Chance Records was a Chicago-based label founded in 1950 by Art Sheridan. It specialized in blues,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

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, Chica ...

, and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

. Among the acts who recorded for Chance were

The Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and m ...

The Moonglows The Moonglows were an American R&B group in the 1950s. Their song " Sincerely" went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Juke Box chart. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. ...

, Homesick James,

J. B. Hutto Joseph Benjamin Hutto (April 26, 1926 – June 12, 1983) was an American blues musician. He was influenced by Elmore James and became known for his slide guitar playing and declamatory style of singing. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame ...

Brother John Sellers Brother John Sellers (May 27, 1924, Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States – March 27, 1999, Manhattan) was an American gospel and folk singer. Sellers played in gospel tent shows while young. He was discovered by Mahalia Jackson, who brought ...

, and

Schoolboy Porter A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or eleme ...

. In addition, Chance released three singles by

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

Discography at Soulfulkindamusic.net
/ref> and made a coordinated issue of the first singles by

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

and

The Spaniels The Spaniels were an American R&B and doo-wop group, best known for the hit " Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite". They have been called the first successful Midwestern R&B group. Some historians of vocal groups consider Pookie Hudson to be the firs ...

with the brand-new and still tiny

Vee-Jay Records Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...

. The company closed down at the end of 1954. Sheridan became one of the financial backers of Vee-Jay.

History

Chance Records opened for business in September 1950. Initially the company was housed at Sheridan's American Record Distributors, 2011 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.Pruter, Robert (1997). ''Doowop: The Chicago Scene.'' Urbana: University of Illinois Press, pp. 21–39 Among the first artists to record for the company were the Al Sims Trio, an uptown blues group, and a combo led by tenor saxophonist John "Schoolboy" Porter, who had developed a vigorous R&B style in the

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the You ...

band. Porter's rendition of "

Tennessee Waltz "Tennessee Waltz" is a popular country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in January 1948. The song became a multimillion seller via a 1950 recording – as "The Tennessee Waltz" ...

," a much-covered hit in 1950, sold well enough that Sheridan's pressing plant, Armour Plastics, couldn't meet the demand and many copies were pressed by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...

. Porter would be a steady contributor until he left Chicago in 1952.Pruter, Robert, Campbell, Robert L., & Büttner, Armin. (June 2005). The Chance Label. ''Blues & Rhythm,'' no. 200, 12–27. In 1951, however, the company ran into big trouble with the

American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, ...

on account of employing non-Union personnel on one of Schoolboy Porter's sessions. The company actually lost its license to record with Union musicians for one year,Rowe, Mike (1981). ''Chicago Blues: The City and the Music.'' New York: Da Capo, p. 106. although Sheridan was able to work in a few sessions by

groups, which in those days were almost entirely non-Union. He would remain

persona non grata In diplomacy, a ' (Latin: "person not welcome", plural: ') is a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection of diplomatic immunity from arrest and other types of prosecution. Diplomacy Under Article 9 of the ...

with Musicians Union Local 208 for many years. While restricted from making new recordings, Sheridan astutely picked up items for release from many small labels: the debut session by jazz pianist John Young,

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

's very first session, a long out-of-print single by

Sunnyland Slim Albert Luandrew (September 5, 1906March 17, 1995), "Blues pianist and singer Sunnyland Slim was born Albert Luandrew in Vance, Mississippi, September 5, 1906 (most sources say 1907, but the Social Security Death Index and 1920 census data give t ...

, and three

78s, all released under the low-effort pseudonym John L. Booker.Murray, Charles Shaar (2002). ''Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century.'' New York: St. Martin's Griffin, p. 188. Chance quickly recovered when the ban ended in May 1952, and Sheridan moved both the record company and his distribution operation to 1151 East 47th Street. Added to the roster were blues singer

, jazz trumpeter King Kolax, down-home blues guitarist Homesick James,Obrecht, Jas (2000). ''Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists.'' San Francisco: Backbeat Books, p. 156 and flamboyant blues shouter Jo Jo Adams. In the fall, bassist

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a ...

took over as leader of a house band that featured tenor saxophonist Red Holloway, guitarist Lefty Bates, and drummer

Vernel Fournier Vernel Anthony Fournier (July 30, 1928 – November 4, 2000) and, from 1975, known as Amir Rushdan, was an American jazz drummer probably best known for his work with Ahmad Jamal from 1956 to 1962. Biography Fournier was born in New Orleans ...

; among the first singers they backed was Bobby Prince. Chance hit its peak in 1953. A collaboration with Joe Brown's JOB Records brought a new release by Homesick James, including his signature number "Homesick"Rowe, p. 109. a release by Arthur "Big Boy" Spires,Rowe, pp. 113, 129. and further tracks by

and Johnny Shines that were not released till later. The company's blues roster grew further to include

Lazy Bill Lucas Lazy Bill Lucas (May 29, 1918 – December 11, 1982) was an American blues musician who was part of the birth of the Chicago blues scene in the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. He then took his talents to Minneapolis, Minnesota, becoming an impor ...

Rowe, pp. 109–112. and

Willie Nix Willie Nix (August 6, 1922 – July 8, 1991) was an American Chicago blues singer and drummer, active in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1940s and 1950s. Life and career Nix was born in Memphis. He learned to tap dance as a child and later, as a ...

.Rowe, pp. 112–113 Singer/guitarist

Rudy Greene Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch pol ...

also recorded for Chance.Rowe, p. 112 Sheridan made a significant investment in doo-wop, signing two of the two top groups of the period,

and

. The established R&B combo led by

Tommy Dean Tommy Douglas Dean (born August 30, 1945 in Iuka, Mississippi) is an American former professional baseball player. A shortstop, his career extended from 1964–71 and included 215 games played in Major League Baseball over four seasons (1967; ...

made a session, as did the jazz groups of pianist

Jimmy Binkley Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

and trumpeter

Conte Candoli Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC O ...

. In the summer, Sheridan opened a new subsidiary called

Sabre A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...

at 1225 East 47th Street to handle some of his expanding catalog. Two doo-wop groups that Sheridan signed, the

Five Echoes 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...

, and the Five Blue Notes, recorded exclusively for the new subsidiary. In June 1953, Sheridan lent a hand to an emerging outfit from

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the ...

called Vee-Jay, which needed marketing and distribution help on its first releases by bluesman

and the vocal group

. Each was given a parallel release on Chance.Murray, p. 188. In 1954, the company recorded

,Warner, Jay (2006). The Moonglows. In ''American Singing Groups: A History, From 1940 to Today.'' Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, pp. 260–261.

, along with a new vocal group called the

Five Chances 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...

. It picked up what was probably its highest-profile gospel group, the Famous Boyer Brothers. A single by blues shouter

Freddie Hall Freddy or Freddie may refer to: Entertainment * Freddy (comic strip), a newspaper comic strip which ran from 1955 to 1980 *Freddie (Cromartie), a character from the Japanese manga series'' Cromartie High School'' * Freddie (dance), a short-lived 1 ...

came from the tiny Ebony label, run by

J. Mayo Williams Jay Mayo "Ink" Williams (September 25, 1894 – January 2, 1980) was a pioneering African-American producer of recorded blues music. Some historians have claimed that Ink Williams earned his nickname by his ability to get the signatures of ...

. A major new blues signing was

, who made his recording debut for Chance.Obrecht, p. 191. However, in June 1954,

and his corps of studio musicians moved to Vee-Jay.

Sabre Records Sabre Records was an America, Chicago-based independent record label, founded in 1953 by Art Sheridan. It specialized in blues, jazz, and doo-wop. Sabre closed down at the end of 1954, when its former owner became one of the financial backers ...

made its last release in August. Sheridan wound Chance Records down in December 1954, becoming a behind-the-scenes investor in the newer company. Ewart Abner, who had been Sheridan's right-hand man at Chance, went to work for Vee-Jay in early 1955.

Series

On its main 1100 series, Chance issues ran almost consecutively from 1100 to 1165, for a total of 63 releases. A 5000 series that Sheridan established for gospel records ran from 5000 to 5009, for 10 releases. In addition, there was a 3000 series for pop releases, which finished at 3021; 21 have been accounted for, An abortive effort to start a subsidiary in 1952 led to a single release on Meteor 100 (not to be confused with the Bihari brothers' Meteor label).

Legacy

Quite a few Chance and Sabre artists, ranging from the Famous Boyer Brothers to Tommy Dean to King Kolax to the Five Echoes, resurfaced at Vee-Jay. Rock and roll historian Charlie Gillett noted that Chance "might have done well with rock 'n' roll, given its roster," but the company closed too soon.Gillett, Charlie. (1996). ''The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll.'' New York: Da Capo Press, p. 84 The Flamingos went to

Parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittaco ...

and then to Checker and The Moonglows to

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

Releases

References

External links