Al Bell on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Al Bell (born Alvertis Isbell; March 15, 1940)
is an American record producer, songwriter, and
record executive
A music executive or record executive is a person within a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can oversee one, or many, aspects of a re ...
. He is best known as having been an executive and co-owner of
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
, based in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, during the latter half of the label's 19-year existence.
A former disc jockey in his hometown of
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
,
[Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade. ] Bell was vital to the careers of Stax's
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
stars such as the
Staple Singers
The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February ...
and
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...
, the
Emotions
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
, the
Dramatics
Theatre studies (sometimes referred to as theatrology or dramatics) is the study of theatrical performance in relation to its literary, physical, psychobiological, sociological, and historical contexts. It is an interdisciplinary field which also e ...
, and
Mel and Tim
Mel and Tim were an American soul music duo active from 1969 to 1974. They are best known for the hit songs "Backfield in Motion", " Starting All Over Again" and "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies".
Career
Melvin McArthur Hardin and Hubert Timoth ...
. Bell's promotional efforts drove the “Memphis sound” internationally and made Stax the second-largest African-American–owned business in the 1970s.
In 2009, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
profiled Bell as "one of the icons of soul music" and "the driving force behind Stax Records".
Following his career at Stax, Bell became president of
Motown Records Group during its restructuring for sale to
MCA and Boston Ventures Group.
He later started his own label, Bellmark, whose releases included Tag Team's single “
Whoomp! (There It Is)
"Whoomp! (There It Is)" is the debut single by 1990s rap duo Tag Team, written by members Cecil "DC the Brain Supreme" Glenn and Steve "Rolln" Gibson. The song reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...
” (1993).
Today, Bell works in the independent music scene in Memphis and maintains an online music website and radio show at AlBellPresents.com.
Biography
Early career at Stax
Bell joined Stax in 1965 as director of promotions and was essential in aiding the growth of the company's revenue.
Over the next three years, he rose through the ranks of the company, eventually becoming executive vice president and the most influential figure in the company after co-founder
Jim Stewart.
In addition to his administrative and promotional work, Bell was often directly involved in the production of the label's music, working as a songwriter and a producer for several acts on the label.
In 1968, following the plane crash that killed Stax's biggest star,
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
, Stax severed its distribution deal with
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
, who retained the label's back catalog to that point.
Bell launched an initiative designed to put out enough albums and singles in an effort to rebuild a catalog for Stax. New signees included gospel stars the
Staple Singers
The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February ...
as well as newcomers the
Emotions
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. ...
and the
Soul Children. Bell notably scheduled twenty-seven albums for near-simultaneous release in mid-1969 and produced much of the material himself.
One of those albums, ''
Hot Buttered Soul
''Hot Buttered Soul'' is the second studio album by American soul musician Isaac Hayes. Released in 1969, it is recognized as a landmark in soul music. Recorded with The Bar-Kays, the album features four lengthy tracks, including a 12-minute vers ...
'', by Stax songwriter and producer
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...
, was a significant success, establishing Hayes as a recording artist in his own right.
Bell was directly involved in shaping the careers of the Staple Singers, creating for them a new sound which resulted in hits such as "
Respect Yourself" and "
I'll Take You There
"I'll Take You There" is a song written by Al Bell (using his real name Alvertis Isbell), and originally performed by soul/gospel family band the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers version, produced by Bell, was released on Stax Records in Febru ...
," the latter of which he wrote.
Stax in the 1970s
Bell became co-owner of Stax in 1969 when co-founder
Estelle Axton
Estelle Axton (September 11, 1918 – February 24, 2004) was an American record executive and co-founder of Stax Records, along with her brother Jim Stewart.
Biography
Born in Middleton, Tennessee, Estelle Stewart grew up on a farm. She move ...
, unhappy with Bell's visions for the company, sold her shares and departed from the label.
He therefore became the first African-American to have equity in the label; although Stax specialized in African-American music, both of its founders, Stewart and Axton, were
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
.
In the 1970s Stewart began turning over more and more of Stax's daily operations to Bell, who began ambitious plans to expand the company's operations, similar to what Berry Gordy, Jr. had been doing at Motown Records.
Stax began distributing music from several smaller Memphis labels and produced and released the soundtracks for feature films such as ''
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
''Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song'' is a 1971 American blaxploitation film written, co-produced, scored, edited, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles. His son Mario Van Peebles also appears in a small role, playing the title character ...
'' and ''
Shaft'' (both 1971).
In 1972, Al Bell supervised the
Wattstax
''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, ...
festival, a day-long concert featuring Stax artists which was held in Los Angeles in response to the
Watts riots.
The 1973 documentary film ''Wattstax'' was produced by the label's new film division.
After four years of the label distributing its own records, Bell signed a new distribution deal with
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company
* CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990
* CBS Records (2006), founde ...
in 1972. Stax's relationship with CBS was tumultuous at best; with Bell and the Stax staff borrowing heavily from Memphis'
Union Planters Bank
Union Planters Bank was a United States financial institution and multi-state bank holding corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee prior to being acquired by Regions Financial Corporation. With over $34 billion in assets, Union Planters B ...
but CBS withholding records from stores and profits from Stax,
the label's fortunes sharply declined until it slid into bankruptcy and was closed by court order in late 1975.
Bell was indicted for, and later acquitted of, bank fraud during the Stax bankruptcy proceedings.
Later career
After Stax folded, Bell returned to Little Rock.
He voluntarily stayed away from the music industry for a decade, save for periodic participation in local recordings. In the 1980s, he became head of the Motown Records Group and worked closely with Berry Gordy Jr. in the sale of Motown to the MCA/Boston Ventures Group. After Motown, he discovered the music group
Tag Team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
and through his
Bellmark Records
Bellmark Records was a small American independent record label, based in Los Angeles, California. It was formed in 1989 by Al Bell, who was one of the driving forces behind Stax Records, having been its chairman and CEO, and who had also been presi ...
label released their hit single “
Whoomp! (There It Is)
"Whoomp! (There It Is)" is the debut single by 1990s rap duo Tag Team, written by members Cecil "DC the Brain Supreme" Glenn and Steve "Rolln" Gibson. The song reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...
” (1993), which became one of the fastest-selling singles in the music industry history.
Bell also released
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's hit single "
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", after Prince's label
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
turned him down.
After Bellmark Records, Bell returned to Little Rock to begin work on a new web-based venture, Al Bell Presents,
for which he hosts a successful online
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
program, ''Al Bell Presents: American Soul Music.''
In 2009, Bell was profiled in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
as he returned to Memphis to help develop the city's independent music scene.