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John Peel Wiki
in: Record Labels, Compilations

Atlantic Records

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Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most important American labels, specializing in jazz, R&B, and soul by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown and Otis Redding. Its position was greatly improved by its distribution deal with Stax. In 1967, Atlantic became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, now the Warner Music Group, and expanded into rock and pop music with releases by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, and Yes.

In 2004, Atlantic and its sister label Elektra were merged into the Atlantic Records Group. Craig Kallman is the chairman of Atlantic. Ahmet Ertegun served as founding chairman until his death on December 14, 2006, at age 83.

(Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links To Peel[]

Before becoming part of a wider corporate structure, Atlantic Records was known as one of America’s leading independent labels, especially for R&B and soul. In the UK, its records were issued on Decca's London American (sometimes London Atlantic) label and the likes of Ben E. King and the Drifters had chart hits. Atlantic releases were championed by DJs like Tony Hall of Radio Luxembourg and Johnnie Walker of Radio Caroline. As a result of pirate radio airplay, artists such as Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and Joe Tex became so popular in mid-1960s Britain that the label opened a London office, ending its relationship with Decca and doing a deal with Polydor Records.[1]

Peel wasn't particularly interested in these artists when he returned to Britain in 1967, but over time his tastes changed and he returned often to tracks from the earlier period of Atlantic's history for his shows in later years. In 1999, the label’s first hit, ‘Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee’ by Stick McGhee, was among his selections for the 1948 Peelenium. In particular, the DJ regularly played tracks stemming from Atlantic’s close ties with Stax Records in distribution and recording. On 30 August 1979, 'Ole Man Trouble' by Otis Redding was among the 40 records chosen by Peel to celebrate his 40th birthday.

JP showed less interest in Atlantic's extensive jazz catalogue but played tracks from LPs on the label from time to time. His favourite Modern Jazz Quartet track, "The Golden Striker", was originally part of an album recorded for Atlantic, although as with many of the label's releases of the 1950s and '60s, it was licensed to another label for UK release. Some jazz artists who appeared in Peel playlists recorded for Atlantic, including Ornette Coleman, whose ground-breaking early LPs were issued on the label. It also signed the Charles Lloyd Quartet, who were one of the few jazz groups of their time to appeal to hippy audiences and were played by Peel on the Perfumed Garden and Night Ride. Other jazz artists of interest to Peel and his audience who recorded for Atlantic included Mose Allison, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Melody Maker favourite Roland Kirk. Pianist Keith Jarrett, who had made his name with Charles Lloyd's group, recorded four albums for Atlantic and three for its subsidiary label Vortex before achieving fame with ECM Records.

The musical identity of Atlantic changed after the label lost its independence in 1967, coinciding with Peel's arrival on British radio. Co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who remained at the helm, was keen to pivot toward the growing rock album market, especially after Cream had recorded ‘Disraeli Gears’ at Atlantic Studios in New York and become a highly successful live act in the US.

Atlantic had already had success with some white, non-R&B artists like Sonny & Cher, Bobby Darin and the Young Rascals (as well as a failed attempt to sign Elvis Presley from Sun), while the Band recorded an unsuccessful debut single for the label in 1965, under the name Levon And The Hawks. Bobby Darin changed his style, abandoning his showbiz image and recording a couple of albums heavily influenced by Tim Hardin. Atlantic also issued an LP of Hardin's early work after the singer-songwriter had made his name with albums on the Verve label.

Incoming Atlantic artists included Buffalo Springfield, followed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, both featuring longterm JP favourite Neil Young; future Peel mainstay Loudon Wainwright III; and super-successful session band Led Zeppelin. The label's British office made a number of signings, among them South African soul singer Sharon Tandy and future progressive rock superstars Yes. Through its connection with Polydor Records, which had manufactured and distributed Atlantic releases in the UK, it issued the early LPs of the Bee Gees in the US, together with albums on labels associated with Polydor in the late '60s, like Reaction (Cream), Marmalade Records (Julie Driscoll) and Track (the Crazy World of Arthur Brown).

With a firm financial base after the series of deals that eventually saw the label become the final initial in WEA (after Warner and Elektra[2]), Ertegun even signed the Rolling Stones, who received their own custom imprint. Other Peel-played British artists were often handled by Atlantic, or its ATCO subsidiary, only in the US, via distribution deals for UK labels such as Island (including session bands Mott The Hoople and King Crimson) and Virgin (Mike Oldfield, Kevin Coyne, Genesis). Conversely, late-period Velvet Underground were signed through the Cotillion subsidiary but appeared on the parent label in the UK. Meanwhile, Atlantic also provided early funding and distribution for Capricorn Records, which was home to "southern rock" acts played by JP such as the Allman Brothers Band, released initially in the UK on ATCO.

Although its relationship with Stax had ended in acrimony, Atlantic maintained an interest in contemporary soul music, leading to Peel radio plays for artists such as Betty Wright. After the DJ’s death in 2004, the 1972 Atlantic 7” ‘You're A Lady / I Wish It Would Rain’ by Johnny Adams was found among his most treasured singles in John Peel's Record Box.

At the end of 1976, Led Zeppelin topped the first-ever Festive Fifty with ‘Stairway To Heaven’ from their fourth album, released on Atlantic in 1971, with placings for two other Atlantic tracks, from Zeppelin and Yes. This was the highpoint for the label in terms of the show’s annual listeners’ poll, however, reflecting the arrival of punk and the subsequent revolution in Peel’s tastes and playlists. Atlantic continued to enjoy mainstream chart success, with artists such as AC/DC, who recorded a single Peel session in 1976, and Gary Numan, who had a US top 10 hit with 'Cars', released locally on ATCO, but current releases on the major US label were played less often by the DJ.[3]

From 1990, Atlantic's revived EastWest subsidiary released emerging bands played by Peel such as Dawn Of The Replicants, Cay and Grid [2]; the DJ also gave airtime to tracks by Pixies, Ian McCulloch, James and House Of Love from its covers compilation tribute 'I’m Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen By…'. For several years from 1993, many artists played by Peel benefited from Atlantic's part-ownership, distribution and manufacturing deal for NYC indie label Matador (Fall, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Unsane).

In 1999, Peel narrated the three-part BBC Radio Two series Jerry Wexler: Soul Man, profiling record producer and Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler, known especially for his work with soul legend Aretha Franklin. Looking forward to the first episode on his 21 July 1999 show, Peel recalled at the age of about 15 seeing Atlantic R&B singer Clyde McPhatter at the Liverpool Empire.[3]

Sessions[]

(Peel sessions by artists released by Atlantic. Includes sessions when artists were not on the label. List excludes UK-based artists released by Atlantic only outside the UK, such as Cream and the Bee Gees.)

Festive Fifty[]

(Festive Fifty entries released by Atlantic.)

Compilations[]

(Peel plays of various artist (v/a) compilations released by Atlantic, in order of first play. List excludes releases on subsidiaries such as ATCO and EastWest or related labels such as Stax.)

(3xLP - Woodstock. Music from the Original Soundtrack and More)

(LP - The New Age Of Atlantic)

(2xLP - Mar Y Sol)

(2xLP - Live At CBGB’s - The Home Of Underground Rock)

(LP - This Is Soul)

(LP - Lieber & Stoller - Only In America)

(LP - Blues Brothers (Original Soundtrack Recording))

(2xLP - Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea)

(LP - Atlantic Records History Of Rhythm And Blues Vocal Groups)

(LP - Soul Explosion: Part 2)

(2xLP - Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 (Volume 1 1947-1952)) Atlantic

(LP - Rosko Road Show Vol. 3)

(LP - Platoon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack))

(9xCD box set - The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968)

(LP - History Of Rhythm And Blues - Volume Two - The Golden Years 1953-55)

See Also[]

Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Like British Elektra, UK Atlantic had done a manufacturing and distribution deal, and in the same way that Peel enthused over Elektra, Johnnie Walker, also managed by Clive Selwood, expressed his liking for Atlantic's soul releases in a column in Disc & Music Echo.
  2. ↑ Elektra's European manager was Peel’s friend and Dandelion partner Clive Selwood. For a time in the early 1970s, Peel’s own Dandelion label was distributed by Warner, thanks to Selwood's connections in the group. On June 5, 1971, Melody Maker, published a report on "The flashy, friendly home of hip ... Michael Watts reports from the headquarters of the Kinney complex" , the UK home of the business group which at the time owned record labels Warner/Reprise, Elektra and Atlantic: "John Peel, they'll tell you, is always ambling in to write his Dandelion newsletter and pass the time of day." [1].
  3. ↑ In the 1980s, Atlantic racked up hits with Foreigner, whose Anglo-American lineup featured British musicians previously with former session bands Spooky Tooth and King Crimson – but such fare held little appeal for JP. Long banished from Peel's shows, Yes had a worldwide hit single with 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart" in 1983/4.
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