States Record Company was a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

-based

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

. A subsidiary of

United Recording United Western Recorders was a two-building recording studio complex in Hollywood that was one of the most successful independent recording studios of the 1960s. The complex merged neighboring studios United Recording Corp. on 6050 Sunset Boule ...

, it was in business from May 1952 to December 1957. States focused on

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

. States was operated by Leonard Allen and Lew Simpkins until Simpkins' death in April 1953; thereafter, Allen was solely responsible for the company.Pruter, Robert, Campbell, Robert L. and Kelly, Tom "The United and States Labels Part I"
Accessed August 13, 2009 Most sessions for States were done at

Universal Recording Universal Recording Corporation was a recording studio in Chicago founded by Bill Putnam, Sr. for the purpose of investigating new recording techniques and the development of specialized recording equipment. Universal Recording was seminal i ...

, with high-fidelity results. The most important blues artist to record for States was

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song "Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album ''Hoodoo Man Blues'' ...

, making his debut as a leader; he cut sessions for the company in 1953 and 1954. In the down-home category, Allen also released singles by

Robert Nighthawk Robert Lee McCollum (November 30, 1909 – November 5, 1967) was an American blues musician who played and recorded under the pseudonyms Robert Lee McCoy and Robert Nighthawk. He was the father of the blues musician Sam Carr. Nighthawk was in ...

and

Big Walter Horton Walter Horton (April 6, 1921 – December 8, 1981), known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter 'Shakey' Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the hi ...

, as well as pianist Eddie Ware, guitarist L. C. McKinley, and drummer James Bannister. Standup blues singers to record for the label included Edward "The Great Gates" White (accompanied on his outing by

Tom Archia Ernest Alvin Archia, Jr. (November 26, 1919 – January 16, 1977) known as Tom Archia, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Early life Archia was born in Groveton, Texas, moving with his family as a child to Rockdale and then Baytown, n ...

and Red Saunders), Cliff Butler,

Arbee Stidham Arbee William Stidham (February 9, 1917 – April 26, 1988) was an American blues singer and multi-instrumentalist. According to the authors of the book ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues'', Stidham was "exactl ...

, Jack Cooley, 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 a ...

. States issued juke-box

sides by tenor saxophonists

Paul Bascomb Paul Bascomb ( – December 2, 1986) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, noted for his extended tenure with Erskine Hawkins. He is a 1979 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Career Bascomb was a founding member of the Bama Sta ...

Jimmy Coe James "Jimmy" R. Coe (March 20, 1921 – February 26, 2004) was an American jazz saxophonist. Early life Coe was born in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, and moved to Indianapolis with his family as a child. He first played in a band with Erroll "G ...

, and

Cozy Eggleston Cozy may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Cozy'', a 1961 album by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé *''Cozy'', a 1998 album by Tatsuro Yamashita *"Cozy", a song by the Bar-Kays from the album '' Too Hot to Stop'' *"Cozy", a song by Beyoncé fr ...

. A few forays into the

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

scene produced

Sax Kari Sax Kari (February 6, 1920 – October 1, 2009), born Isaac Columbus Toombs Jr., sometimes known as Isaac Saxton Kari Toombs or simply Saxton Kari, was an American multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, A&R man and promot ...

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in Phi ...

, T. J. Fowler, and Helen Thompson. States became involved in

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

in 1953 when Allen recorded The Hornets. He soon added

The Danderliers ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

, the

Five Chances 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...

, The Strollers and The Palms. The vocal groups were rehearsed by

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

, who also led studio bands featuring such performers as guitarist

Lefty Bates Lefty Bates (March 9, 1920 – April 7, 2007)Doc Rock (2007) TheDeadRockStarsClub.com. Accessed October 13, 2011. was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He led the Lefty Bates Combo and worked with the El Dorados, the Flamingos, Jimmy Reed, Joh ...

, tenor saxophonist

Red Holloway James Wesley "Red" Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Born in Helena, Arkansas,Daniel E. Slotnik"Red Holloway, Swinger of the Sax, Dies at 84" ''The New York Times'', February 28, 2012 ...

, and drummer

Vernel Fournier Vernel Anthony Fournier (July 30, 1928 – November 4, 2000) and, from 1975, known as Amir Rushdan, was an American jazz drummer probably best known for his work with Ahmad Jamal from 1956 to 1962. Biography Fournier was born in New Orleans, ...

. In

The Caravans The Caravans were an American gospel music group that was started in 1947 by Robert Anderson. It reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina Wal ...

were a mainstay of the label throughout its existence. Eventually, Allen added the Genesa Smith Singers and the Lucy Smith Singers. Allen did less recording after 1954, and closed both of his labels around the end of 1957.Pruter, Robert, Campbell, Robert L., and Kelly, Tom. "The United and States Labels Part II"
Accessed August 26, 2009 States releases ran consecutively from 101 to 164, for a total of 64 singles on the label. States relied heavily on

, releasing 14 singles on them and compiling many more unissued tracks. After the company closed,

Savoy Records Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music. ...

, which had signed the group and was seeking to consolidate its position in gospel music, bought this rich cache of material. States' remaining output was acquired in 1975 by

Bob Koester Robert Gregg Koester (October 30, 1932 – May 12, 2021) was an American record producer and businessman who was the founder and owner of Delmark Records, a jazz and blues independent record label. He also operated the Jazz Record Mart in Chi ...

Delmark Records Delmark Records is an American jazz and blues independent record label. It was founded in 1958 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when then owner, and founder, Bob Koester released a recordi ...

, and has been included in comprehensive reissue programs.

Releases

*S-101 - "Marie"/"I Like Barbecue" - The Guy Brothers and Orchestra *S-102 - "Blues and the Beat"/"Blackout" -

and His All Star Orchestra *S-103 - "Think of His Goodness to You"/"Tell the Angels" -

*S-104 - "Late One Night"/"Let's Drink" - Gilbert Holiday and his Combo *S-105 - "Lord Is Riding"/"On the Battlefield" - The Veteran Singers *S-106 - "Lonely Monday"/"Cool One-Groove Two" -

Tommy Dean Tommy Douglas Dean (born August 30, 1945 in Iuka, Mississippi) is an American former professional baseball player. A shortstop, his career extended from 1964–71 and included 215 games played in Major League Baseball over four seasons (1967; ...

and his Gloom Raiders *S-107 - "Blues Train"/"You Ain't Gonna Worry Me" - Browley Guy and the Skyscrapers (with Paul Bascomb) *S-108 - "Stranger of Galilee"/"Count Your Blessings" - The Caravans *S-109 - "Get Away Jordan"/"He'll Be There" - The Caravans *S-110 - "Got Cool Too Soon"/"Coquette" - Paul Bascomb and His All-Star Band *S-111 - "Raining"/"Foolish" - Tommy Dean and his Gloom Raiders *S-112 - "Adam's Rib"/"Benny's Blues" - Cliff Butler and His Blue Boys *S-113 - "Big Fifty"/"Rockaway Special" -

, Mighty Man of the Tenor Sax *S-114 - "Heartache Blues"/"Stormy Monday" - Grant (Mr. Blues) Jones and Orchestra *S-115 - "Daughter (That's Your Red Wagon)"/"Down for Debbie" - Swinging

and His Orchestra *S-116 - "God Is Good to Me"/"Blessed Assurance" - The Caravans *S-117 - "Henry"/"You Let My Love Grow Cold" - Swinging Sax Kari and His Orchestra *S-118 - "After Hour Joint"/"Baby I'm Gone" -

and his Gay Cats of Rhythm *S-119 - "Why Should I Worry"/"On My Way Home" - The Caravans *S-120 - "How Can I Let You Go"/"Scammon Boogie" - Tommy Dean and his Gloom Raiders *S-121 - "Soul and Body"/"Matilda" - Paul Bascomb *S-122 - "Cut That Out"/"Eagle Rock" -

*S-123 - "People Will Talk"/"When You Love" - Cliff Butler and his Doves *S-124 - "Mother in Law" / "Rockabye Baby" -

Edward Gates White Edward Gates White (August 4, 1918 – December 27, 1992), sometimes credited as Ed Gates or The Great Gates, was an American rhythm and blues singer, pianist and bandleader who recorded in the 1940s and 1950s. Although some sources claim he ...

*S-125 - "Could But I Ain't"/"Rain on My Window" - Jack Cooley and his Orchestra *S-126 - "All by Myself"/"Going Down to Big Mary's" - Helen Thompson and Orchestra *S-127 - "Lonesome Baby"/"I Can't Believe" - The Hornets and Orchestra *S-128 - "I Know the Lord Will Make a Way"/"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" - The Caravans *S-129 - "Raid on the After Hour Joint"/"He's Alright with Me" - Jimmy Coe and his Gay Cats of Rhythm *S-130 - "The Stuff I Like"/"Lonely Broken Heart" - Eddie Ware *S-131 - "Maggie Campbell"/"The Moon Is Rising" -

and his Nighthawks Band *S-132 - "Tell Me What's the Matter"/"The Queen" - T. J. Fowler and the Band that Rocks the Blues *S-133 - "Big Heavy"/"Cozy's Boogie" - Cozy Eggleston and his Combo *S-134 - "Somebody Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man"/"Junior's Wail" - Junior Wells and his Eagle Rockers *S-135 - "Companion Blues"/"Weeping Willow Blues" - L. C. McKinley and his Orchestra *S-136 - "Since I Met Jesus"/"The Angels Keep Watching" - The Caravans *S-137 - "Blessed and Brought Up by the Lord"/"Jesus Is a Rock" - The Caravans *S-138 - "My Baby's Gone"/"Troubled Woman" - Helen Thompson *S-139 - "'Bout the Break of Day"/"Lawdy! Lawdy!" - Junior Wells *S-140 - "Let Us Run"/"Witness" - The Caravans *S-141 - "Gold Digger"/"Blues and Trouble" - James Bannister and his Combo *S-142 - "Over in the Gloryland"/"Look to the Hills" - The Genesa Smith Singers *S-143 - "So All Alone"/"Tomorrow Night" - Junior Wells *S-144 - "Feel So Fine"/"You're Gonna Cry" -

and Combo *S-145 - "Hard Hearted Woman"/"Back Home to Mama" - Big Walter and his Combo *S-146 - "What Kind of Man Is This"/"The Man Jesus" - The Caravans with

James Cleveland James Edward Cleveland (December 5, 1931 – February 9, 1991) was an American gospel singer, musician, and composer. Known as the King of Gospel, Cleveland was a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound by incorporating trad ...

*S-147 - "Chop Chop Boom"/"My Autumn Love" -

*S-148 - "Jealous Hearted Woman"/"(You're Honey but the) Bees Don't Know" - Cliff Butler and his Blue Boys *S-149 - "Old Time Religion"/"The Solid Rock" - The Caravans with James Cleveland *S-150 - "Shu-Wop"/"My Loving Partner" - The Danderliers *S-151 - "Come unto Me"/"Jesus Lover of My Soul" - (Little) Lucy Smith Singers *S-152 - "Little Man"/"May God Be with You" - The Danderliers *S-153 - "Somebody Bigger Than You and I"/"Every Time I Feel the Spirit" - (Little) Lucy Smith Singers *S-154 - "Tell Him What You Want"/"Wait for Me" - The Caravans *S-155 - "Run Jody Run"/"The Jet" - Jimmy Coe and his Gay Cats of Rhythm *S-156 - "Gloria"/"Sugar Lips" -

*S-157 - "Darling Patricia"/"Please Come Back" - Artie Wilkins and The Palms *S-158 - "On My Knees"/"Hold the Light" - (Little) Lucy Smith Singers *S-159 - "None but the Righteous"/"Onward Christian Soldiers" - The Caravans *S-160 - "She's Mine"/"My Love" - The Danderliers *S-161 - "Crucifixion"/"Come on Jesus" - The Caravans *S-162 - "I Just Had to Call His Name"/"He'll Make You Happy" - (Little) Lucy Smith Singers *S-163 - "Go Where Baby Lives"/"In Your Dreams" - The Strollers with

Band *S-164 - "Look Me Straight in the Eye"/"I Stayed Away Too Long" -

- Lefty Bates Band

References

{{Reflist Defunct record labels of the United States

Releases

See also

References