Nighthawk Records was an American
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
, founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue albums. This series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues recordings from
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, Memphis and the Delta,
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
and the Southwest.
In 1979, Nighthawk expanded by launching the 200 series of blues productions with ''Mule'', an
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by
Henry Townsend. Townsend made his first recordings for
in 1929. Since then he recorded and performed on a variety of labels including RCA/Bluebird, as well as Paramount, Bullet and Prestige/Bluesville. In the 1980s, Nighthawk became a predominantly conscious
roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...
label before going out of business in the late 1990s.
The 300 series began in 1980 with ''Wiser Dread'', an anthology of
Rastafari
Rastafari is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion. There is no central authori ...
an roots music recorded between 1972 and 1978. Steven Davis, author of ''Reggae Bloodlines'', has called ''Wiser Dread'' the "...best reggae anthology since ''The Harder They Come'' ten years ago." Since then Nighthawk released a self-produced album by
The Morwells of some of their singles and three volumes of Nighthawk's own Jamaican productions: ''Brutal Out Deh'' by the Itals, ''Symbol of Reality'' by
the Gladiators and ''Calling Rastafari'' featuring
Culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
, the
Itals, the Gladiators,
Wailing Souls and
Mighty Diamonds.
In October 2017,
Omnivore Recordings acquired the back catalogue of Nighthawk Records.
See also
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, ...
References
External links
Nighthawk Records homepage
{{Authority control
American independent record labels
Record labels established in 1976
Blues record labels
Reggae record labels
1976 establishments in the United States