑ Record World, December 8, 1979 - Page 14 Record WorldSingle Picks
  38. ↑ Music Metason - ArtistInfo, The 9th Creation, Let's Dance / Shucks, You're Fine
  39. ↑ Billboard, December 15, 1979 - Page 22A Billboard Hot Soul Singles
  40. ↑ Cash Box, December 29, 1979 - Page 92 CASH BOX TOP 100
  41. ↑ Cash Box, January 26, 1980 - Page 26 CASH BOX TOP 100
  42. ↑ Cash Box, February 2, 1980 - Page 35 CASH BOX TOP 100
  43. ↑ Record World, January 12, 1980 - Page 32 Record WorldBlack Oriented Singles
  44. ↑ Record World, January 19, 1980 - Page 64 Record WorldBlack Oriented Singles
  45. ↑ Record World, January 26, 1980 - Page 40 Record WorldBlack Oriented Singles
  46. ↑ Cash Box, September 15, 1979 - Page 12 Hilltak Drops Atlantic, Chooses Indie Distribs
  47. ↑ Billboard, May 24, 1980 - Page 4 General News Executive Turntable Marketing
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