Chess Records

Chess Records was an American record company, founded in 1950 in Chicago and specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. Over time it expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz and comedy recordings, released on the Chess label and on its subsidiary labels Checker, Argo, and Cadet. The entire Chess catalogue is currently owned by Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records.

Founded and run by two Jewish immigrant brothers from Poland, Leonard and Phil Chess, the company produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music music canon. The musician and critic Cub Koda described Chess as "America's greatest blues label."

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
As a big fan of blues, R&B and early rock'n'roll, Peel was influenced by the output of Chess Records from an early age, although he admitted in his sleevenotes to 'Chess Golden Decade Sampler' (1976) that he was often exposed initially to popular cover versions of songs originally by pioneering artists on the label.

"“When I was myself a carefree young cub I remember buying 'See You Later, Alligator' by Bill Haley from Crane's in Liverpool. I probably snapped up the McGuire Sisters' 'Sincerely' around the same time. Doubtless I trundled off home feeling that I was tapped in to the very roots of rock 'n' roll. Now, older and wiser, I know that I should have listened to Bobby Charles and the Moonglows instead.”"

In later years, Peel's favorite artists on the Chess roster included groundbreaking figures such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley – who were also a huge influence on a generation of British artists heavily played by the DJ. Among others, the Rolling Stones recorded at the Chess studios in Chicago, while Fleetwood Mac released a “Blues Jam at Chess” LP with leading musicians on the label.

In the first six months of the 21st century, Peel treated listeners to numerous tracks from the 'The Chess Story 1947-1956' box set. The DJ had bought the 15-CD collection as a Christmas present for himself at the end of 1999.

Chess Compilations
(4xLP – Genesis: The Beginnings Of Rock)
 * 02 June 1972: Washboard Sam: Minding My Own Business

(LP - Chess Golden Decade Vol. 1)
 * 18 December 1973: Jackie Brenston: Juiced
 * 13 May 1980: Lowell Fulson: Reconsider Baby

(2xLP - Golden Decade Volume 3)
 * 18 July 1974: Chuck Berry: Ingo (Inst.)

(LP - Heavy Heads)
 * 30 July 1979: Little Walter: Juke

(LP - Genesis Vol 3 : Sweet Home Chicago)
 * 01 August 1979: Muddy Waters: Burying Ground

(LP – Best Of Chess/Checker/Cadet Rockabillies)
 * 17 October 1984: Billy Barrix: Cool Off Baby (JP: "really awful, but I mean in a kind of wonderful way.")

(LP - Chess: The Rhythm And The Blues)
 * 12 April 1988: Howlin' Wolf: Down In The Bottom

(2xLP - Golden Age Of Rhythm And Blues)
 * 16 February 1991: Orchids: Newly Wed

(LP - A Christmas Dedication)
 * 24 December 1992: Meditation Singers: Blue Christmas

(CD - The Blues Volume 1)
 * 30 March 1996: Little Walter: Juke

(15xCD – The Chess Story 1947-1956)
 * 04 January 2000: (JP: “For Christmas I bought myself a 15-CD set,  The Chess Story 1947-1956. There's a lot of stuff on there I obviously already know and probably have in a different form, but there are tunes on there that I've not heard before. This isn't one of them in fact.”) - Muddy Waters: I Feel Like Going Home
 * 12 January 2000: Forrest Sykes: 'Tonky Boogie
 * 16 January 2000 (BFBS): Jimmy Rogers: Goin' Away Baby
 * 23 January 2000 (BFBS): Jimmy Rogers: Goin' Away Baby
 * 01 February 2000: Muddy Waters: Still A Fool
 * 09 February 2000: Little Walter: Mean Old World
 * 29 February 2000: Little Walter: Off The Wall' (LP 'The Chess Story') Chess
 * 15 March 2000: Little Walter: Tell Me Mama (15xCD - The Chess Story 1947-1956) Chess
 * 05 April 2000: Blue Jays: White Cliffs Of Dover
 * 09 April 2000 (BFBS): Blue Jays: White Cliffs Of Dover
 * 13 April 2000: Jimmy Rogers: Chicago Bound
 * 11 May 2000: Moonglows: Sincerely
 * 18 May 2000: Moonglows: Most of All
 * 30 May 2000: Bo Diddley: Diddley Daddy
 * 31 May 2000: Sonny Boy Williamson: Don't Start Me Talkin'
 * 01 June 2000: Chuck Berry: Maybellene
 * 01 June 2000 (Radio Eins): Little Walter: You Better Watch Yourself
 * 13 June 2000: Moonglows: In My Diary
 * 27 June 2000: Chuck Berry: Thirty Days

(LP - Chess Rockabillies Volume One - Just Go Wild Over Rock'N'Roll)
 * 03 July 2003 (Radio Eins): Eddie Fontaine: Nothing Shaking (But The Leaves On The Trees)

Links

 * Wikipedia