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Steeltown Records | |
---|---|
Founded | 1966 |
Founder | Gordon Keith |
Genre | Various |
Country of origin | United States |
Location | Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
Steeltown Records was an American record company in Gary, Indiana. The company was founded in 1966 by William Adams (a.k.a. Gordon Keith) and co-owned with Ben Brown (deceased), Maurice Rodgers, Willie Spencer (deceased), and Lou "Ludie" D. Washington (deceased). [lower-alpha 1] The record company was mostly active from 1966 to 1972. Steeltown gave the Jackson 5 their start in the music industry. The Jackson 5's first record was released on the Steeltown label in early 1968, before Motown signed the group in 1969.
Two Jackson 5 singles were recorded for Steeltown at a South Chicago recording studio in 1967, "Big Boy"/"You Changed" and "We Don't Have To Be Over 21 (to Fall in Love)"/"Jam Session". [1] [2] [3] [lower-alpha 2] "Big Boy", Michael Jackson's first song, was released on January 31, 1968, by Gordon Keith, who was the manager and producer of the Jackson 5 and their songs. [lower-alpha 3] "Big Boy" was played on Chicago-Gary area radio stations and became a local hit. [1] [4] [5] [lower-alpha 4] The following March, Keith signed a contract with Atlantic Records to manufacture and distribute the "Big Boy"/"You Changed" record nationally. Atco Records, a division of Atlantic Records in New York City, distributed several thousand Steeltown copies with the "Atlantic-Atco" record sleeve. Many of these vinyl records (45 rpm) are still in existence, as are some of the first "Big Boy" singles distributed in Gary by Steeltown. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum owns one of the original Steeltown "Big Boy"/"You Changed" records (#681), and this single was on display there in 2010.
The Jacksons moved to Los Angeles, California in 1969. After Ben Brown moved there in 1985, he partnered with Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, and became the president of Jackson Records. In January 2015, Brown's son Dwayne Joseph Brown and his son's business partner, Alicia Barber (songwriter and author whom wrote "Born Rejected"), came together to launch SteelTown Los Angeles. A SteelTown movie is in the works which is set to be released in 2025.[ citation needed ]
Atlantic Recording Corporation is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of two decades, starting from the release of its first recordings in January 1948, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American labels, specializing in jazz, R&B, and soul by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding. Its position was greatly improved by its distribution deal with Stax. In 1967, Atlantic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group, and expanded into rock and pop music with releases by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, and Yes.
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson is an American musician. He is an original member of the Jackson 5, who rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s with the Motown label, and later had continued success with the group on the Epic label in the late 1970s and 1980s. Tito began a solo career in 2003 performing as a blues musician.
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of the Jackson 5, and played bass guitar. Since 1983 he rejoined the group, now known as the Jacksons.
Marlon David Jackson is an American entertainer, singer, and dancer best known as a member of the Jackson 5. He is the sixth child of the Jackson family. Marlon now runs Study Peace Foundation to promote peace and unity worldwide.
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson-Brown is an American singer and the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1974, before subsequently appearing in the television series The Jacksons. Her sister La Toya was born on her sixth birthday. At age 34, Jackson released her debut album Centipede (1984). The album featured songs written by Smokey Robinson, Prince, and Jackson's younger brother Michael, whose contribution became Rebbie's most successful single release. Jackson released two more albums in quick succession: Reaction (1986) and R U Tuff Enuff (1988).
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the company was relaunched by Atlantic Records in early 2020.
Joseph Walter Jackson was an American talent manager and patriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers. He was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson family of entertainers that includes her children Michael and Janet Jackson.
Giant Records was launched in 1990 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Records and record executive Irving Azoff. Currently, this name is used as a Swedish label owned by Warner Music Sweden, a Swedish branch of Warner Music Group.
Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 is the debut studio album from Gary, Indiana-based soul family band the Jackson 5, released on the Motown label on December 12, 1969. The Jackson 5's lead singer, a preadolescent Michael Jackson and his four older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon, became pop successes within months of this album's release. Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5's only single, "I Want You Back", became a number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 within weeks of the album's release. The album reached number 5 on the US Pop Albums chart, and spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the US R&B/Black Albums chart.
"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson and English singer and musician Paul McCartney. The track was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. It was released as the first single for Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). The song was recorded at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982. The year before, Jackson and McCartney had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man" for the latter's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). Although "The Girl Is Mine" was released as a single, Jackson and McCartney never performed the song live.
The Jackson family is an American family of musicians and entertainers from Gary, Indiana. Many of the children of Joseph Walter and Katherine Esther Jackson were successful musicians, notably the brothers that formed the Motown boy band the Jackson 5. Several of the siblings also had successful solo careers. Joe worked as their manager. The Jackson family, both as a musical group and as solo artists, have achieved success in the field of popular music from the late 1960s and onward. They are sometimes called the "First Family of Soul", the "Imperial Family of Pop", or the "Royal Family of Pop", especially following the success of Michael and Janet Jackson, the former of whom is frequently dubbed the "King of Pop".
"Big Boy" is the debut single by the American family band the Jackson 5 and the first song performed by a then nine-year-old Michael Jackson. "Big Boy" was released by Steeltown Records, a record company in Gary, Indiana, in January 1968. After it was released, the song played on radio stations in the Chicago-Gary area and was a local hit. Beginning in March 1968, Steeltown Records sold thousands of copies of "Big Boy" nationally through a distribution deal with Atlantic Records, but it was neither a critical nor commercial success. The Jackson family were delighted with the outcome nonetheless. The Jackson 5 would release a second single on the Steeltown label, titled "We Don't Have to Be Over 21 ", before signing with Motown Records in Detroit, on July 26, 1968. The group played instruments on many of their Steeltown compositions, including "Big Boy". The group's recordings for Steeltown Records were thought to be lost, but were said to be rediscovered more than 25 years later. These recordings were remastered and released in 1995, with "Big Boy" as the promotional lead single.
The Jackson 5, later the Jacksons, is an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African American performers to attain a crossover following.
Gordon Keith was an American record producer who was the first person to sign a recording contract with the Jackson 5 and release their records. In 1966, he and four friends founded Steeltown Records in Gary, Indiana, with each able to manage, record, and sign local talent themselves in and around Gary. The quality of the music and dance scene was high in and near Gary. Vivian Carter, founder of VeeJay Records, and the Spaniels, a prominent doo-wop group, are examples of Gary's musical culture. Keith states that each Steeltown partner individually discovered, signed, and took the responsibility and any profit for each signed individual or group, using Steeltown Records as an umbrella to promote name recognition. Keith also points out that he had himself went solo as a vocalist in the 1960s because he wearied of the lack of discipline and commitment of so many of the young singers he sang doo-wop songs with. Therefore, he was looking not only for talent, but talent with a disciplined professional attitude and commitment.
Pompeii Records was an American record label based in Dallas. It was formed in 1968 by Joe Perry, president, and Pat Morgan, chairman of the board. Distributed by Atco Records in the US and by London Records internationally, the company is noted for its Ike & Tina Turner releases in the late 1960s.
One-derful Records was an independent R&B and soul label based in Chicago. Founded by George Leaner in 1962, One-derful was one of the few black-owned labels in Chicago until its demise in 1968. The label is most known for the release of "Shake a Tail Feather" by the Five Du-Tones in 1963. Other artist on the label included the Sharpees, McKinley Mitchell, Alvin Cash, and Harold Burrage. A few subsidiary labels were launched: Mar-V-Lus, M-Pac, Halo, and Midas Records.