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Enterprise Records

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Enterprise Records
Parent companyStax Records
Founded1967 (1967)
Defunct1975 (1975)
StatusDefunct
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited States

Enterprise Records was an American record label, started in 1967 as a subsidiary of Stax Records.[1] Its best-known recording artist during its existence was Isaac Hayes, who secured a #1 R&B and pop crossover hit in 1971 with the soundtrack hit "Theme from Shaft". In addition to Hayes, Big Ben Atkins, Cliff Cochran, Connie Eaton, Maynard Ferguson, Little Sonny, O.B. McClinton, Eric Mercury and David Porter also recorded for the label.

Background

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Enterprise Records was started in late 1967 by Stax Records' executive vice-president, Al Bell.[2][3] The label was named after the USS Enterprise, the spaceship from Bell's favorite television show at the time, Star Trek.[2]

Only a few months into Enteprise's existence, the Stax Records company underwent a significant number of shifts and changes. Otis Redding, an artist on Stax's Volt label and the company's biggest star, died in a plane crash in December 1967 alongside many members of Stax-signed band The Bar-Kays. In May 1968, Stax broke away from its distributor, Atlantic Records, following the latter's acquisition by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts the previous October - and Bell and Stax president Jim Stewart learning that a clause in their Atlantic contract gave Atlantic full ownership of its master recordings released between 1960 and 1967.[4]

The Stax organization regrouped and became a subsidiary of Gulf+Western's Paramount Pictures, who would remain their parent company until 1970. The upper management of Stax remained the same, with Stewart staying on as president and Bell as executive vice-president.[5][6][7] They were to work directly with Arnold D. Burk, who was the vice-president in charge of music operations for Paramount Pictures .[8] In addition to their desire to expand the Enterprise label, they were looking to do the same with their pop-rock label, Hip Records. At the time, Enterprise was regarded as a jazz-folk label.[9]

An example of the success Enterprise was having can be seen in the May 16, 1970 issue of Billboard, where the label had three albums on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Albums chart. The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) by Isaac Hayes was at #1, Gritty, Groovy, & Gettin' It (1970) album by David Porter was at #4, and Hot Buttered Soul (1969) by Isaac Hayes was at #10.[10] The two Isaac Hayes LPs were also at #1 and #6, respectively, in the Best Selling Jazz LP's chart that week.[11]

History

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It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's June 29, 1968, issue that Maynard Ferguson had recently joined the Enterprise record label.[12]

Albums on the Enterprise label that were "happening" as per Ed Ochs' Soul Sauce column in Billboard, September 4, 1971 included Shaft by Isaac Hayes, Victim of the Joke by David Porter, Funky Rock by Eric Mercury, and Black & Blue by Little Sonny.[13] Also that year, the Patchouli album by Big Ben Atkins was released on Enterprise ENS-102.[14][15]

It was reported in the May 12, 1973 issue of Billboard that Enterprise was in the process of signing Weldon Lane, a former Capitol artist. They had just released an album for O.B. McClinton and were rushing out a single of his. They had also purchased a master recording in Orland of Paige O'Brien (O'Brian), which resulted in the release of her single "Satisfied Woman".[16][17] Local artist Dale Yard recorded a single in a session described as being done in the total "Memphis country sound". The single "Purple Cow" b/w "I'ma Goin' A Courtin'," which was released on Enterprise ENA-9068, was reviewed in the May 19 issue of Cash Box, with the reviewer saying "The lively carefree nature of the tune should find many a country fanatic whistling and stomping along with the beat.[18][19] The label had also purchased some masters from the Capitol label. The first of them was a Roland Eaton recording. which was re-mixed and then released. Enterprise was also about to release a single by Birmingham artist Roger Hallmark, and an LP by Eddie Bond. At the time, the label's director of the country operation was Jerry Seabolt.[20]

On the week of July 3, 1973, Live at the Sahara Tahoe, a recording of a live concert by Isaac Hayes, was the #1 entry for the second week on the Record World R&B LP chart.[21][22][23]

It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's May 25, 1974, issue that Stax Records, via its Enterprise subsidiary, was expanding its country division. It had recently signed three artists to the label. The label's country promoter and coordinator, Merlin Littlefield, said there would be more to come. With the expansion, Bill Hickman and Carol Stevenson had taken up positions in the office. For some time, Enterprise's country division had O.B. McClinton as their only artist. The recent additions were Connie Eaton, who had been with Chart Records and the Atlanta GRC Records label, and Cliff Cochran, who would be produced by Joe Allison and Hank Cochran. Enterprise was using Larry Butler, who was an independent producer in Nashville, to handle most of the production and recording.[24] In the same issue, Bill Williams reported in his Nashville Scene section that when Cliff Cochran was to cut his new single for the label, his cousin-in-law, Jeannie Seely would be joining him on harmony vocals. The label also thought they were getting Jan Howard, but she changed her mind and went to the Atlanta-based GRC label.[25]

References

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  1. ^ C VINYL - LABEL GUIDE: ENTERPRISE
  2. ^ a b Bowman, Rob (2003). Soulsville, U.S.A: the story of Stax Records. New York: Schirmer Trade Books. pp. 170–171. ISBN 978-0-8256-7284-2.
  3. ^ "Executive Tumble". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1967-08-19. p. 6.
  4. ^ David Edwards; Mike Callahan (February 20, 2000). "The Atlantic Records Story". Both Sides Now Publications.
  5. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 1968-05-18. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-10-19 – via Internet Archive. stax + paramount.
  6. ^ Kingsley, James. "Key Officers Remain On Job As Stax-Volt Is Purchased". The Commercial Appeal, May 14, 1968
  7. ^ Kingsley, James. "Fate, Luck, Stewart Combined for Memphis Sound". The Commercial Appeal, July 26, 1970
  8. ^ Billboard, June 29, 1968 - Page 1 Stax Moves in Int'l, Artist, Film Areas By BRUCE WEBER (Continued on page 10)
  9. ^ Billboard, June 29, 1968 - Page 10 Stax Moves in Int'l, Artist, Film Areas By BRUCE WEBER (Continued from page 1)
  10. ^ Billboard, May 16, 1970 - Page 51 Soul, Billboard BEST SELLING SOUL LP's Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 5/16/70
  11. ^ Billboard, May 16, 1970 - Page 32 Billboard BEST SELLING JAZZ LP's
  12. ^ Billboard, June 29, 1968 - Page 8 Stax Moves in Int'l, Artist, Film Areas By BRUCE WEBER (Continued from page 1)
  13. ^ Billboard, September 4, 1971 - Page 28 Soul, Soul Sauce By ED OCHS, SOUL SLICES:, Album Happenings:
  14. ^ Rockasteria, Sunday, May 14, 2023 - Ben Atkins - Patchouli (1971 us, sweet silky folk r 'n' b, 2021 korean remaster)
  15. ^ Both Sides Now Publications - Enterprise Album Discography by David Edwards and Mike Callahan, ENTERPRISE ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY, 1000 series:, ENS-1021 - Patchouli - Ben Atkins (1971)
  16. ^ Billboard, May 12, 1973 - Page 27 Country Music, Stax Country Group In Expansion Surge
  17. ^ Record World, April 21, 1973 - GWS Breaks New Talent
  18. ^ Billboard, May 12, 1973 - Page 27 Country Music, Stax Country Group In Expansion Surge
  19. ^ Cash Box, May 19, 1973 - Page 53 CashBox C&W Singles Reviews, Best Bets
  20. ^ Billboard, May 12, 1973 - Page 27 Country Music, Stax Country Group In Expansion Surge
  21. ^ Record World, June 23, 1973 - Page 44 THE R&B LP CHART, 3. LIVE AT THE SAHARA TAHOE
  22. ^ Record World, June 30, 1973 - THE R&B LP CHART, 1. LIVE AT THE SAHARA TAHOE
  23. ^ Record World, July 7, 1973 - Page 42 THE R&B LP CHART, 1. LIVE AT THE SAHARA TAHOE
  24. ^ Billboard, May 25, 1974 - Page 40 Country Music, Stax Expanding Enterprise, Signs Country Artists
  25. ^ Billboard, May 25, 1974 - Page 40 Country Music, Nashville Scene By BILL WILLIAMS
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See also

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