DB Records (stylized as DB RECS) was a
record label owned by Danny Beard, active from 1978 to 1997. The label was operated out of the Wax'n'Facts
record store
A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records, but over the 20th century, record shops sold the new formats that were ...
in the
Atlanta, Georgia neighborhood of
Little Five Points
Little Five Points (also L5P, LFP, Little Five, or Lil' Five) is a district on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, east of downtown. It was established in the early 20th century as the commercial district for the adjacent In ...
. Through the
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
, the label became known as a source of
southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
regional music.
History
In 1978, Beard helped some friends in
The B-52's by recording and releasing their first single, "
Rock Lobster", produced by
Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn (born August 24, 1956) is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films and television series since the 1980s.
Dunn's roles include White House Communications Director Alan Reed in the political comedy '' ...
. The record sold nearly 20,000 copies.
DB Records
. Rock and Roll Roadmap. Accessed March 7th, 2012.
"It was a great record and a great group," Beard told reporter Jim McConnell, "and it fooled me into thinking that having a record label was easy."
Beard also recorded and helped other local and regional musicians. DB's roster went on to include The Coolies
The Coolies were an American alternative rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1986 to 1989. They derived the name from a dictionary definition of coolie, which defines the derogatory word as "one who does heavy work for little pay".
''di ...
, Fetchin Bones
Fetchin Bones was a cross-genre rock band from North Carolina. During a six-year career they produced five albums but were most celebrated for inspired live performances. One reviewer stated they were "a band that must be seen live for a full gra ...
, Guadalcanal Diary, The Jody Grind
''The Jody Grind'' is a 1966 recording by Horace Silver featuring both a quintet and a sextet. Released the following year on his longtime label Blue Note, it peaked No. 8 of the ''Billboard'' jazz album charts. As one of his "groove-centered" r ...
, Love Tractor
Love Tractor (1980–current) is a band from Athens, Georgia, founded in spring 1980 by guitarists Mark Cline and Mike Richmond, and bassist Armistead Wellford, students at the University of Georgia. Like The B-52's, Pylon (band), Pylon and R.E. ...
, Oh-OK, Pylon, Chris Stamey, The Swimming Pool Q's, Uncle Green
Formed in Basking Ridge, New Jersey in 1980, the band Uncle Green consisted of Matt Brown (guitar and vocals), Jeff Jensen (guitar, vocals), Bill Decker (bass and keyboards), Pete McDade (drums), and Danny Giordano (tambourine and vocals). Brown ...
, and Zeitgeist (later known as The Reivers
''The Reivers: A Reminiscence'', published in 1962, is the last novel by the American author William Faulkner. The bestselling novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963. Faulkner previously won this award for his book ''A Fable'', ...
), among others. Beard also produced Pylon's groundbreaking first single, "Cool"/"Dub", which was released on the Athens-based Caution Records label in 1979.
Many of the bands on the label also performed live at Atlanta's 688 Club
The 688 Club was a popular alternative music venue in Atlanta, Georgia, located at 688 Spring Street, near the intersection of Spring and 3rd Streets. The 688 Club opened in May 1980 and closed in November 1986. The club was operated by Steve May ...
, a popular venue for alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
bands.
See also
* List of record labels
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Db Records
Companies based in Atlanta
American record labels