Kent Records

Kent Records was a Los Angeles–based record label, launched in 1958 by the Bihari brothers.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bsnpubs.com/modern/modernstory.html |title=Modern Records Story|website=www.bsnpubs.com}} It was a subsidiary of Crown Records Corporation.{{Cite magazine|date=March 23, 1958|title=Kent Launches R-B Label |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/50s/1958/Billboard%201958-03-23.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=3}} Kent was a follow-up to Modern Records, which ceased operations in 1958. The label reissued Modern's singles, including recordings by B.B. King. By 1964, Kent had signed acts such as Ike & Tina Turner and released new material. Other acts signed to the label included Z.Z. Hill, Johnny Otis, and Lowell Fulsom. Modern Records was revived in 1964 with successful singles from the Ikettes.{{Cite book|title=Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers|last=Broven, John|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=2011|isbn=9780252094019|pages=303|oclc=785781204}}

Initially, Kent issued only singles, but issued albums from 1964 until the early 1970s. Kent was later bought by Ace Records, England, which uses the label name to release Motown and Northern Soul music.{{Cite web |url=https://acerecords.co.uk/kent-label |title=Kent - Ace Records|website=acerecords.co.uk}}

Selected Discography

= Albums =

1964: B.B. King, Rock Me Baby...14 Great Hits (compilation)
1964: B.B. King, Let Me Love You
1964: Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live
1965: Live! B.B. King on Stage
1965: Lowell Fulson, Soul
1965: Z.Z. Hill, The Soul Stirring Z.Z. Hill
1966: Ike & Tina Turner, The Soul of Ike & Tina
1967: Lowell Fulson, Tramp
1967: B.B. King, The Jungle
1967: Smokey Hogg, Original Folk Blues
1967: Z.Z. Hill, A Whole Lot of Soul
1967: B.B. King, Boss of the Blues (compilation)
1967: Lowell Fulson, Now!
1968: B.B. King, From the Beginning (compilation)
1968: The Johnny Otis Show featuring Mighty Mouth Evans & Shuggie Otis, Cold Shot!
1970: Ike & Tina, Festival of Live Performances
1970: Preston Love's Omaha Bar-B-Q
1970: Big Joe Turner, Turns on the Blues
1970: Various Artists – Rock and Roll Festival, Volume 1
1970: Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Boers
1970: B.B. King, Turn on to B.B. King (compilation)
1970: Guitar Slim Green featuring Johnny and Shuggie Otis, Stone Down Blues
1971: The Greatest Hits of B.B. King, Volume 1 (compilation)
1971: The Great Roy Milton, Roots Of Rock, Vol. 1 (compilation)
1971: Z.Z. Hill's Greatest Hits: Dues Paid in Full (compilation)
1973: B.B. King, The Original Sweet Sixteen (compilation)

= Singles =

class="wikitable"

!Catalog No.

!Release

date

!US

R&B

!Single (A-side, B-side)

!Artist

rowspan="2" |315

| rowspan="2" |Oct 1958

|16

|"You've Been An Angel"

| rowspan="2" |B.B. King

| 9

|"Please Accept My Love"

330

|Dec 1959

| 2

|"Sweet Sixteen, Pt. 1"

b/w "Sweet Sixteen, Pt. 2"

|B.B. King

345

|1960

|"Roll With Me Henry"

b/w "Good Rockin' Daddy" [reissues]

|Etta James

rowspan="2" |346

| rowspan="2" |Jul 1960

|"Good Man Gone Bad"

| rowspan="2" |B.B. King

| 8

|"Partin' Time"

378

|Apr 1962

|"Drifting"

b/w "Love You Baby"

|Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ike Turner and His Orchestra

393

|May 1964

|34

|12

|"Rock Me Baby"

b/w "I Can't Lose"

|B.B. King

394

|Apr 1964

|"Dust My Blues (I Believe)"

b/w "Happy Home"

|Elmore James and The Broom Dusters

rowspan="2" |396

| rowspan="2" |Aug 1964

|107

|"You're Gonna Miss Me"

| rowspan="2" |B.B. King

110

|15

|"Let Me Love You"

402{{Cite magazine|date=October 17, 1964|title=Hot 100|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1964/Billboard%201964-10-17.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=22}}

|Oct 1964

|95

|"I Can't Believe What You Say (For Seeing What You Do)"

b/w "My Baby Now"

|Ike & Tina Turner

409

|Nov 1964

|"Please, Please, Please"

b/w "Am I A Fool In Love"

|Ike & Tina Turner

424

|1965

|"Before Day (Big Mama's Blues)"

b/w "Me and My Chauffeur"

|Big Mama Thornton

431{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/lowell-fulsom/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928031844/https://www.billboard.com/music/lowell-fulsom/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 28, 2019|title=Lowell Fulsom Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}

|Nov 1965

|11

|"Black Nights"

b/w "Little Angel"

|Lowell Fulson

456

|Dec 1966

|52

| 5

|"Tramp"

b/w "Pico"

|Lowell Fulson

462

|Feb 1967

|94

|17

|"The Jungle"

b/w "Long Gone Baby"

|B.B. King

463

|Mar 1967

|91

|20

|"Make a Little Love"

b/w "I'm Sinking"

|Lowell Fulson

474

|Aug 1967

|97

|38

|"I'm A Drifter"

b/w "Hobo Meetin'"

|Lowell Fulson

501

|Dec 1968

|"Merry Christmas Baby"

b/w "3 O'Clock Blues"

|Charles Brown

506

|Feb 1969

|29

|"Country Girl"

b/w "Bye Bye Baby (Until We Meet Again)"

|The Johnny Otis Show

512

|May 1969

|"Love Ain't Nothin'"

b/w "10 - 20 - 25 - 30"

|Big Joe Turner

4514{{Cite magazine|date=July 18, 1970|title=Spotlight Singles - Top 20 Soul|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1970/Billboard%201970-07-18.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=72}}

|Jul 1970

|"Please, Please, Please - Pt. 1"

b/w "Please, Please, Please - Pt. 2"

|Ike & Tina Turner

4520

|1970

|"You Must Live It"

b/w "Are You Ready"

|Merryweather

4522

|Apr 1970

|"Shop Around"

b/w "Lucille"

|Momma And Pappa Rock'n Family (with Neil Merryweather)

4538

|Jan 1971

|"The Hunter"

b/w "Long Handled Shovel"

|Pacific Gas & Electric

4547

|May 1971

|86

|30

|"I Need Someone (To Love Me)"

b/w "Oh Darling"

|Z.Z. Hill

References

Category:Defunct record labels of the United States

Kent Records

Selected Discography

= Albums =

= Singles =

See also

References