Premium Records
| Premium Records | |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1950-1951 |
| founder | Lee Egalnick and Lew Simpkins |
| Seat | Chicago |
| Genre (s) | Blues , rhythm and blues , jazz |
Premium Records was an American record label specializing in blues , rhythm and blues, and jazz that was founded in 1950 and existed until mid-1951.
The record label Premium Records was one of the small, short-lived, independent companies that existed in Chicago during the first half of the 1950s. It was founded in May 1950 by Lee Egalnick as the successor company for his Miracle Records label with his business partner, A&R Lew Simpkins. The label was based at 2326 South Michigan Avenue, known as the city's Record Row . The earliest releases were shellac records from the Lynn Hope Quartet, the Miff Mole Dixieland Quintet, and Memphis Slim .
Miracle recordings have also been republished by artists such as Robert Anderson, the gospel group The Holy Wonders and Eddie Chamblee . In 1950/51, Premium recordings were made by Rhythm Willie, Sarah McLawler , Terry Timmons, the Jimmy Bell Trio, Jack Cooley , Jesse Cryor , Tab Smith , Danny Overbea and four pieces with a formation under the direction of Sonny Stitt . In 1951 the company had produced 35 pages; Finally, for financial reasons, Premium could no longer have its artists recorded in the United Broadcasting Studios. After the last recordings with Memphis Slim and Terry Timmons with orchestra ("I'm Crying") in July 1951, the premium label came to an end. In the summer of 1951, Lew Simpkins left the company and founded the United Records label with Leonard Allen , which took over many artists who had recorded on Miracle and Premium, such as Memphis Slim and Tab Smith , with its sub-label States Records . After the end of the premium label in the fall of 1951, Egalnick sold 40 master tapes to Chess Records , such as Sarah McLawler, Eddie Chamblee, Tab Smith, Memphis Slim and Sonny Stitt.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Robert Pruter and Robert L. Campbell: The Premium Label ( Memento from April 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Stitt recorded "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Don't Worry 'bout Me" with unknown accompanying musicians; the pieces later appeared on Chess Records . Cf. Pruter / Campbell: The Premium Label.