| Scepter Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Gusto Records |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Florence Greenberg |
| Genre | Pop, soul |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | New York City |
Scepter Records was an American record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg.
| Scepter Records | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Parent company | Gusto Records |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Florence Greenberg |
| Genre | Pop, soul |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | New York City |
Scepter Records was an American record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg.
Florence Greenberg founded Scepter Records from the $4,000 she received after she sold Tiara Records and the Shirelles to Decca Records. When the Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. [1]
By 1961, Greenberg had launched a subsidiary, Wand Records. Through the two labels, she launched the careers of not only the Shirelles, but Dionne Warwick, Chuck Jackson, The Kingsmen, B.J. Thomas, Joey Dee, Maxine Brown, The Esquires, Tommy Hunt, The Guess Who, Tammi Terrell, The Independents and B. T. Express, and gave The Isley Brothers their famous hit "Twist and Shout', which was later covered by The Beatles. Other Scepter/Wand subsidiary labels include: Bamboo, Bunky, Cap City, Captain, Citation, Garrison, Jet Stream, Lanie, Madtad, Marlu, Mosaic, Pepper, Realm, Roadshow, Rock'N, Sonday, Spokane, Stop, Tiffany, Toddlin' Town and Treat. [2]
In 1965, Scepter moved its offices to 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City (a building now famous for housing the legendary Studio 54 disco). The building included warehouse space and its own recording studio. Though few albums of note were recorded at Scepter Studios, one was the influential experimental rock album The Velvet Underground & Nico , much of which was recorded there in April 1966, by engineer John Licata under the supervision of Andy Warhol and Norman Dolph. [3] The album was ranked number 13 on Rolling Stone 's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003, re-positioned to number 23 on the 2020 updated list. [4] [5] In 2006, it was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [6]
Scepter was one of the earliest record labels to release 12-inch singles intended for the nascent disco market. [7] During this revival of the label during the disco era in the 1970s, the label featured LTG Exchange, South Shore Commission, Ultra High Frequency, General Crook, Southside Movement, Armada Orchestra and Bobby Moore.
The label worked with several music industry notables of the period, Marvin Schlachter joined Scepter as a partner in 1960, he became overall vice president and later sold his interest in the label in 1969. [8] [9] Schlachter then ran several other major labels before opening up Prelude Records in 1977. [10] Scepter's main 1960s producer, Luther Dixon, was unparalleled in his field as a songwriter for years. [11] It was also at Scepter that Burt Bacharach came into prominence as a writer and producer. Mel Cheren joined in 1970 as head of production, and together with the vice president for sales Ed Kushins launched West End Records in 1976. [12] Cheren worked with Tom Moulton to create some of the first disco remixes on Scepter's early 12 inch discs in 1975. [13]
Greenberg decided to retire from the business in 1976, and sold her record labels to Springboard International. When Springboard went bankrupt, Gusto Records acquired the catalog. Dionne Warwick arranged to buy her own masters, and the Kingsmen won control of their masters via a highly publicized lawsuit.
In March 2011, the musical Baby It's You! , which told the story of Greenberg and the development of Scepter Records, premiered on Broadway to lukewarm-to-poor reviews. [14]
The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Addie "Micki" Harris, and Beverly Lee.
Marie Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress, and television host. She is one of the most successful female artists in the history of popular music.
The Kingsmen are a 1960s American rock band from Portland, Oregon. They are best known for their 1963 recording of R&B singer Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the No. 2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks and has become an enduring classic.
Wand Records was an American independent record label, started by Florence Greenberg in 1961 as a subsidiary of Scepter Records. Artists on Wand Records included The Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, Mel Wynn & the Rhythm Aces, Chuck Jackson, and the Monzas.
Gusto Records is a Nashville, Tennessee-based record company that specializes in reissuing and licensing recordings.
"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number eight.
"Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was initially a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best-known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers, for whom it was a No. 1 UK and Canadian hit. Dionne Warwick, who made a demo of the song in early 1962, later had a hit with it in 1970.
Maxine Ella Brown is an American soul and R&B singer.
Make Way for Dionne Warwick is the third studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Scepter Records on August 31, 1964 in the United States. Propelled by the hit singles "Walk on By," "You'll Never Get to Heaven," and "Wishin' and Hopin'", it became Warwick's first album to enter the US charts, reaching the top ten of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Dionne Warwick in Paris is Dionne Warwick's sixth album, and was released on April 14, 1966 on Scepter Records. It was recorded during Warwick's five-week engagement at the Paris Olympia in January 1966 and was released shortly after the tour was completed. The LP was issued as number 534 in the Scepter Catalog. The liner of this LP is pink with three pictures of Warwick side-by-side, not unlike the Make Way for Dionne Warwick album two years earlier.
Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls is the title of Dionne Warwick's ninth album for the Scepter label. It was recorded during the summer and fall of 1967 and was released early the next year in March 1968. It was recorded at A&R and Bell Sound Studios in New York City and was produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
Presenting Dionne Warwick is the debut studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Scepter Records on April 10, 1963 in the United States. Composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David provided three-quarters of the track listing, having met Warwick during the summer of 1961 at Bell Sound Studios when she was working as a background singer during the recording session for The Drifters' minor hit "Mexican Divorce" (1962). The songwriters would go on to become frequent collaborators on subsequent Warwick projects. Presenting Dionne Warwick peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the lead single "Don't Make Me Over" which reached number five on the US Hot R&B Singles chart and became a top-forty hit on several international charts.
Tonight's the Night is the debut album by American girl group the Shirelles, released in December 1960 by Scepter Records. It contains the hit song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" as well as "Tonight's the Night", which became a minor hit for the Shirelles. The album was remastered and restored by Cornbread Records. It was then reissued in 2017 on 180 Gram Vinyl with 2 bonus tracks, one track was " Look A Here Baby" on the end of side A and the second track was "A Teardrop And A Lollipop" on the end of side B.
Luther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 1960s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Jackson 5, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dusty Springfield, Jimmy Reed and others. As a producer, Dixon helped create the signature sound of the girl group the Shirelles.
Baby It's You! is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, featuring pop and rock hits of the 1960s, with a special emphasis on songs by the Shirelles and other acts signed to Scepter Records. The show "tells the story of Florence Greenberg and Scepter Records, the label Greenberg started when she signed the Shirelles." After several tryouts and premieres, the show debuted on Broadway in April 2011, directed by Sheldon Epps.
Florence Greenberg was an American record label owner, music executive, and record producer. She was the founder and owner of Tiara Records, Scepter Records, Hob Records, and Wand Records. She is best known for working as a record producer and music executive with several popular singers in the 1960s including Dionne Warwick, the Shirelles, Tammi Terrell, Chuck Jackson, and B.J. Thomas.
Thomas Jefferson Kontos, better known as Thomas Jefferson Kaye, was an American record producer, singer-songwriter and musician. He collaborated with The Shirelles, Loudon Wainwright III, and Gene Clark, and also recorded solo albums.
The Kingsmen in Person is the first album by the rock band The Kingsmen, released in 1963. The album featured "Louie Louie", the band's biggest success.
The Kingsmen Volume 3 is the third album by the rock band the Kingsmen, released in 1965.
Marvin Schlachter is a former American record company music executive and record label owner. Schlachter was a founder and owner of Scepter Records, Wand Records, Prelude Records, and helmed a number of high ranking roles at others such as GRT Records, Janus Records, Chess Records and Pye Records US.
Schlachter joins Janus after nine years with Scepter Records, having served as executive vp. He sold his interest in the label to Scepter.
