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/Cadet and Cadet Concept. 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 what was then Poland, Leonard and Phil Chess, the company produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music canon. The musician and critic Cub Koda described Chess as "America's greatest blues label."
Chess was based at several different locations on the south side of Chicago, initially at two different locations on South Cottage Grove Ave. The most famous location was 2120 S. Michigan Avenue from May 1957 to 1965, immortalized by the Rolling Stones in "2120 South Michigan Avenue", an instrumental recorded there during the group's first U.S. tour in 1964. The Rolling Stones recorded at Chess Studios on two more occasions. The 2120 S. Michigan building was officially named Ter-Mar Studios but was commonly referred to as Chess Studios. The building is now the home of Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation. In the mid-1960s, Chess relocated to a much larger building, the former home of Revere Camera Company at 320 E. 21st Street, the label's final Chicago home. Shortly before the death of Leonard Chess in 1969, the brothers sold the company.

History

Chess brothers' company

Leonard bought a stake in Aristocrat Records in 1947. in 1950, he brought his brother, Phil, into the operation, and they became the sole owners of the company. In the same year, they brought in a third partner, Evelyn Aron, and renamed the company Chess Records.
The first release from Chess was a 78 RPM single, "My Foolish Heart", backed with "Bless You", by Gene Ammons, issued as Chess 1425 in June 1950, which became the label's biggest hit of the year.
In 1951, the Chess brothers began an association with Sam Phillips, of the Memphis Recording Service, the forerunner of Sun Records. One of the most important recordings that Phillips gave to Chess was "Rocket 88", by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, which topped Billboard magazine's R&B Records chart and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of its influence on rock and roll. One of the most important artists that came out of Memphis was Howlin' Wolf, who stayed with the label until his death in 1976. Many songs created by Chess artists were later covered by many famous rock-and-roll artists, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Eric Clapton. Musical figures created for Chess by Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and others were the basis of much subsequent rock and roll.
In 1952, the brothers started Checker Records as an alternative label for radio play. In December 1955, they launched a jazz and pop label, Marterry, a name created from the first names of Leonard and Phil's sons, Marshall and Terry. This was quickly renamed Argo Records, but the name was changed again in 1965 to Cadet Records to end confusion with an existing British spoken-word label.
In 1953, Leonard Chess and Gene Goodman set up Arc Music BMI, a publishing company, which published songs by many rhythm and blues artists.
In the mid-1950s, the Chess brothers received two doo-wop groups by Alan Freed, the Coronets and the Moonglows; the former group was not very popular but the latter achieved several major crossover hits including "Sincerely", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. Several of Chess's releases gave a writing credit to Alan Freed.
During the 1950s, Leonard and Phil Chess handled most of the recording production themselves. They brought in producer Ralph Bass in 1960 to handle the gospel output and some of the blues singers. Bassist and songwriter Willie Dixon was also heavily involved in organizing blues sessions for the label and is now credited retroactively as a producer on some re-releases. During the 1960s, the company's A&R manager and chief producer for soul and R&B recordings was Roquel "Billy" Davis, who had previously worked with Motown founder Berry Gordy on songs for Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Marv Johnson and other early Motown releases.
In 1958, Chess began producing their first LP records which included such albums as The Best of Muddy Waters, Best of Little Walter, and Bo Diddley.
Chess Records was also known for its regular band of session musicians who played on most of the company's Chicago soul recordings, including the drummer Maurice White and the bassist Louis Satterfield, both of whom later shaped the funk group Earth, Wind & Fire; the guitarists Pete Cosey, Gerald Sims and Phil Upchurch; the pianist Leonard Caston, later a producer for Motown; and the organist Sonny Thompson. In 1962, Chess Records was sued by Peacock Records for recording their artists Reverend Robert Ballinger and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.
In 1969, Chess Records established a subsidiary label in the U.K., Middle Earth Records, which was distributed by Pye Records. The subsidiary specialized in Psychedelic rock and was a joint venture with the Middle Earth Club in London. The Middle Earth label released only four albums and about a dozen singles before it closed in 1970.
The company was briefly run by Marshall Chess, Leonard's son, in his position as vice president between January and October 1969 and then as president following its acquisition by GRT, before he went on to found Rolling Stones Records.

Under GRT and All Platinum

In 1969, the Chess brothers sold the label to General Recorded Tape for $6.5 million. In October 1969, Leonard Chess died and by 1972, the only part of Chess Records still operating in Chicago was the recording studio, Ter-Mar Studios. Following the sale of Chess to GRT, Phil left the label to run radio station WVON. In the 1970s, Chess Records and its publishing arm, Arc Music, were successfully sued by Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon for nonpayment of royalties due to them. Ter-Mar Studios operated at the 2120 S. Michigan building until its closure in 1979.
Some of the other artists who contributed to the legacy of Chess Records were the Flamingos, the Moonglows, Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, the Dells and the Ramsey Lewis Trio.

Later incarnations

In the early 1980s, noticing that much of the Chess catalogue was commercially unavailable, Marshall Chess was able to convince Joe and Sylvia Robinson, who ran All Platinum, to reissue the catalogue themselves under his supervision. The reissued singles and LPs sold well, but by the mid-80s All Platinum had fallen into financial difficulties, and the Chess master recordings were acquired by MCA Records, which itself was later merged with Geffen Records, a Universal Music imprint.
In the 1990s, MCA Records sued Charly Records for selling CDs which contained copyrighted material by Chess artists.
In February 1997, MCA started releasing eleven compilation albums for the 50th anniversary of Chess Records.
In the 2000s, Universal's limited-edition reissue label, Hip-O Select, began releasing a series of comprehensive box sets devoted to such Chess artists as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry.
In July 2008, the 2008 Universal Studios fire burned down a warehouse filled with Universal Music Group recording masters, including many albums and songs released by Chess. These masters, by artists such as Chuck Berry, were "priceless" and irreplaceable; while UMG claimed at the time it had copies, later reporting questioned this, with it emerging that the masters were destroyed.
Chess Records was the subject of two films produced in 2008, Cadillac Records and Who Do You Love?. In addition to the Chess brothers, both films feature portrayals of or characters based on Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James. Cadillac Records was directed by Darnell Martin and features an ensemble cast including Adrien Brody, Mos Def, Beyoncé Knowles and Jeffrey Wright. Who Do You Love was directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and stars Alessandro Nivola playing Leonard Chess "as a complicated, driven man, hard on both his musicians and his family, yet with a real love for some of America's greatest music." The world premiere of the latter film was at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 11, 2008.

Logo

Chess Record's labels and logo showed much variation over the lifetime of the company. At about the time of LP-1482, the company began to move away from the old label style, with the first step re-positioning "CHESS" across the top instead of down the left side, with a chess knight used as a crest. After the use of a blue and silver crest label, an aqua and white "transition" label was used on LP-1496, with the same design that would become the standard from late 1965, but without the multicolor letters in the label name. The "CHESS" name was in block letters above the center hole with the top of the letters red, the middle white, and the bottom blue. A stylized chess knight horse logo appeared on the right side under the label name. Shortly after the company was purchased by GRT, the label was changed to orange with black printing. The perimeter of the label was blue with a blue stripe running horizontally through the center hole and above the logo was a stylized horse head, from the chess knight piece.

Discography

Chess LP-1425 to LPS-1553 (1956–1970)

The original Chess LP series started with LP-1425 and included albums on both the Chess and the Checker labels. After 1437, the series was used exclusively for the Chess label; the Checker label switched to a 2970 series.
Catalog No.AlbumArtistDetails
LP-1425Rock, Rock, RockVarious Artistssoundtrack album for the motion picture of the same name featuring The Moonglows, Chuck Berry and The Flamingos
LP-1426After School Session
LP-1427The Best of Muddy WatersMuddy Waters
LP-1428The Best of Little WalterLittle Walterreleased on Checker
LP-1429Oh! Suzy-Qreleased on Checker
LP-1430Look! It's the Moonglows
LP-1431Bo Diddleyreleased on Checker
LP-1432One Dozen Berrys
LP-1433The Flamingosreleased on Checker
LP-1434Moanin' in the MoonlightHowlin' Wolf
LP-1435Chuck Berry Is on Top
LP-1436Go Bo Diddleyreleased on Checker
LP-1437Down and Out Bluesreleased on Checker
LP-1438House of the Bluescompiles tracks from 1951–52
LP-1439Oldies in Hi-FiVarious Artists
LP/LPS-1440Benny Rides Again
LP-1441Bunch of GoodiesVarious Artists
LP-1442Soulful Saxophone
LP-1443In a German Beer Garden at the Organ
LP-1444Muddy Waters Sings "Big Bill"Muddy Waters
LP-1445Jug and Sonny and Sonny Stitt
LP-1446Walkin' by Myself...and Other Blues Hits of the PastVarious Artists
LP-1447The Funniest Woman in the World: Moms Mabley Onstage
LP-1448Rockin' at the Hops
LP/LPS-1449At Newport 1960Muddy Waters
LP-1450Have I Had You Before?
LP-1451The Trial
LP-1452Moms Mabley at the 'UN' '
LP-1453The Loneliest Gal in Town
LP-1454John Lee Hooker Plays & Sings the Blues
LP-1455Memphis SlimMemphis Slim
LP-1456New Juke Box Hits
LP-1457Larry Williams
LP-1458Murray the K's Golden GassersVarious Artists
LP-1459Fun
LP-1460"Moms" Mabley at the Playboy Club
LP-1461Murray the K's Blasts from the PastVarious Artists
LP-1462Pigmeat at the Party
LP-1463Moms Mabley at Geneva Conference
LP-1464Jimmy McCracklin Sings
LP-1465Chuck Berry Twistalso released as More Chuck Berry
LP-1467Anything Goes with Pigmeat
LP-1468Big Bill Broonzy and Washboard Sam / Washboard Samsplit album
LP-1469Howlin' WolfHowlin' Wolf
LP-1470Murray the K's Gassers for Submarine Race WatchersVarious Artists
LP-1471The Best of Bobby Lester and the Moonglows and the Moonglows
LP-1472Moms Mabley Breaks it Up
LP-1473Rinky Dink
LP-1474Treasure Tunes from the VaultVarious Artists
LP-1475The World's Greatest Clown
LP-1476Dance Tunes from the Vault, Volume 2Various Artists
LP-1477Young Men Si, Old Men No
LP-1478Groups of GoodiesVarious Artists
LP-1479I Got Somethin' to Tell You
LP-1480Chuck Berry on Stage
LP-1481Slappy White at the Club Harlem
LP-1482The Funny Sides of Moms Mabley
LP-1483Folk SingerMuddy Waters
LP-1484Open the Door Richard
LP-1485Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits
LP-1486Moms Wows
LP-1487The Best of Moms and Pigmeat Volume One / Pigmeat Markhamsplit album
LP/LPS-1488St. Louis to Liverpool
LP/LPS-1489Full Bloom
LP-1490The Blues Soul of Johnny "Guitar" Watsonalso released as I Cried For You
LP-1491Groups of Goodies Volume 2Various Artists
LP/LPS-1492Shades of a Genius
LP-1493Mr. Funny Man
LP-1494Up Tight
LP/LPS-1495Chuck Berry in London
LP/LPS-1496I Do Love You
LP-1497The Men in My Life
LP/LPS-1498Fresh Berry's
LP/LPS-1499Unbelievablealso released as Summertime
LP-1500This'll Kill Ya!
LP-1501The Real Folk BluesMuddy Waters
LP-1502The Real Folk BluesHowlin' Wolf
LP-1503The Real Folk Blues
LP-1504One More Time...... / Pigmeat Markhamsplit album
LP/LPS-1505If You Can't Be Good, Be Careful!
LP/LPS-1506The Comeback
LP/LPS-1507Muddy, Brass & the BluesMuddy Waters
LP/LPS-1508The Real Folk Blues
LP/LPS-1509More Real Folk Blues
LP/LPS-1510The Real Folk BluesMemphis Slim
LP/LPS-1511More Real Folk BluesMuddy Waters
LP/LPS-1512More Real Folk BluesHowlin' Wolf
LP/LPS-1513Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks
LP/LPS-1514Chuck Berry's Golden Decade
LP/LPS-1515Mr. Vaudeville
LP/LPS-1516The Baroques
LP-1517Save Your Soul, Baby!
LP/LPS-1518Sax and the Single Girl
LP/LPS-1519Wayne Cochran!
LP/LPS-1520Petal PushersVarious Artists
LP/LPS-1521Backstage
LP/LPS-1522Heavy HeadsVarious Artists
LP/LPS-1523Here Come the Judge
LP/LPS-1524The Last Request and Operation Breadbasket
LP/LPS-1525Moms Mabley Breaks Up the Network
LP/LPS-1526Tune Me In
LP/LPS-1527I Left My Blues in San Francisco
LP/LPS-1528Heavy Heads Voyage 2Various Artists
LP/LPS-1529The Hustlers
LP/LPS-1530Moms Mabley Sings
LP/LPS-1531Fathers and SonsMuddy Waters
LP/LPS-1532Koko Taylor
LP-1533Blues from Big Bill's CopaCabanaVarious Artists
LP/LPS-1534Pigmeat's Bag
LP-1535Hate to See You GoLittle WalterChess Vintage Series
LP-1536Bummer RoadChess Vintage Series
LP-1537Whose Muddy Shoes / John BrimChess Vintage Series
LP-1538Door to Door / Otis RushChess Vintage Series
LP-1539Sail OnMuddy WatersChess Vintage Series reissue of Chess LP-1427
LP-1540EvilHowlin' WolfChess Vintage Series reissue of Chess LP-1434
LP-1544Pop Origins Volume OneVarious Artists
LP/LPS-1545Moogie Woogie
LP/LPS-1546Souled OutVarious Artists
LPS-1547Billy Stewart Remembered
LPS-1548Just a Taste
LPS-1549On the Case
LPS-1550Back Home
LPS-1551Black MerdaBlack Merda
LP-1552Rocky Roberts
LP-1553They Call Me Muddy WatersMuddy Waters

Chess Vintage Series

The Chess Vintage LP series started with LP-407 and featured 9 albums released in 1970/71 with an additional three albums released in 1975.
Catalog No.AlbumArtistDetails
LP-407Chicago Boundwith Little Walter and Muddy Waters recorded 1954-56
LP-408Hung Down Headrecorded 1954-61
LP-409I Was Walking Through the Woods
LP-410Natural Man
LP-411Drop Down MamaVarious Artistsfeaturing Johnny Shines, Robert Nighthawk, Big Boy Spire, Honey Boy Edwards and Floyd Jones
CHV-412Shoutin', Swingin' And Makin' LoveVarious Artistsfeaturing Jimmy Rushing, Jimmy Witherspoon, Wynonie Harris and Al Hibbler
CHV-413Rare Unissued Recordings, Vintage 1951-53Various Artistsfeaturing Leo Parker, Sahib Shihab and Red Saunders
CHV-414Chicago's Boss Tenors Various Artistsfeaturing Tom Archia, Gene Ammons, Claude McLin and Johnny Griffin
CHV-415South Side JazzVarious Artistsfeaturing Eddie South, Eddie Johnson, Prince Cooper, Red Saunders and Dave Young
CHV-416Confessin' the BluesLittle Walter
CHV-417One Way Out
CHV-418Change My WayHowlin' Wolf

GRT consolidated Chess/Cadet album discography (1971–1975)

In 1971 Chess Records was purchased by General Recorded Tape, a.k.a. GRT Corporation, which consolidated both the Chess and Cadet labels into a single labeling number sequence.
Catalog numberTitleArtist
Chess CH-50001Another Dimension
Chess CH-50002Message to the YoungHowlin' Wolf
Cadet CA-50004Freedom Means
Cadet CH-50005Great Female Soul VocalistsVarious Artists
Cadet Concept CC-50006Hey LoveThe New Rotary Connection
Cadet CA-50007Occasional Rain
Chess CH-50008San Francisco Dues
Cadet CA-50009Mystical Lady
Cadet Concept CC-50010Oh What a Lovely War
Cadet CA-50011Swahili Strut Sextet
Chess CH-50012Live at Mr. Kelly'sMuddy Waters
Chess CH-50013Greatest HitsLittle Milton
Chess CH-50014Power and LightPower & Light
Chess CH-50015Live and CookinHowlin' Wolf
Chess CH-50016Where it All Began
Cadet CA-50017The Dells Sing Dionne Warwick's Greatest Hits
Chess CH-50018Basic Soul
Cadet CA-50019What Color Is Love
Cadet CA-50020The Groover
Cadet CA-50021Sweet as Funk Can Be
Cadet 2CA-50022The Best of the Soulful Strings
Chess CH-50023Can't Get No GrindinMuddy Waters
Cadet CA-50024Check This Out
Cadet CA-50025Lean on Me
Cadet CA-50026Mr. Bojangles
Chess 2CH-50027This Is My Story
Chess CH-50029The London Bo Diddley Sessions
Chess 2CH-50030The Golden Age of Rhythm and BluesVarious Artists
Chess CH-50031Love More Than Pride
Chess CH-50032Ghettos of the MindBama the Village Poet
Chess 2CH-50033Fathers and SonsMuddy Waters
Cadet CA-50034Teardrops in the Rain
Cadet 2CA-50035Inspiration
Cadet CA-50036Superstition
Cadet CA-50037Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation
Cadet 2CA-50038It Was a Very Good Year
Cadet 2CA-50039I Cover the Waterfront
Chess CH-50040Come and Get Me
Cadet CA-50041I Just Can't Help Myself
Chess CH-50042Etta James a.k.a. Only a Fool
Chess CH-50043Bio
Cadet CA-50044Songs for Ageing Children
Chess CH-50045The Back Door WolfHowlin' Wolf
Cadet CA-50046The Dells
Chess CH-50047Big Bad Bo
Cadet CA-50048While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Cadet CA-50049Atlantis
Cadet CA-50051The Fourth Dimension
Cadet CA-50052In the Cut
Chess CH-50053You Can All Join In
Cadet 2CA-50058Solid Ivory
Cadet CH-50059Cross My Heart
Cadet CA-50060Satan
Chess 2CH-60000Laugh Time and Pigmeat Markham
Cadet CA-60001Back to the Roots
Cadet 2CA-60002Charlie Parker Memorial ConcertVarious Artists
Cadet 2CA-60003Rock BottomVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60004Peaches
Chess 2CH-60005Got My Own Bag of Tricks
Chess 2CH-60006McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy WatersMuddy Waters
Cadet 2CA-60007Ha' Mercy
Chess CH-60008The London Howlin' Wolf SessionsHowlin' Wolf
Chess 2CH-60009Moms and Pigmeat and Pigmeat Markham
Cadet 2CA-60010Everything 'Bout Sax and Flute
Chess 2CH-60011Mad Man's Blues
Chess 2CH-60012Chicago Blues AnthologyVarious Artists
Chess CH-60013The London Muddy Waters SessionsMuddy Waters
Chess 2CH-60014Boss Blues HarmonicaLittle Walter
Chess 2CH-60015Blues Rock Cookbook: Montreux FestivalVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60016Chester Burnette A.K.A. Howlin' WolfHowlin' Wolf
Cadet 2CA-60017The Heatin' System
Cadet 2CA-60018Inside
Cadet 2CA-60019Cool Cookin'
Chess CH-60020The London Chuck Berry Sessions
Cadet CA-6002112 X 6 The Hard WayVarious Artists
Cadet CA-6002212 X 6 The Easy WayVarious Artists
Chess 2CH-60023Chuck Berry's Golden Decade Volume 2Chuck Berry
Cadet CA-6002412 X 6 Volume 3Various Artists
Cadet CA-6002512 X 6 Volume 4Various Artists
Chess 2CH-60026London RevisitedHowlin' Wolf / Muddy Waters
Cadet CA-60027The Dells vs. The Dramatics / The Dramatics
Chess 2CH-60028Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, Volume 3
Chess CH-60029Come a Little Closer
Cadet CA-60030The Mighty, Mighty Dells
Chess CH-60031"Unk" in FunkMuddy Waters
Chess CH-60032Chuck Berry
Cadet CA-60033Got to Get Your Own
Chess CH-60034American GypsyAmerican Gypsy
Chess CH-60035The Muddy Waters Woodstock AlbumMuddy Waters
Chess CH-60036The Dells Greatest Hits, Volume 2
Chess CH-60037Black Caucus ConcertVarious Artists
Cadet 2CA-60038Early Visions
Cadet CA-60039Magnetic Feel
Cadet CA-60040Never Can Say GoodbyeSonny Stitt
Chess CH-60042Music to Make Love By
Cadet CA-60044We Got to Get Our Thing Together