Chance Records
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| Chance Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Art Sheridan |
| Status | Inactive since 1954 |
| Genre | Blues, jazz, doo-wop, gospel |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
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Chance Records was a Chicago-based label founded in 1950 by Art Sheridan. It specialized in blues, jazz, doo-wop, and gospel.
Among the acts who recorded for Chance were The Flamingos, The Moonglows, Homesick James, J. B. Hutto, Brother John Sellers, and Schoolboy Porter. In addition, Chance released three singles by John Lee Hooker[1] and made a coordinated issue of the first singles by Jimmy Reed and The Spaniels with the brand-new and still tiny Vee-Jay Records.
The company closed down at the end of 1954. Sheridan became one of the financial backers of Vee-Jay.
History
Chance Records opened for business in September 1950. Initially the company was housed at Sheridan's American Record Distributors, 2011 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.[2] Among the first artists to record for the company were the Al Sims Trio, an uptown blues group, and a combo led by tenor saxophonist John "Schoolboy" Porter, who had developed a vigorous R&B style in the Cootie Williams band. Porter's rendition of "Tennessee Waltz," a much-covered hit in 1950, sold well enough that Sheridan's pressing plant, Armour Plastics, couldn't meet the demand and many copies were pressed by RCA Victor. Porter would be a steady contributor until he left Chicago in 1952.[3]
In 1951, however, the company ran into big trouble with the American Federation of Musicians on account of employing non-Union personnel on one of Schoolboy Porter's sessions. The company actually lost its license to record with Union musicians for one year,[4] although Sheridan was able to work in a few sessions by gospel groups, which in those days were almost entirely non-Union. He would remain persona non grata with Musicians Union Local 208 for many years.
While restricted from making new recordings, Sheridan astutely picked up items for release from many small labels: the debut session by jazz pianist John Young, Little Walter's very first session, a long out-of-print single by Sunnyland Slim,[4] and three John Lee Hooker 78s, all released under the low-effort pseudonym John L. Booker.[5]
Chance quickly recovered when the ban ended in May 1952, and Sheridan moved both the record company and his distribution operation to 1151 East 47th Street. Added to the roster were blues singer Brother John Sellers, jazz trumpeter King Kolax, down-home blues guitarist Homesick James,[6] and flamboyant blues shouter Jo Jo Adams. In the fall, bassist Al Smith took over as leader of a house band that featured tenor saxophonist Red Holloway, guitarist Lefty Bates, and drummer Vernel Fournier; among the first singers they backed was Bobby Prince.
Chance hit its peak in 1953. A collaboration with Joe Brown's JOB Records brought a new release by Homesick James, including his signature number "Homesick"[7] a release by Arthur "Big Boy" Spires,[8] and further tracks by Sunnyland Slim and Johnny Shines that were not released till later. The company's blues roster grew further to include Lazy Bill Lucas[9] and Willie Nix.[10] Singer/guitarist Rudy Greene also recorded for Chance.[11]
Sheridan made a significant investment in doo-wop, signing two of the two top groups of the period, The Flamingos and The Moonglows.[2] The established R&B combo led by Tommy Dean made a session, as did the jazz groups of pianist Jimmy Binkley and trumpeter Conte Candoli. In the summer, Sheridan opened a new subsidiary called Sabre at 1225 East 47th Street to handle some of his expanding catalog.[11] Two doo-wop groups that Sheridan signed, the Five Echoes, and the Five Blue Notes, recorded exclusively for the new subsidiary.[2]
In June 1953, Sheridan lent a hand to an emerging outfit from Gary, Indiana called Vee-Jay, which needed marketing and distribution help on its first releases by bluesman Jimmy Reed and the vocal group The Spaniels. Each was given a parallel release on Chance.[12]
In 1954, the company recorded The Moonglows,[13] The Flamingos, along with a new vocal group called the Five Chances. It picked up what was probably its highest-profile gospel group, the Famous Boyer Brothers. A single by blues shouter Freddie Hall came from the tiny Ebony label, run by J. Mayo Williams. A major new blues signing was J. B. Hutto, who made his recording debut for Chance.[14]
However, in June 1954, Al Smith and his corps of studio musicians moved to Vee-Jay. Sabre Records made its last release in August. Sheridan wound Chance Records down in December 1954, becoming a behind-the-scenes investor in the newer company. Ewart Abner, who had been Sheridan's right-hand man at Chance, went to work for Vee-Jay in early 1955.[12]
Series
On its main 1100 series, Chance issues ran almost consecutively from 1100 to 1165, for a total of 63 releases. A 5000 series that Sheridan established for gospel records ran from 5000 to 5009, for 10 releases. In addition, there was a 3000 series for pop releases, which finished at 3021; 21 have been accounted for, An abortive effort to start a subsidiary in 1952 led to a single release on Meteor 100 (not to be confused with the Bihari brothers' Meteor label).[3]
Legacy
Quite a few Chance and Sabre artists, ranging from the Famous Boyer Brothers to Tommy Dean to King Kolax to the Five Echoes, resurfaced at Vee-Jay. Rock and roll historian Charlie Gillett noted that Chance "might have done well with rock 'n' roll, given its roster," but the company closed too soon.[15] The Flamingos went to Parrot and then to Checker and The Moonglows to Chess.
Releases
| Catalog # | Artist | A-side | B-side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Some Time" | "Yesterdays" |
| 1101 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "I'll Never Smile Again" | "Schoolboy's Boogie" |
| 1102 | Script error: No such module "sort". | "Moody Woman" | "I Wonder Baby" |
| 1103 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Tennessee Waltz Part I" | "Part II" |
| 1104 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Nevertheless" | "Walk Heavy" |
| 1105 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Kayron" | "Deep Purple" |
| 1106 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Whispering Grass" | "Hear My Call" |
| 1107 | Script error: No such module "sort". | "The Flame" | "Night Beat" |
| 1107 | Script error: No such module "sort". | "The Flame" | "Night Beat" |
| 1108 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Talkin' Boogie" | "Miss Lorraine" |
| 1109 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Storm thru Mississippi" | "Strange Things" |
| 1110 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "I Love to Boogie" | "Graveyard Blues" |
| 1111 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Top Hat" | "Stairway to the Stars" |
| 1112 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "I May Be Down" | "I'm Nobody's Trick" |
| 1114 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Soft Shoulders" | "Rollin' Along" |
| 1115 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | ""4 O'Clock Blues"" | "I Cried" |
| 1116 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "That's Alright" | "Just Keep Loving Her" |
| 1117 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Sentimental Journey" | "Fire Dome" |
| 1119 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Break Thru" | "Junco Partner" |
| 1120 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Josie Jones" | "Rock Me in the Cradle" |
| 1121 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Lonesome Ole Train" | "Farmers Blues" |
| 1122 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "609 Boogie" | "Road Trouble" |
| 1123 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Blues This Ain't No Place for You" | "Mighty Lonesome" |
| 1124 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | "Slow Mood" |
| 1125 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Close to You" | "Lonely Heart" |
| 1126 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Yesterdays" | "So There" |
| 1127 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Didn't I Tell You" | "I've Got a Crazy Baby" |
| 1128 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Tell Me Why, Why, Why" | "I Want to Hold You" |
| 1129 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "So Many Days" | "Tale of Woe" |
| 1130 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "How Blue the Night" | "I'm Blue without You" |
| 1131 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Homesick" | "The Woman I Love" |
| 1132 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Small Squall" | "Lonely Wail" |
| 1133 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "If I Can't Have You" | "Someday, Someway" |
| 1134 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Hey, Hey, Sugar Ray" | "Midnite Wail" |
| 1135 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Brand New Rockin' Chair" | "Finance Man" |
| 1136 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Brand New Man" | "Chicks Going Crazy" |
| 1137 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Which One Do I Love" | "About to Lose My Mind" |
| 1138 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Mirror Blues" | "Newport News" |
| 1139 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Love Is a Pain" | "No Need of Your Crying" |
| 1140 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Hurry Home Baby" | "That's My Desire" |
| 1141 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Baby, It's You" | "Bounce" |
| 1142 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "High and Lonesome" | "Roll and Rhumba" |
| 1143 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Rock, Daddy, Rock" | "Tears in My Eyes" |
| 1144 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "You Go to My Head" | "Memories of You" |
| 1145 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Carried Away" | "Golden Teardrops" |
| 1146 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "The Letter" | "It's You I Love" |
| 1147 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Whistle My Love" | "Baby Please" |
| 1148 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "She Got Me Walkin" | "I Had a Dream" |
| 1149 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Plan for Love" | "You Ain't Ready" |
| 1150 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Just a Lonely Christmas" | "Hey Santa Claus" |
| 1151 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "I Had a Feeling" | "Meet Me Baby" |
| 1152 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Secret Love" | "Real Gone Mama" |
| 1153 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Flamingo" | "Mambo Junior" |
| 1154 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Cross over the Bridge" | "Listen to My Plea" |
| 1155 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Combination Boogie" | "Now She's Gone" |
| 1156 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Ooh Rocking Daddy" | "I Was Wrong" |
| 1157 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "I May Be Small" | "Nagasaki" |
| 1158 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "If You Only Knew" | "Think It Over" |
| 1159 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "This Crooked World" | "Knock Me Out" |
| 1160 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Pet Cream Man" | "Lovin You" |
| 1161 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "219 Train" | "My Gal" |
| 1162 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Blues in a Letter" | "Jump Children" |
| 1163 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Nervous Wreck" | "No More Love" |
| 1165 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Dim Lights" | "Things Are So Slow" |
| 3006 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | "Please Mr. Right Man" | "Tantalazing Melody" |
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."John Lee Hooker". Soulfulkindamusic.net. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c Pruter, Robert (1997). Doowop: The Chicago Scene. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, pp. 21–39 Template:ISBN
- ^ a b Pruter, Robert, Campbell, Robert L., & Büttner, Armin. (June 2005). The Chance Label. Blues & Rhythm, no. 200, 12–27.
- ^ a b Rowe, Mike (1981). Chicago Blues: The City and the Music. New York: Da Capo, p. 106. Template:ISBN
- ^ Murray, Charles Shaar (2002). Boogie Man: The Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, p. 188. Template:ISBN
- ^ Obrecht, Jas (2000). Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, p. 156 Template:ISBN
- ^ Rowe, p. 109.
- ^ Rowe, pp. 113, 129.
- ^ Rowe, pp. 109–112.
- ^ Rowe, pp. 112–113
- ^ a b Rowe, p. 112
- ^ a b Murray, p. 188.
- ^ Warner, Jay (2006). The Moonglows. In American Singing Groups: A History, From 1940 to Today. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, pp. 260–261. Template:ISBN
- ^ Obrecht, p. 191.
- ^ Gillett, Charlie. (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. New York: Da Capo Press, p. 84 Template:ISBN
External links
- The Chance Label
- Chance Records on the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project
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