See also
- List of record labels
- Hipposonic Studios
- Barracuda - a song critical of the practices of Mushroom Records
| Mushroom Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| Distributor(s) | Arista Records, EMI Records, Festival Records |
| Genre | Pop, rock |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
Mushroom Records was a Canadian independent record label founded in Vancouver, British Columbia with financial backing by brothers Wink and Dick Vogel in 1974. [1] The brothers were sons of businessman and politician Hunter Vogel. Shelly Siegel was the label's vice-president and creative director. Producer Mike Flicker also worked with the company. Mushroom released approximately 15 LP titles and 50 singles between 1974 and 1980.
The Mushroom label initially released recordings in Canada through distribution arrangements with five independent distributors. In 1976 Jay Gold was named general manager of Mushroom Records in Canada and he negotiated a national distribution agreement with A&M Records Canada. Ian Warner was Vice-President of International Affairs and Publishing.
The company was also incorporated in the United States and maintained a second office on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Mushroom was distributed in the U.S. through a network of independent distributors, which included Fourth Street East in Chatsworth, California. Some Mushroom recordings were also released abroad through Arista Records, EMI Records and Festival Records.
Mushroom released several successful albums from artists such as Doucette, Heart, and Chilliwack. Mushroom also had a short lived subsidiary, Chanterelle Records, which released records by Disco musician Jim Grady. [2]
Flicker left Mushroom during Heart's dispute with Siegel over Heart's second album. Siegel moved to the L.A. office, but suddenly died due to an aneurysm on 17 January 1979. In late 1980 Mushroom Records went out of business. The same year Gold left Mushroom to co-found Flicker Records with Mike Flicker.
Heart's two Mushroom albums were purchased and re-issued by Capitol Records when the band moved to that label in 1985. In late 2013 Linus Entertainment released several Mushroom recordings on CD for the first time including albums by Chilliwack and Doucette.
In 1946, Aragon Recording Studios was opened in Vancouver. By 1954, Al Reusch had acquired sole ownership. A studio was built by Aragon in 1966, and under a sponsorship deal, the new facility was initially named Can-Base Studios.
In the early 1970s Reusch sold the studio to Jack Herschorn, who appointed Mike Flicker as chief engineer and Howard Leese as program manager. Charlie Richmond also worked as head technical advisor.[ citation needed ] Flicker and Leese had earlier worked in Los Angeles studios and later became known for their production and arranging work with the Seattle band Heart.
Can-Base went bust and the studio acquired investment funds from the Vogel family. The name was changed to Mushroom Studios. In 1974 the Mushroom Records label was also established in Vancouver. [1] Though the two remained separate business entities, many of Mushroom Records' albums were recorded at Mushroom studios. Mushroom Records went bust in 1980, but Mushroom Studios continued on.[ citation needed ]
In January 2006, the studio was purchased by Hipposonic Studios and renamed Hippowest Music Ltd. In 2011, the studio was moved 3,000 miles cross country, and relocated inside the Play-Dead Mansion on Queen Street West in Toronto, where it once again took its current name of Mushroom Studios.[ citation needed ]
Heart is an American rock band formed in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen, including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Chilliwack is a Canadian rock band centered on the singer and guitarist Bill Henderson. They were active from 1970 to 1988; Henderson re-formed the band in 1997. The band started off with a progressive rock sound that incorporated elements of folk, indigenous, jazz and blues, before moving towards a more straight-ahead hard rock/pop rock sound by the mid-1970s. Their six best-selling songs were "My Girl ", "I Believe", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Fly at Night", "Crazy Talk" and "Lonesome Mary". The band's line-up has changed many times.
Little Queen is the third studio album by American rock band Heart, released in May 1977 by Portrait Records. The album was recorded and mixed at Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle, Washington, from February to April 1977. On June 29, 2004, a remastered version of Little Queen was released by Epic Records and Legacy Recordings with two bonus tracks.
Dreamboat Annie is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia; the album was recorded in Vancouver and first released in Canada by the local label Mushroom Records in September 1975, eventually reaching number 20 on RPM's Top Album chart and earning a double platinum certification. It was released in the United States on February 14, 1976, through the US subsidiary of Mushroom Records in Los Angeles, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200. It also reached the top 10 in the Netherlands and Australia in early 1977. The album contains three commercially successful singles, two of which, "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man", became staples on North American FM radio. Producer Mike Flicker helped the group to polish their sound and obtain a recording contract with the label.
Mushroom Studios was a music recording facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with a long history in Canadian music. It has now been relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jerry Victor Doucette was a Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was noted for his hit single "Mama Let Him Play", which made the Billboard Top 100. His band, Doucette, won the Juno Award for Most Promising Group of the Year in 1979.
Magazine is the second studio album by American rock band Heart. It was originally released on April 19, 1977, by Mushroom Records in unfinished form, without the band's permission. A second authorized version of the album was released on April 22, 1978. The album has been certified platinum in both the United States and Canada.
Dog & Butterfly is the fourth studio album by American rock band Heart, released in September 1978, by Portrait Records, following a legal dispute with Mushroom Records over the release of the band's second studio album, Magazine, in April 1978. Dog & Butterfly peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned the singles "Straight On" and "Dog & Butterfly".
Greatest Hits/Live is a compilation album of greatest hits, live recordings and new tracks by American rock band Heart, released on November 29, 1980, by Epic Records. The album was issued in North America as a double LP. The first disc is a collection of the band's greatest hits, while the second is mostly a live album, although it contains three previously unreleased studio recordings, including a cover of "Tell It Like It Is", released as the first single. The second single released from the album was a live cover of "Unchained Melody".
"Crazy on You" is a song by American rock band Heart from their debut studio album, Dreamboat Annie (1975). It was released in March 1976 as the album's third single in Canada and the album's debut single in the United States. It reached the top 25 in Canada and the top 35 in the US. It found more success in the Netherlands and Belgium where it peaked at number 2 and 13, respectively, in early 1977 after its release as the second single from Dreamboat Annie in those countries. It is considered one of Heart's signature songs as it is one of the most played tracks on classic rock radio stations in the US.
"Barracuda" is a song by American rock band Heart, released in 1977 on their third studio album, Little Queen, and was released as the album's lead single. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, "Barracuda" was named the 34th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Riding High is the fourth album by the Canadian rock band Chilliwack, released in Canada in April 1974. It was the band's first album with new guitarist/keyboardist Howard Froese, and contained the top-10 hit "Crazy Talk", which was co-produced by Terry Jacks of Poppy Family fame. In Canada, the album was released on Jacks' label Goldfish Records; in the U.S., it was not released until 1975 on Sire Records, where it was retitled Chilliwack.
Breakdown in Paradise is the eighth album by the Canadian rock band Chilliwack, released in December 1979. The album was originally intended to be called Road to Paradise, but the death of Mushroom Records head Shelly Siegel in January 1979 made the collapse of the label, which had released each of Chilliwack's last three albums, all but certain. In addition, after the last album three of the longstanding band members left the group, leaving only Bill Henderson and Brian MacLeod from the prior lineup. Throughout recording, the band was tinkering with its lineup, and only bass player Ab Bryant continued to appear with the group after Mushroom's collapse.
The Dixon House Band was a prog-rock/pop group based in Seattle, Washington in the late 1970s. It issued one album on New York City-based Infinity Records in 1979 entitled Fighting Alone and had a minor chart hit with the song "Sooner Or Later".
Howard M. Leese is an American guitarist, record producer, and musical director who played with Heart as guitarist and keyboardist for 23 years. He continues to record and tour as a solo artist, and as guitarist with The Paul Rodgers Band and Bad Company. In 2013, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart.
Mike Flicker is an American music producer in Los Angeles who has numerous credits on music and film projects. He is critically acclaimed for his work with Heart.
"I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" is a soul song co-written and performed by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder and Yvonne Wright, for Wonder's fifteenth studio album, Talking Book (1972). The song is featured in the 2000 comedy-drama High Fidelity starring John Cusack and Jack Black, and is included on its soundtrack. It was also included in season 1 Episode 10 of the 2020 Hulu series High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz.
The Zoo was a 1960s rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Their music combined heavy soul music stylings with psychedelic rock influences. It consisted of guitarist Murphy "Chocolate Moose" Carfagna, drummer Mike Flicker, bassist Terry Gottlieb, guitarist Howard Leese, and vocalist Ira Welsley.
"Dirty Work" is a song written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, which appeared on the band's 1972 debut album Can't Buy a Thrill.
Rat Silo is a Canadian Alternative rock group based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada founded by James Newton, the former lead vocalist and guitarist of Canadian alternative rock band Sons of Freedom.
