Chi-Sound Records is an independent record label set up in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

by established Chicago record producer

Carl Davis Carl Davis, (born October 28, 1936) is an American-born conductor and composer who has lived in the United Kingdom since 1961. He has written music for more than 100 television programmes, but is best known for creating music to accompany si ...

. He had been involved in the music industry since the early 1960s working with locally based labels, including

Vee-Jay 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 ...

and

Okeh Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

, a subsidiary of the major

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. He produced Gene Chandler's number One hit, "Duke Of Earl" for Vee-Jay. Later, as A&R chief for Okeh, he produced a run of hits with writer/singer Curtis Mayfield, for another Chicago artist,

Major Lance Major Lance (April 4, 1939, 1941Soul music A-Z 1995 p. 185 or 1942The golden age of American rock 'n roll: Volume 3; 2002 p. 556 – September 3, 1994) was an American R&B singer. After a number of US hits in the 1960s, including "The Monk ...

, including "

The Monkey Time "The Monkey Time" is a song written by Curtis Mayfield and performed by Major Lance. It reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 8 on the U.S. pop chart in 1963. It was featured on his 1963 album ''The Monkey Time'', was arranged by Johnny ...

" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um". Davis left Okeh after it was merged with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

in a dispute with Epic management over side projects outside Epic/Okeh.

History

In the mid-60s, Davis took over creative control of

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History From 1916 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...

(at that time a sublabel of

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

) and oversaw many hits for that label and another label Davis founded,

Dakar Records Dakar Records (1967-1976) was a record label started by Carl Davis in 1967, while employed at Brunswick Records. The label was initially distributed by Atlantic Records subsidiary Cotillion Records, and was based in Chicago. All releases after late ...

, over the next five to six years for Chicago artists like The Chi-Lites, Tyrone Davis (no relation), Barbara Acklin, The Artistics, Young-Holt, and Gene Chandler, as well as Jackie Wilson. In June 1976 Davis left Brunswick to found his own label. Originally distributed as a custom label by

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

, the output, including several albums by Walter Jackson, was moderately successful. In 1978, it switched its distribution to

20th Century Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three dis ...

, which saw Davis signing up other previously successful Chicago-based artists. Gene Chandler recorded the #3 Billboard R&B hit, "Get Down", a huge disco hit in 1978/79, and Davis then brought on board The Chi-Lites (with lead vocalist and producer Eugene Record also taking an executive post), The Dells and The Impressions. Other important R&B hits included "Does She Have A Friend" by Chandler and "Hot On A Thing" by The Chi-Lites. When the 20th Century deal ended in 1981 (at the same time was sold to PolyGram in 1981 and absorbed into Casablanca Records), Chi-Sound was wound down with Davis using independent distribution for spasmodic releases for 2 years. Gene Chandler stayed for one more minor hit but the other acts moved on. Due to financial problems, it closed down in 1983. It had a brief revival in 1989, but closed down again in 1990. Davis reactivated the Chi-Sound label in January 2007, venturing into hip-hop in addition to R&B.

References

External links

Official website

History

References

External links

See also