Spivey Records was a specialist

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

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 pr ...

founded by blues singer Victoria Spivey and jazz historian

Len Kunstadt Leonard Richard "Len" Kunstadt (May 15, 1925 – April 23, 1996) was an American scholar of jazz and blues music, and a record label manager. Len Kunstadt was born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City. He was the son of Morris Ku ...

in 1961. Spivey Records released a series of blues and jazz albums between 1961 and 1985.

History of Spivey Records

The label recorded a wide variety of blues musicians who were friends of Spivey and Kunstadt, including

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mis ...

Big Joe Williams Joseph Lee "Big Joe" Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the s ...

, Lonnie Johnson, Memphis Slim, and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

. Kunstadt had a rough and ready approach to recording; he was known to walk through the session and shout "More mistakes!" On March 2, 1962,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

contributed harmonica and backing vocals to a recording session featuring

. These tracks appeared on Spivey LP 1004, ''Three Kings And The Queen''. However, this was not Dylan's first recording session. He had already recorded his debut album ''

'' for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

, which was released on March 19, 1962. In recognition of her entrepreneurial achievements with Spivey Records, Spivey was awarded the " BMI Commendation of Excellence" in 1970. Victoria Spivey died in 1976. The label became dormant after the death of Len Kunstadt in 1996. In 2007, Len Kunstadt's niece, Lisa Weiner, announced the revival of the label on the Spivey Records website. It was announced that audio engineer Doug Pomeroy had remastered the original tapes recorded between 1961 and 1986, and that Spivey LP1001 through Spivey LP1016 would be reissued on CD in 2008. Queries on the notice board of Spivey Records website indicate that as of October 2011, no reissued CDs are currently available.

Albums released by Spivey Records

*''Buddy Tate Invites You "To Dig" A Basket Of Blues'' (1962) (Spivey LP 1001) Buddy Tate Band; Hannah Sylvester; Lucille Hegamin; Victoria Spivey *''Victoria Spivey And Her Blues'' (1962) (Spivey LP 1002) Victoria Spivey *''Chicago Blues: A Bonanza All Star Blues LP'' (1962) (Spivey LP 1003) Big Willie Dixon; Sunnyland Slim; John Henry Barbee; Homesick James; St Louis Jimmy; Washboard Sam; Cocoa (Aka "Koko") Taylor; Evans Spencer *''Three Kings And The Queen'' (1962) (Spivey LP 1004)

Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

; Lonnie Johnson;

(with Bob Dylan); Victoria Spivey *''Missippi Mr Shortstuff'' (1964) (Spivey LP 1005) Big Joe Williams *''The Queen And Her Knights'' (1965) (Spivey LP 1006) Victoria Spivey; Memphis Slim; Little Brother Montgomery; Lonnie Johnson *''Louis Metcalf At The Ali Baba'' (1966) (Spivey LP 1007) Louis Metcalf; Sonny White; Jerome Patterson; Al Matthews; Struttin' Sam; Victoria Spivey *''The Bluesmen Of The Muddy Waters Chicago Blues Band'' (1966) (Spivey LP 1008)

; George Smith; Luther Johnson;

Sammy Lawhorn Sammy David Lawhorn (July 12, 1935 – April 29, 1990) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, best known as a member of Muddy Waters's band. He also accompanied many other blues musicians, including Otis Spann, Willie Cobbs, Eddie Boyd, ...

; Francis Clay *''Encore For The Chicago Blues'' (1968) (Spivey LP 1009) Muddy Waters Bluesmen; Harvey Hill; Koko Taylor; Memphis Slim; Babe Stovall; Big Joe Williams; Oliver Brown;

J. B. Lenoir J. B. Lenoir ( '; March 5, 1929 – April 29, 1967) was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, active in the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Lenoir was born in Monticello, Mississippi. His full given ...

; Washboard Sam's Band; Victoria Spivey;

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

; John Hammond; John Henry Barbee; Viola Wells; Homesick James; Roosevelt Sykes *''The Bluesmen Of The Muddy Waters Blues Band, Volume 2'' (1968) (Spivey LP 1010)

; Lucille Spann; Luther Johnson;

; Little Sonny Wimberley; S.P. Leary; Paul Oscher; Pee Wee Madison; Willie Smith *''Victoria Spivey Presents The All Star Blues World Of Spivey Records In Stereo'' (1970) (Spivey LP 1011)

; John Hammond; Victoria Spivey; Smokey Hogg; Washboard Doc; Smokey Hogg;

; Sunnyland Slim; Marie Dixon;

Johnny Shines John Ned Shines (April 26, 1915 – April 20, 1992) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Biography Shines was born in the community of Frayser, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was taught to play the guitar by his mother and spent most of ...

*''Spivey's Blues Parade'' (1970) (Spivey LP 1012) Spivey's Blues Paraders:

Bill Dicey William J. Dicey (May 25, 1936 – March 17, 1993) was an American blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter. He recorded two live albums and one studio album in his own name, as well as playing the harmonica and singing on a number of other music ...

, John Hammond, Bob Malenky, Roosevelt Sykes & Washboard Doc: Benny Jefferson; Pat Blackman; Sugar Blue & His Harmonica; Sippie Wallace; Billie Mitchell; Walter "Shakey" Horton, Sunnyland Slim & Johnny Shines; Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery & Sonny Greer; Carolina Rose; Sonny Boy Williamson; Nita Washington; Washboard Bill; Little Sonny Parker; Delsey Maccay, Horton & Sunnyland Slim; Papa Comb & His Ukulele Mama; Lonnie Johnson *''The Everlasting Blues vs. Otis Spann'' (1969) (Spivey LP 1013)

; Johnny Young; Luther Johnson; Peter Malick; S.P. Leary *''Three Kings And The Queen, Volume Two'' (1970) (Spivey LP 1014) Memphis Slim; Lonnie Johnson;

; Victoria Spivey,

and

;

; Roosevelt Sykes and John Hammond; Victoria Spivey and Bob Dylan. *''Spivey's Blues Cavalcade'' (1970) (Spivey LP 1015) Bill Dicey's High Street Blues Band; Larry Johnson; Brooklyn Blues Busters; Danny Russo; Washboard Bill; Ted Stilles;

Homesick James Homesick James (April 30, 1910December 13, 2006 was an American blues musician known for his mastery of the slide guitar. He worked with his cousin, Elmore James, and with Sonny Boy Williamson II. Early years Homesick James was born in Somervi ...

; Mark Ross & John Brenner; John Hammond;

, Big Walter Horton and Sunshine Slim;

Bukka White Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White (November 12, 1906 February 26, 1977) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer. Biography White was born south of Houston, Mississippi. He was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and ...

;

and Sugar Blue; Ralph Rush; Harvey Hill; Ted Stilles; Louisiana Red; Victoria Spivey. *''The All Star Blues World Of Maestro

and his Chicago Blues Band'' (1973) (Spivey LP 1016) Willie Dixon Band; Buster Benton; Lafayette Leake; Larry Johnson;

Carey Bell Carey Bell Harrington (November 14, 1936 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues musician who played harmonica in the Chicago blues style. Bell played harmonica and bass guitar for other blues musicians from the late 1950s to the early 1970s befo ...

; Larry Johnson; Victoria Spivey. *''I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter'' (1978) (Spivey LP 1020)

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

Lloyd Glenn, Brenda Bell, Robert Ross, Bill Dicey, Washboard Doc *''New York Really Has The Blues'' Victoria Spivey, Paul Oscher, Sugar Blue, Washboard Doc, Charles "Honeyboy" Otis, Smokey Hogg, The Dicey Ross Band featuring Bill Dicey and Robert Ross *''What Is The Blues'' (1977) (Spivey LP 1022) Eunice Davis and the Spivey Low-Down Blues Privacy Invaders with Bill Dicey, Robert Ross, Jonathan Dreschler, Georges Morales, Andy Story, Washboard Doc *''Victoria Spivey and her Danny Boy'' (1977) (Spivey LP 1023) Victoria Spivey with Danny Russo plus Lefty Dizz and Larry Johnson

Notes

References

External links

Spivey Records
— Official Spivey Records website
Victoria Spivey Archives, including papers of Spivey Records, 1960-1976
Emory University Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.

Stefan Wirz

{{Authority control American record labels Blues record labels Folk record labels Reissue record labels

History of Spivey Records

Albums released by Spivey Records

See also

Notes

References

External links