LABEL OWNERS, SONG WRITERS, AND PRODUCERS

No matter how good a group was, they didn't make the charts if they couldn't find the right song, the right producer, or the right label! In most situations the groups needed a combination of all three elements.
While researching information for this blog, some surprises popped up. I knew that a large number of the groups that sang doo-wop were Black, and a smaller number were Italian, and a smaller number were Puerto Rician, but it's the other numbers that got me. It seems that while most of the groups were minorities, most of the management were non-minorities, mostly Jewish. It seems that the music buisness was a metaphor for what was happening across the country, racism and corruption was rampant through out the industry. Most of the people I'll write about in this blog, tried to be fair, but we'll also talk about some of the people who were deep into the corruption.

Let's start with DEBORAH CHESSLER.
According to Rolling Stone Magezine, Deborah Chessler was a young White girl working in a shoe store when her dream came true. In 1948, 18 year old Chessler, was a wanna be song writer. Chessler had one song, ("Tell Me So") that had been recorded, but it flopped bad. A friend ask Chessler to listen to a group over the telephone. The group was led by a young, Erlington Tilghman, soon to become Sonny Til, the group was called The Vibranaires. The sound she heard was the sound she was looking for. The rest is doo-wop history.
The writer of the Rolling Stone's article, tells how Chessler had to fight the established pattern of racism, sexism and corruption to make things happen. After a lot of hard work, Chessler got the group a contract with Jerry Blaine, owner of the Jubilee label. It was Blaine who changed the groups name to The Orioles. In true doo-wop tradition, Chessler wrote the groups smash hit, "To Soon To Know", on a roll of toilet paper in a rest room.
Most Black groups of the day, like The Mills Brothers and The Ink Spots, aimed their music at White audiences, but The Orioles did just the opposite. They went straight for the Black auduence, with the lyrical impressions of a young White woman, the group was a success. The song went to #1 on the "race" charts and #13 on the pop charts. "To Soon To Know" has been covered by many singers over the years.
In later years Chessler was there to discover eight year old Leslie Uggams.


FLORENCE GREENBERG
Here's a story of an unlikely housewife who turned the music world on it's head when she took an unknown girl group and made them stars. Florence Greenberg was a female pioneer in a male dominated world of Rhythm and Blues. Greenberg said of herself, that she was a triple anomaly: A "White woman" who is in a "Black Business", and "who couldn't carry tune". What she did have was a triple treat "an ear for popular music", "a sharp eye for talent", and "a driving ambition", which worked great for her and the rest of the music loving world. Greenberg is responsible for introducing The Shirelles to the world. Greenberg wrote "Soldier Boy" for the group, and recorded them on her Tiara label. Her labels also produced 60's hits like, "Louie Louie", by the The Kingsmen, "Twist And Shout" by The Isley Brothers, and "Walk On By", by Dionne Warwick. Greenberg also produced "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head" sung by BJ Thomas and was on the soundtrack of the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and won an academy Award in 1969.
After the release of "I Met Him On A Sunday" Greenberg made the rounds of all the radio stations and pestered DJ's until she got the song played. The song was such a hit that the demand for the song was fantastic. So much so that her small Tiara label could not handle the orders, so Greenberg sold The Shirelles contract to Decca Records. Not realizing what they had, and thinking the group would be a one hit wonder, Decca returnd The Shirelles to Greenberg, who formed Sceptor Records. Over the next decade, Sceptor became an industry sensation.
Greenberg's eye for talent was never more evident, than when Burt Bacharach, played her a demo. Greenberg said she didn't like the song, but she loved the singer. The next day Bacharach, returned saying that he had signed a new young singer named Dionne Warwick. Partly because of The Shirelles, and Dionne Warwicks successs Gulf and Western offered $6 million for Greenberg"s Sceptor label in 1965, Greenberg declined. This turned out to be a bad choice, Greenberg's success had faded over the years and by 1977, Sceptor folded and Greenberg lost everything.
Bette Midler wanted to make a movie of Greenberg's life, but could not get the required rights from two of the surviving Shirelles, so plans for the movie are dormant.

LUTHER DIXON
Luther Dixon wrote many songs that were hits for many groups of the 50's and 60's, like The Shirelles. Dixon was hired by Florence Greenberg to work at her Sceptor label. Dixon was in charge of artist development, while Greenberg ran the company. The Shirelles had their first hit with Dixon's arrangement of CAROLE KING and GERRY GOFFIN'S song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow".
Dixon produced many more hits including "sixteen Candles", "I Don't Want To Cry", "Soul Serenade, "MaMa Said", and "Big Boss Man".


VIVIAN CARTER
Vivian Carter was one of a few Black record company executives of the doo-wop era. Carter won a talent contest conducted by Al Benson in 1948, for new DJs in Chicago. She worked WGES in Chicago and later at WJOB in Gary, Indiana. In 1944 Carter met and would latter marry Jimmy Bracken, who would also become her business partner.
In 1953 the couple started a record company, called Vee-Jay Records taking it's name from their initials. During the 50's and 60's Vee-Jay grew to become a major independent record label with acts including The Spaniels, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Gene Chandler, and Jerry Butler, The four Seasons and for a while The Beatles.
Because of Carter's relationship with the radio industry she was able to get her groups played and attract new talent.
Carter passed in 1989, but the groups that she recorded and managed will keep her memory alive.

BERT BERNS
Bert Berns was born in the Bronx to Russian Jewish parents. Berns contracted rheumatic fever as a child, and this would affect him for the rest of his life. He turned to music and found comfort in the music of his Black and Latino neighbors. Berns danced the mambo as a young man and made his way to Havana Cuba. After his return he began a seven-year run, from an obscure song writer to the owner of his own labels.
Berns first hit was "A Little Bit Of Soap", by The Jarmels in 1961. A year later he scored with "Twist And Shout", by The Isley Brothers. The song was written by Berns and Phil Medley. Berns wrote for many labels including Wand, United Artist, Capitol, Laurie,MGM, Big Top, Old Town,Roulette, and Atlantic Records.
In 1963 Berns replaced Leiber and Stoller as staff producer for Atlantic Records, where he produced Solomon Burke's "Cry To Me", and "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", The Drifters' "Under The Boardwalk" and "Saturday Night At The Movies", Barbara Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours" and "Make Me Your Baby", Little Ester Phillips, Wilson Pickettt, and LaVern Baker. Berns was one of the few producers to travel to London, where he produced acts for British Decca.
Berns passed in 1967 and a golden era of rock, soul and doo-wop passed with him. One of his last songs was "Piece Of My Heart", that was recorded by Erma Franklin, the song was covered by many artist over the years.
Berns' BANG and Shout Records catalogue is owned by Sony Music, but the Berns family owns the publishing operations originally called WEB IV Music.
Berns' list of songs cover doo-wop to soul to R&B and the list is long. Berns was not as well known as other Brill Building writers, but Berns should be listed among the most significant and influential of his generation and on par with the likes of Leiber and Stoller, Holland-Dozier-Holland. Berns is also credited with bringing soul,rock, and Latin rhythms together.


CAROLE KING
Born Carol Klein in Brooklyn, New York. Later she added an "e" to her first name and changed her last name to King.
King started out playing piano and moved on to singing and formed a singing group, called The Co-Sines while still attending James Madison High School. It was while she was attending Queens College that she met Neil Sedaka. She was his inspiration for his song "Oh Carol", and in response King wrote "Oh Neil". King befriended Paul Simon and Gerry Goffin who would play an important part in her life for years to come.
King and Goffin soon started writing songs together. Working for Aldon Music at the Brill Building, where hit songs were turned out on a regular basis in the 60's. The first Goffin-King hit was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", recorded by The Shirelles in 1961. Like a lot of King's songs "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" has been covered by to many singers to count, and is still being sung today.
King and Goffin married in 1960 and divorced in 1968, but their song writing relationship continued during the marriage and after.
Some of the songs out of King's book are: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", By The Shirelles, "Some Kind Of Wonderful", and "Up On The Roof" by The Drifters, "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" and "Loco Motion", by Little Eva, "Hey Girl" by Freddie Scott, "One Fine Day", The Chiffons, "Oh No Not My Baby", by Maxine Brown, "Don't Foreget About Me" by Barbara Lewis and " You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.
As the 60's moved on, King's music changed with the times. King had many more hits in the following years, but it's her early years that are important to doo-wop lovers.
King has been inducted into the Song Writers Hall Of Fame, King and Goffin have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. King has Recieved four Grammy Awards and is look at as one of the greatest song writers around.


GEORGE GOLDNER
Goldner was born in New York, and original made his living as a garment dealer. His love of Latin music led him to run dance halls in the early 40's In the late 40's Goldner started his first label, Tico Records. In and effort to promote his records, Goldner started paying DJ's at the radio stations to play his records. This practice came to be known as payola.
Goldner was a gambler,and was always in need of cash, this problem put him in contact with Morris Levy, another dance hall owner. Over time Goldner would sell parts of his labels to Levy for cash. Goldner and Levy formed Rama Records which would later record R&B music. The Crows" recording of "Gee" inspired the formation of another label, Gee Records, who's most successful act was Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. Goldner helped establish a number of labels, including Gone Records, End Records, and the more famous, Roulette. Morris Levy would take advantage of Goldner's gambling problems and take control of these labels.
Goldner recorded some of the best doo-wop groups of the time, including, The Crows, The Wrens, The Valentines, The Cleftones, The Five Crowns, (who would become The Drifters), The Heartbeats, The Chantels, Little Anthony and The Imperials, The Starlighters, The Flamingos, The Dubs, The Channels and The Isley Brothers.
Goldner's last run at success was Red Bird Records and it's Blue Cats subsidiary, co-founded by Leiber and Stoller. As a partner of the company Goldner was in charge of promoting Red Bird releases, while Leiber and Stoller worked on production. Red Bird only lasted two years, Leiber and Stoller wanted out of the music business and Goldner started having gambling problems again. Leiber and Stoller sold their part of Red Bird to Goldner for $1.00. The Red Bird catalogue (except for releases by The Shangri-Las, whos contract was sold to Mercury Records) was sold to Morris Levy's Roulette Records. Goldner passed in 1970.
Goldner had his problems, but he also had a big impact on the music scene and started more than few groups on their way.

MORRIS LEVY
Born Moishe Levy in the Bronx, New York, but was known as Morrie Levy to the insiders of the music business.
After leaving the Navy, Levy became the owner of a string night clubs. His most famous club was The Birdland, which Levy is said to have taken over from Joseph "Joe the Wop" Catalano in 1949.
By accident Levy found out the value of publishing rights of a piece of music. Each time a song he owned was performed or played he was entitled to royalties. Levy learned this when an ASCAP representative told Levy at Birdland he must pay publishing companies for performing live music. Levy's lawyer confirmed that fact and soon Levy formed his first publishing company, Patricia Music.
Levy was one of the bad ones. He founded Roulette Records in 1956 where he started what would become his most profitable side of his business. Levy began claiming writers rights on songs he had nothing to do with. The first and most famous is, he claimed writers rights on "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It is believed that Frankie Lymon and Herman Santiago wrote the song. Levy repeated this pratice through out the years. Levy collected revenues from all sides of the business. He claimed writers rights, he claimed publishing rights and he claimed distribution rights, and he claimed the profits form the sale of his records. There are stories that Levy even bootlegged his own records. Levy became one of the wealthiest executives in the record business.
Levy had a long running law suit with John Lennon over a phrase Lennon used from a Chuck Berry song.
After a time Levy sold Roulette for an estimated $55 million. There was an investigation started in the 50's about Levy's business practices, but it wasn't until 1986 that the law caught up with him. Levy was convicted of extortion, but died in Ghent, New York before serving any time.
Some of Levy's business practices were adopted and perfected by Berry Gordy at MOTOWN.


Next we'll look at Robert and Johnny, The Falcons, The Clovers, The Five Satins, and The Harptones. I onow Robert and Johnny are not really doo-wopers, but Victoria requested them so they're up next.
Please continue to leave comments and make request for your favorite group. In a few weeks we'll look two of the best writers and producers of the doo-wop era, Leiber and Stoller, and we'll take another look a Smokey's songs and productions from the beginning.