|
Winley Records
Paul Winley Records Inc. (more commonly credited as Winley Records) was a doo-wop record label founded in 1956 that, in 1979, became one of the earliest hip hop labels. It was situated on 125th Street, Harlem, New York City. Winley released doo-wop by The Paragons and The Jesters, and hip hop records by Paul Winley's daughters, Tanya and Paulette, produced by Winley's wife, Ann. The label can lay claim to a number of firsts: one of the earliest rock and roll compilations, one of the earliest breaks compilations, an early solo female rap artist and an early instance of social commentary in rap. Winley was also the first label to record one of hip hop's most important figures, Afrika Bambaataa. Paul Winley Paul Winley entered the music business through writing songs for his brother's Washington D.C. doo-wop group, The Clovers. Through them, he met Ahmet Ertegün, who—unusually for a label mogul—himself wrote for The Clovers subsequent to signing them. Winley moved to New York ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.Hoffmann, FRoots of Rock: Doo-Wop In ''Survey of American Popular Music'', modified for the web by Robert Birk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an American songwriter whose work influenced rock and roll. His compositions include "Fever" (recorded by Little Willie John), "Great Balls of Fire" and "Breathless" (recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis), "Don't Be Cruel", " All Shook Up" and " Return to Sender" (with Winfield Scott; recorded by Elvis Presley), and " Handy Man" (recorded by Jimmy Jones). Biography Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York. He learned to play the piano as a child and grew up listening to both R&B and country music. His first success was winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1952. This led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition " Daddy Rolling Stone", which became a favorite in Jamaica, where it was recorded by Derek Martin. The song later became part of the Who's mod repertoire. Enjoying some early recording and performing success, he found ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pumpkin (musician)
Errol Eduardo Bedward (January 21, 1961 – August 24, 1990), better known by his stage name Pumpkin was a musician, percussionist, and band leader. He was renowned for being the one behind many old school hip hop tracks for the Profile, Enjoy, and Tuff City record companies.Lewis, Darlene (2008) ''Hip-Hop Before the Bling'', , p. 3Shapiro, Peter (2005) ''The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop'', 2nd ed., Rough Guides, London, , p. 368-9 He worked with several influential early hip-hop acts from 1979 to 1984, such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Spoonie Gee, Treacherous Three, Funky Four, Grandmaster Caz Curtis Brown (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage name Grandmaster Caz or Casanova Fly, is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best know ..., the Fearless Four, and Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, and several more obscure names. His 1983 single "King of the Beat" was followed b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sugar Hill Records (rap)
Sugar Hill Records was an American record label specializing in hip hop music that was founded in 1979 by husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson with Milton Malden and funding from Tony Riviera and Morris Levy, the owner of Roulette Records. History Joe Robinson had parlayed a music publishing company that he established years before in New York into Red Robin, Fury, Fire, Enjoy, All Platinum, Stang, Vibration, and Turbo Records before establishing the Sugar Hill label. Artists included his wife Sylvia Robinson, of Mickey & Sylvia fame (who had success in the 1950s with " Love Is Strange"), The Moments ("Love on a Two Way Street"), Brother to Brother, Shirley and Company (" Shame Shame Shame"). Beginnings The Sugar Hill label's first record was " Rapper's Delight" (1979) by The Sugarhill Gang, which was also the first top 40 hip hop single. Afterwards Super Wolf, The Sequence, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Funky Four Plus One, Crash Crew, Treacherous Thre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clifton "Jiggs" Chase
Clifton "Jiggs" Chase (born 1940) is an American jazz-funk organ player, composer, and influential record producer from New Jersey, United States. One of the earliest known recordings is his organ playing on the 1967 Buddy Terry recording '' Natural Soul'' (Prestige Records), alongside Woody Shaw. Career In 1976, he did a record date in New York as a side-man to tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders on the album " Pharoah". Jiggs Chase would go on to become the Music Director for Pharoah Sanders Ensemble and as such would bring to his attention, Rickie Byars (Boger) who became lead singer in the Pharoah Sanders Ensemble and who for a time replaced Phyllis Hyman. Jiggs Chase was very influential in the career of Rickie and continued to expose her talents in bands where he served as Music Director which included the Joe Thomas Band and various jazz trios in the New York and New Jersey area. During the 1980s he was an in-house arranger and producer for Sugar Hill Records. Although hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, playing soul jazz with Jack McDuff and others. He then launched a successful solo career, alternating between jazz, pop, R&B singing, and scat singing. His album '' Breezin''' was certified triple-platinum, hitting no. 1 on the ''Billboard'' album chart in 1976. His concerts were well attended through the 1980s, and he still has a large following. Benson has won ten Grammy Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Biography Early career Benson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of seven, he first played the ukulele in a corner drug store, for which he was paid a few dollars. At the age of eight, he played guitar in an unlicensed nightclub on Friday |
