Chief Records
Encyclopedia
Chief Records was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James
, Junior Wells
, Magic Sam
, and Earl Hooker
, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen
.
Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London
, a 25-year-old R&B entrepreneur. London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era, was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed
, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen." Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters
would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me
."
"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960. Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid
," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too
") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963. Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).
As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems. First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business. During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals.
Elmore James
Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
, Junior Wells
Junior Wells
Junior Wells , born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist...
, Magic Sam
Magic Sam
Samuel "Magic Sam" Gene Maghett was an American Chicago blues musician. Maghett was born in Grenada, Mississippi, United States, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter...
, and Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands...
, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen
Ricky Allen
Richard A. "Ricky" Allen was an American blues singer from Chicago.He was born in Nashville, Tennessee and began his singing career as member of a church choir in his home town. He relocated to Chicago in 1960, and received a recording contract one year later at Age Records...
.
Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London
Mel London
Mel London was a songwriter, record producer, and record label owner. He was active in the Chicago blues and R&B scenes in the 1950s and 1960s...
, a 25-year-old R&B entrepreneur. London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era, was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed
A.C. Reed
Aaron Corthen, better known as A.C. Reed was an American blues saxophonist, closely associated with the Chicago blues scene from the 1940s into the 2000s.- Biography :...
, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen." Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me
You Shook Me
"You Shook Me" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and J. B. Lenoir. Earl Hooker first recorded it as an instrumental which was then overdubbed with vocals by Muddy Waters in 1962....
."
"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960. Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid
Messin' With The Kid
"Messin' with the Kid" is a rhythm and blues-style blues song originally recorded by Junior Wells in 1960. It is credited to Chief Records owner/songwriter/producer Mel London. Considered a blues standard, it "remains Junior Well's best-known song"...
," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too
It Hurts Me Too
"It Hurts Me Too" is a blues standard that is "one of the most interpreted blues [songs]". First recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red, the song is a mid-tempo eight-bar blues that features slide guitar...
") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963. Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).
As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems. First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business. During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals.
Selective discography
| Year | Artist | Titles | Label | Cat. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Mel London Mel London Mel London was a songwriter, record producer, and record label owner. He was active in the Chicago blues and R&B scenes in the 1950s and 1960s... |
"Man from the Island" / "Doggin' Me Around" | Chief | 7000 |
| 1957 | Elmore James Elmore James Elmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in... |
"Coming Home" / "The Twelve Year Old Boy" | Chief | 7001 |
| 1957 | Elmore James | "It Hurts Me Too It Hurts Me Too "It Hurts Me Too" is a blues standard that is "one of the most interpreted blues [songs]". First recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red, the song is a mid-tempo eight-bar blues that features slide guitar... " / "Elmore's Contribution to Jazz" |
Chief | 7004 |
| 1957 | Junior Wells Junior Wells Junior Wells , born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist... |
"Two Headed Woman" / "Lovey Dovey Lovely One" | Chief | 7005 |
| 1957 | Elmore James | "Cry for Me" / "Take Me Where You Go" | Chief | 7006 |
| 1958 | Junior Wells | "I Could Cry" / "Cha Cha Cha in Blue" | Chief | 7008 |
| 1960 | Junior Wells | "Little By Little" / "Come on in This House" | Profile | 4011 |
| 1960 | Lillian Offit | "Will My Man Be Home Tonight" / "The Man Won't Work" | Chief | 7012 |
| 1960 | Magic Sam Magic Sam Samuel "Magic Sam" Gene Maghett was an American Chicago blues musician. Maghett was born in Grenada, Mississippi, United States, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter... & the Ammons Sisters |
"Mister Charlie" / "My Love Is Your Love" | Chief | 7013 |
| 1960 | Lillian Offit | "Oh Mama" / "My Man Is a Lover" | Chief | 7015 |
| 1960 | Junior Wells (A) / Earl Hooker Earl Hooker Earl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands... (B) |
"Galloping Horses" (A) / "Blues in D Natural" (B) | Chief | 7016 |
| 1960 | Magic Sam | "Square Dance Rock Part 1" / "Square Dance Rock Part 2" | Chief | 7017 |
| 1960 | Elmore James (A) / Earl Hooker (B) | "Knocking at Your Door" (A) / "Calling All Blues" (B) | Chief | 7020 |
| 1960 | Junior Wells | "Messin' with the Kid Messin' With The Kid "Messin' with the Kid" is a rhythm and blues-style blues song originally recorded by Junior Wells in 1960. It is credited to Chief Records owner/songwriter/producer Mel London. Considered a blues standard, it "remains Junior Well's best-known song"... " / "Universal Rock" |
Chief | 7021 |
| 1960 | Junior Wells | "You Don't Care" / "Prison Bars All Around Me" | Profile | 4013 |
| 1961 | Magic Sam | "Every Night About This Time" / "Do the Camel Walk" | Chief | 7026 |
| 1961 | Junior Wells | "I'm a Stranger" / "Things I'd Do for You" | Chief | 7030 |
| 1961 | Earl Hooker | "Rockin' with the Kid" / "Rockin' Wild" | Chief | 7031 |
| 1961 | Magic Sam | "You Don't Have to Work" / "Blues Light Boogie" | Chief | 7033 |
| 1961 | Junior Wells | "You Sure Look Good to Me" / "Lovey Dovey Lovely One" | Chief | 7034 |
| 1961 | Junior Wells | "It Hurts Me Too" / "Cha Cha Cha in Blue" | Chief | 7035 |
| 1961 | Junior Wells | "So Tired" / "Love Me" | Chief | 7037 |
| 1961 | Junior Wells | "I Need Me a Car" / "I Could Cry" | Chief | 7038 |
| 1961 | A.C. Reed A.C. Reed Aaron Corthen, better known as A.C. Reed was an American blues saxophonist, closely associated with the Chicago blues scene from the 1940s into the 2000s.- Biography :... (A) / Earl Hooker (B) |
"This Little Voice" (A) / "Apache War Dance" (B) | Age | 29101 |
| 1961 | Ricky Allen Ricky Allen Richard A. "Ricky" Allen was an American blues singer from Chicago.He was born in Nashville, Tennessee and began his singing career as member of a church choir in his home town. He relocated to Chicago in 1960, and received a recording contract one year later at Age Records... |
"You'd Better Be Sure" / "You Were My Teacher" | Age | 29102 |
| 1961 | Earl Hooker | "Blue Guitar" / "Swear to Tell the Truth" | Age | 29106 |
| 1962 | Reggie "Guitar" Boyd | "Nothing but Poison" / "Nothing but Good" | Age | 29110 |
| 1962 | Earl Hooker | "How Long Can This Go On" / "These Cotton Picking Blues" | Age | 29111 |
| 1962 | A.C. Reed | "Mean Cop" / "That Ain't Right" | Age | 29112 |
| 1962 | Big Moose & the Jams | "Off the Hook" / "Bright Sounds" | Age | 29113 |
| 1962 | Earl Hooker & the Earlettes | "Win the Dance" aka "Crying Blues" / "That Man" | Age | 29114 |
| 1963 | Ricky Allen | "Cut You A-Loose" / "Faith" | Age | 29118 |
| 1963 | Jackie Brenston Jackie Brenston Jackie Brenston was an African American R&B singer and saxophonist, who recorded, with Ike Turner's band, the first version of the proto-rock and roll song "Rocket 88".-Biography:... with Earl Hooker Band |
"Want You to Rock Me" / "Down in My Heart" | Mel-Lon | 1000 |
| 1963 | Earl Hooker | "The Leading Brand" / "Blues in D Natural" | Mel-Lon | 1001 |
| 1964 | A.C. Reed | "Whole Lotta Lovin'" / "I Stay Mad" | Age | 29123 |