Modern Records

{{Short description|American record label (1945–1969)}}

{{about|the American record label active from the 1940s through the 1960s|the 1980s record label|Modern Records (1980)}}

{{Infobox record label

| name = Modern Records

| image = Jelly-Johnson-Modern.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| parent = Ace Records (UK)

| founded ={{start date|1945}}

| founder =

| fate =

| defunct = {{end date|1969}}

| status = Defunct

| distributor =

| genre = Jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, rock

| country = U.S.

| location = Los Angeles, California

| url =

}}

Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947){{cite book |year=2006 |title=Encyclopedia of the Blues, Volume 1 |publisher=Routledge|page=700 }} was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Hadda Brooks, Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner and John Lee Hooker. The label released some of the most influential blues and R&B records of the 1940s and 1950s.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/arts/music/joe-bihari-who-put-early-rb-on-record-dies-at-88.html|title=Joe Bihari, Who Put Early R&B on Record, Dies at 88|last=Yardley|first=William|date=December 11, 2013|work=The New York Times}}

History

In the beginning, Modern bought master recordings from other small labels, as with the purchase of 32 unreleased Gold Star Records master recordings by Lightnin' Hopkins and Lil' Son Jackson for $2,500 from Bill Quinn in 1951.{{cite magazine|title=Modern Buys 32 Hopkins, Jackson Masters for $2,500|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3UQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=september+1951+billboard+quinn+modern&pg=PA26|magazine=Billboard|page=26|date=September 29, 1951|access-date=August 21, 2024}} The Biharis also often used pseudonyms to give themselves writing credit on songs. Saul Bihari, for example, (whose middle name was Samuel) used the name Sam Ling as a songwriting pseudonym. Having started as an R&B label, Modern was later one of the few R&B labels to routinely cover rhythm and blues hits on other labels, apparently in an attempt to broaden their appeal and reach the popular market.

In 1958, the Bihari brothers formed Kent Records and stopped issuing records on Modern.{{Cite magazine|date=March 24, 1958|title=Kent Launches R-B Singles|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/50s/1958/Billboard%201958-03-23.pdf|magazine=Billboard|page=3}} In 1964, the Modern imprint was revived and the Ikettes released a few successful singles in 1965,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Ikettes Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/The+Ikettes.art|access-date=2021-01-28|website=musicvf.com}} but the company went bankrupt a few years later and ceased operations. The catalog went with the management into Kent Records. This back catalog was eventually licensed to the UK label Ace Records in the 1980s and later sold outright during the 1990s. Ace Records of the U.K. now owns the master tapes.{{cite book

| first=Charlie

| last=Gillett|author-link=Charlie Gillett

| year= 1996

| title= The Rise of Rock and Roll

| edition= 2nd

| publisher= Da Capo Press

| location=New York

| pages= 85–86

| isbn= 0-306-80683-5}}

Management and staff

  • Saul, Jules and Joe Bihari were the main people who ran the label. Their older brother Lester was only there sporadically.{{cite book|title=The B.B. King Reader: 6 Decades of Commentary|editor1-last=Kostelanetz|editor1-first=Richard|editor1-link=Richard Kostelanetz|editor2-last=Reiswig|editor2-first=Jesse|url=https://archive.org/details/bbkingreader6dec00kost|url-access=registration|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gaD6PuSpq1IC&pg=PA7 7]|publisher=Hal Leonard|year=2005|isbn=9780634099274}}
  • Ike Turner was a talent scout and session musician for Modern Records in the 1950s. Artists Turner discovered for Modern include Bobby "Blue" Bland, Howlin' Wolf, and Rosco Gordon.{{Cite book|title=Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner|last1=Turner|first1=Ike|last2=Cawthorne|first2=Nigel|date=1999|publisher=Virgin|isbn=9781852278502|location=London|language=en|oclc=43321298}} According to B.B. King and Joe Bihari, Turner introduced King to the Bihari brothers which led to his RPM releases.
  • Tony Hilder was an A&R man for Modern Records in the late 1950s. Later he went on to form his own labels, first CT Records{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000005010|title=Tony Hilder Biography}} and later owner and president of Impact Records.Billboard Music Week May 8, 1961 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ACEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22IMpact+Records%22Tony+Hilder%22&pg=PA4 Page 4 Music As Written, Hollywood]Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties, Robert J. Dalley [https://books.google.com/books?id=ACEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Impact+Records+Tony+Hilder+owner&pg=PA4 Page 259, Page 298, Page 299]
  • Austin McCoy was an artist, session musician and recording session director with Modern Records. He left Modern in late 1950 to take up an A&R post with Mercury Records at their Beverly Hills office.The Billboard December 16, 1950 [https://books.google.com/books?id=zB0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Modern+Records%22Billboard+Manager&pg=PA12 Page 12 McCoy Joins Modern Staff]

Albums

  • Modern Music: The First Year – 1945 (Ace CDTOP 1339, 2012)

The following albums were released in mono with catalogue numbers "M-70{{var|nn}}" and in stereo with catalogue numbers "MST-8{{var|nn}}":

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

Selected singles

class="wikitable"

!Catalog No.

!Release
date

!US

!US
R&B

!Single (A-side, B-side)

!Artist

624{{Cite magazine|date=November 6, 1948|title=Best-Selling Retail Race Records|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/40s/1948/Billboard%201948-11-06.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=31}}

|Oct 1948

|—

|1

|"Blues After Hours"
b/w "I'm Still In Love With You"

|Pee Wee Crayton

627{{Cite magazine|date=February 19, 1949|title=Most Played Juke Box Race Records|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/40s/1949/Billboard%201949-02-19.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=32}}

|Nov 1948

|—

|1

|"Boogie Chillen"
b/w "Sally May"

|John Lee Hooker

704{{Cite magazine|date=October 22, 1949|title=Advance Rhythm & Blues Record Releases|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/40s/1949/Billboard%201949-10-22b.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=67}}{{Cite magazine|date=January 14, 1950|title=Most-Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues Records|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/50s/1950/Billboard%201950-01-14.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=33}}

|Oct 1949

|—

|5

|"Little School Girl"
b/w Suitcase Blues"

|Smokey Hogg

714

|Oct 1949

|—

|6

|"Crawlin' King Snake"
b/w "Drifting from Door to Door"

|John Lee Hooker

835

|Sep 1951

|—

|1

|"I'm in the Mood"
b/w "How Can You Do It"

|John Lee Hooker

848

|Dec 1951

|—

|—

|"Crying All Night Long"
b/w "Dry Up Baby"

|Robert Bland

857

|Feb 1952

|—

|7

|"The Wind Is Blowin"
b/w "Would My Baby Make A Change"

|Jimmy Witherspoon

860

|Mar 1952

|—

|—

|"Ramblin' On My Mind"
b/w "Just An Army Boy"

|Boyd Gilmore

864

|Apr 1952

|—

|—

|"Bad Women Bad Whiskey"
b/w "You're My Angel"

|Little Junior Parker and the Blue Flames

947

|Jan 1955

|—

|1

|"The Wallflower"
b/w "Hold Me, Squeeze Me"

|Etta James and "The Peaches"

961

|Jun 1955

|—

|—

|"Mary Lou"
b/w "Don't Think I Will"

|Young Jessie, Maxwell Davis & Orchestra

962

|Aug 1955

|—

|6

|"Good Rockin' Daddy"
b/w "Crazy Feeling"

|Etta James, Maxwell Davis & Orchestra

1002

|Sep 1956

|—

|—

|"Hit, Git And Split"
b/w "Don't Happen No More"

|Young Jessie

1005

|Oct 1956

|—

|7

|"Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)"
b/w "I Want You With Me Xmas"

|Jessie Belvin

1022

|Jun 1957

|—

|—

|"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon"
b/w "Come What May"

|Etta James

1027

|Nov 1957

|—

|—

|"Just To Say Hello"
b/w "My Satellite"

|Jesse Belvin

1003{{Cite magazine|last=|first=|date=February 13, 1965|title=Bubbling Under The Hot 100|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-02-13.pdf|magazine=Billboard|volume=|pages=28|via=}}

|Dec 1964

|107

|—

|"Camel Walk"

b/w "Nobody Loves Me"

|The Ikettes

1005{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-ikettes|title=The Ikettes Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}

|Feb 1965

|36

|28

|"Peaches 'N' Cream"
b/w "The Biggest Players"

|The Ikettes

1007{{Cite magazine|date=June 19, 1965|title=Top Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-06-19.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=43}}

|May 1965

|107

|32

|"Good Bye, So Long"
b/w "Hurt Is All You Gave Me"

|Ike & Tina Turner

1011

|Jul 1965

|74

|12

|"I'm So Thankful"
b/w "Don't Feel Sorry For Me"

|The Ikettes

1012{{Cite magazine|date=August 7, 1965|title=Bubbling Under The Hot 100|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-08-07.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=20}}

|Aug 1965

|134

|—

|"I Don't Need"
b/w "Gonna Have Fun"

|Ike & Tina Turner

1015{{Cite magazine|date=February 5, 1966|title=Bubbling Under The Hot 100|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1966/Billboard%201966-02-05.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=24}}

|Jan 1966

|122

|—

|"(Never More) Lonely For You"
b/w "Sally Go Round the Roses"

|The Ikettes

1030

|1967

|—

|—

|"Bring It Back Home To Me"
b/w "Slippin' And Slidin'"

|Little Richard

Subsidiaries

References

{{Reflist}}