One-derful Records was an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

R&B and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

label based in

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 ...

. Founded by George Leaner (June 1, 1917 – September 18, 1983) 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 The Sharpees were an American R&B group based in St. Louis. The group originated from a band led by guitarist and bandleader Benny Sharp. History The Sharpees were named after guitarist Benny Sharp. Sharp (1930 – 2019) was from Tupelo, Mis ...

McKinley Mitchell McKinley Mitchell (December 25, 1934 – January 18, 1986) was an American Chicago-based blues and rhythm and blues singer, who started out performing gospel music. His first recorded single was "Rock Everybody Rock" for Boxer Records in 1959. His ...

Alvin Cash Alvin Cash (born Alvin Welch; February 15, 1939 – November 21, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Cash was a graduate of St. Louis's Sumner High School (also attended by Luther Ingram, Billy Davi ...

, and

Harold Burrage Harold Edwin Burrage (March 30, 1931 – November 26, 1966) was an American blues and soul singer, pianist, songwriter, and record producer. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Burrage did session work as a pianist in the 1950s and 1960s as ...

. A few subsidiary labels were launched: Mar-V-Lus, M-Pac, Halo, and Midas Records.

History

A native of Mississippi, George Leaner relocated to Chicago with his family. His uncle, Al Benson, became an influential

disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...

in Chicago. After serving in the army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Leaner began working at sister's Groove Record Shop and became an assistant to blues producer

Lester Melrose Lester Franklin Melrose (December 14, 1891 – April 12, 1968) was a talent scout who was one of the first American producers of Chicago blues records. Career Lester Franklin Melrose was born in Sumner, Illinois, the second of six childr ...

in 1946. In 1947, Leaner and his brother Ernie Leaner (1921 – 1990) joined M.S. Distributors and two years later Chord Distributing Company. In 1950, they went into recording, producing

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 ...

and

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

at Monroe Passis' Parkway Records. That year Ernie founded a distribution company, United Distributors, which George worked at as a junior partner in the operation. George Leaner launched One-derful in 1962 after McKinley Mitchel brought him a demo. Leaner created an A&R and production team with songwriter Andre Williams who he met working at United and musician

Monk Higgins Milton James Bland (October 3, 1930 – July 3, 1986), better known as Monk Higgins, was an American composer, producer, arranger, tenor saxophonist, keyboardist, and music executive born in Menifee, Arkansas. Biography Milton James Bland was 6' ...

. He hired writers Otis Hayes, Eddie Silvers, and Larry Nestor. Along with creating the label, there was also a studio, Tone Recordings, in the One-derful building at 1827 S. Michigan Ave. United Distribution, which handled records from not only One-derful but other local and national labels, was located in the building as well. Musicians who recorded at the studio include Mighty Joe Young,

Syl Johnson Sylvester Johnson (born Sylvester Thompson; July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American blues and soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. His most successful records included "Different Strokes" (1967), " Is It Because I' ...

Lonnie Brooks Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in ''Rolling Stone'', stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, br ...

and

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

recorded. Larry Blasingaine and his band Larry & the Hippies were the backing band for many One-derful sessions. The label's debut single "The Town I Live In" by

reached #8 on the

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. The next year, " Shake a Tail Feather" by the Five Du-Tones reached #51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #28 on the

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

chart. Despite having some chart success, many of the artists on the label didn't receive royalties and the label struggled to generate profits. Attempting to capitalize off the Five Du-Tones popularity, a Five Du-Tones Revue Tour was formed which included the Du-Ettes, the Exciters, and

Johnny Sayles John Earl Sayles Jr. (February 9, 1937 – August 17, 1993), known as Johnny Sayles, was an American R&B and soul singer. Sayles was born in Winnsboro, Texas, United States. Around 1955, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he sang with Eu ...

, but it wasn't financially successful. After the label folded in 1968, Ernie Leaner and his nephew Tony Leaner formed the short-lived Toddlin' Town Records. After Ernie Leaner died in 1990, his children inherited One-derful and its assets. They've organized and maintained an archive of more than 700 masters. One of those masters is a rare 1963 recording of "A Wonderful Thing (Love)" by a band called The Rockmasters. It featured Eddie Levert who went on to become an R&B sensation with the 70's and 80's era trio the O'Jays. After

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's death in 2009, they discovered a master of the Jackson 5's recording of "I'm A Big Boy Now" (" Big Boy") from a July 1967 session which predated their Steeltown recording of "Big Boy" in November 1967.

Selected discography

References

{{Authority control American independent record labels Rhythm and blues record labels Soul music record labels Record labels established in 1962 Record labels disestablished in 1968 Defunct record labels of the United States Music of Chicago Companies based in Chicago