Valley Vue Records was a record label in California founded by
Hillery Johnson
Hillery Johnson was a record label owner, record producer, manager and songwriter and vice-president of a major record American record label.
Background
In 1966, Hilary Johnson along with Leo Austell and Archie Russell founded Brainstorm Records ...
in 1983. Arirts on the label included
Jerry Butler, Craig T. Cooper,
Klymaxx,
The Manhattans,
Johnny Guitar Watson and
Michael Wycoff
Michael Wycoff (January 1, 1956 – March 13, 2019) was an American R&B singer. He scored several hits on the US R&B chart during the 1980s.
Biography
Wycoff attended Wilmington Junior High School and Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington ...
.
Background
It was a small California based record label located in Palm Springs. Its founder Hillery Johnson had produced artists such as
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...
. Johnson was also vice-president of
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 ...
.
Staff
In addition to Johnson, the founder there was vice-president and general manager
Michael Dion
Michael Dion is a record producer in jazz music and the owner of the California-based record label, ITI Records. He also was the owner of Startup Marketing and has had directorial and managerial positions with record labels such as ABC Records, M ...
. Dion had founded the Jazz label
ITI Records
ITI Records is a record label from Van Nuys, California that specializes in mainly jazz records.
Background
ITI's original owner was producer Mike Dion.All About Jazz 2012-09-0ITI Records Resurfaces After Many Years Dormant/ref> An article in the ...
in California.
Artists Released
Johnny Guitar Watson's album ''
Strike on Computers'' was released on Valley Vue VV69. after having a break from music for about three years, Watson ended up with Johnson in the studio after Johnson who had been a fan of his had suggested they go in and do something. As a result, ''Strike On Computers'' came about and was released on the label. In 1988, Chicago blues and soul singer,
Cicero Blake had his album ''Too Hip To Be Happy'' released on the label. In the 1990s, R&B singer Lamarr K. Swing had his debut album which was actually called ''His Debut Album'' released on the label. It was manufactured and marketed by Valley Vue Records. It was produced by Lonnie Reaves and the executive producer was Hillery Johnson.
Reissues
Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers had their album ''Bustin Loose'' reissued in the early '90s on the label.
Jerry Butler's 1994 album ''Simply Beautiful'' was also released on the label.
Artists distributed
Tad Sisler's Jazz album ''So Good To Come Home To'' was distributed by Valley Vue in the US. The album featured
Gerald Albright
Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009.
Biography
Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...
and
Terri Lyne Carrington.
Catalogue (selective)
LP
* Johnny Guitar Watson – ''Strike On Computers'' - Valley Vue Records – ST-72943 (1987)
* 101 North - ''101 North'' - Valley Vue Records – C1-90911 (1988)
*
The Manhattans - ''Sweet Talk'' - Valley Vue Records – D1-72946 (1989)
* Craig T. Cooper - ''Craig T. Cooper Project'' - Valley Vue Records – D1-72947 (1989)
* Craig T. Cooper – ''Got-That-Thang'' - Valley Vue Records – D1-72992 (1990)
* Wayne Boyer – ''This One's For Me'' - Valley Vue Records – V1-61290 (1990)
[Discog]
Valley Vue Records
/ref>
* Gary Taylor - ''Take Control'' - Valley Vue Records - V2-21191 (1991)
References
{{Reflist
Record labels based in California