| Not only the first black owned large independent record company but also one of the most successful prior to Motown. It's recording and release policy was genuinely eclectic and provided us with a very fine legacy of blues, R&B, gospel, doo-wop and early soul recordings. It also released the first few years of the Beatles recordings in the US - but that's another story!
Vivian Carter | | | The label and its subsidiaries were owned and developed by Vivian Carter Bracken, her husband James Bracken and brother Calvin Carter. Much of the label's early success can be put down to the complementary talents of the co-owners. Vivian worked as a local D.J and had an excellent ear for contemporary black sounds and was clearly a major factor in attracting talent to a fledgling label. James Bracken was a successful record store owner (he and Vivian were partners in a record store from around 1950) and also had a real grip on the current tastes of the record buying public. And Calvin Carter, already acknowledged as an established musician, fast developed into one of the best A&R men in the business.
It was Calvin who drew in a number of the artists who established Vee-Jay's early reputation - seminal talent such as John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, the Spaniels, the Dells, Betty Everett and Jerry Butler.
The company was initially put together in 1953 and, unusually for a new and not particularly well funded small label, it scored an immediate R&B hit with its very first recording (The Spaniels 'Baby Its You'). They had the good sense to defray distribution and promotion costs that often proved prohibitive to start up labels by placing the initial releases with the better distributed Chance label. They were further rewarded with the follow-up hit 'Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite' (the Spaniels again), destined to become a doo-wop classic. The doo-wop sound remained a staple of the Vee-Jay sound for many years, the Spaniels joined at the label by groups of the quality of the Dells, El Dorados, Magnificents and Dukays.
Jerry Butler | | | From its initial roots in Gary, Indiana, Vee-Jay moved to its own premises on Michegan Avenue, Chicago (opposite Chess) in 1955. About the same time, the Chance label folded and Ewart Abner moved to Vee-Jay as label manager, Sid McCoy also joining to strengthen the A&R setup.
The label became a major player in the gospel market, putting out albums by the likes of the Staple Singers, Swan Silvertones, and the original Blind Boys of Alabama. Some of the original gospel albums actually got a UK release on the Fontana label, and this was also true of much of the Vee-Jay catalogue. Fontana and Stateside in particular pushed out releases from John Lee Hooker, Dee Clark, Jerry Butler and Betty Everett. (Gene Chandler, Hooker, and Everett all found themselves in the top twenty of the UK charts).
The label's net grew ever wider - the Four Seasons joined and provided a string of pure pop classics, most of which found their way into the upper reaches of the Billboard pop charts. By 1962, the label had a particularly strong roster and, seemimgly effortlessly, released material to both critical and commercial success in the blues, R&B, soul and gospel genres. Jerry Butler scored in both the pop and R&B charts with a series of smooth but soulful ballads. Gene Chandler managed a number one success in both the pop and R&B charts with 'Duke of Earl' and there are many other examples of crossover successes. These include John Lee Hooker ('Boom Boom'), Jerry Butler ('Make It Easy On Yourself', 'Moon River'), Betty Everett ('You're No Good', 'The Shoop Shoop Song'), the Dells ('Stay In My Corner') and Jimmy Reed ('Big Boss Man').
| Given the careful and very professional manner in which Vee-Jay had been established and developed, the speed with which the label fell apart is a particularly depressing tale. It had a pre-eminient position as a truly successful and thriving black owned enterprise and yet it still folded, almost without warning, in 1965.
It still had a reasonable roster of talent (Butler, Impressions, Four Seasons, the Dells etc.) on its books but the company died amidst rumours of mismanagement, maldministration and misappropriation of funds.
Despite the messy and unfortunate demise, Vee-Jay label is still a pivotal and important one in both R&B and the development of black music generally. The breadth and depth of the output was extraordinary, and it reached out to the white record buying public without ever abandoning its natural demographic market. Perhaps a little undervalued now in historical terms, its output could well be considered as important as that from Stax and Chess. First rate examples of blues, uptown soul, straight ahead R&B - the best of Afro-American music of the era and a perfect soundtrack for an R&B primer. Catch a review of the 2CD selection of "America's Premier Black Music Label" here.
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The Spaniels |
| Blessed with a truly great lead vocalist (James "Pookie" Hudson) who influenced many who came after him. They were also one of the first (if not the first) R&B groups to perform with the lead singer on one microphone and the rest of the group sharing another. 'Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight', actually took about six months for the record to break nationally, charting at number five on the R&B charts. |
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Dee Clark |
| The Arkansas-born singer moved to Chicago as a child and recorded with the Delegates for Vee-Jay in 1956. Clark went solo in 1957 and in 1958 enjoyed his first smash with 'Nobody for You'. He continued a string of R&B winners with 'Just Keep It Up'," 'Hey Little Girl', and 'How About That'. Clark teamed with guitarist Phil Upchurch to write 'Raindrops' in 1961, his signature tune and a number 2 pop hit. |
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Betty Everett |
| Betty recorded first for Cobra in 1958, and joined Vee-Jay in the early '60s. Her original version of 'You're No Good' was a great record, but her next single, 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)', was her first really big hit, peaking at number six pop in 1964. She continued to record after Vee-Jay, cutting one of her best in 1969 with 'There'll Come a Time'. Everett was then on Uni, where she remained until 1970. She continued recording for Fantasy until 1974 and made one other record for United Artists in 1978. She died at her Wisconsin home in August 2001. |
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Gene Chandler |
| Gene Chandler is remembered for the classic novelty soul ballad "Duke of Earl"; but he was a great exponent of the 60s Chicago soul scene, along with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. Born Eugene Dixon, he was a member of the doo wop group the Dukays and "Duke of Earl" was actually a Dukays recording but released as a solo effort. Chandler never again approached the massive pop success of that chart-topper (although he occasionally entered the Top 20) but continued to score on the R&B charts. His last successes were the far less distinguished disco and dance influenced R&B hits 'Get Down' (1978) and 'Does She Have a Friend?' (1980). |
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Eddie Taylor |
| Taylor's rock-steady rhythm guitar powered the great majority of Jimmy Reed's Vee-Jay sides during the 1950s and early '60s, cutting a few classic sides of his own for the label during the mid-'50s. Taylor's Vee-Jay debut came in 1955 with the great 'Bad Boy'.Further Vee-Jay tracks included 'Ride 'Em On Down' and the excellent 'Big Town Playboy'. But Taylor's records didn't sell in the quantities that Reed's did, so he was largely relegated to the role of sideman, although his own recordings made it abundantly clear that this quiet, unassuming guitarist didn't have to play second fiddle to anyone. | |
Dose anyone know who sang the song "someday (when you're a mother)" I was thinking it might have been Betty Everett ??? I think it was a flip side of the 45 it was on and I think the lable was baby blue