Rarest Soul Label

[Raremusicdirect]

The label that is most stated as the Rarest Soul Label is said to be Shrine.

 

However, please put forward your own nominations

 

Criteria

 

• The label must have released more the one release as an demo or issue to qualify as a label with releases rather than just a one off release, so we are looking for a label with a minimum of 2 releases.
• Exclude unreleased items, ie items on tape or unreleased on 45 at the time
• Exclude Acetates

 

You can select by either how Scarce the item is or by Value (not always an indicator we know but a guide or sorts)

 

 

 

 

[Harry Crosby]

Isn`t the ARTCO label up there also as one of the rarest collectable labels?

[Tiberius]

The label that is most stated as the Rarest Soul Label is said to be Shrine.

 

However, please put forward your own nominations

 

Criteria

 

• The label must have released more the one release as an demo or issue to qualify as a label with releases rather than just a one off release, so we are looking for a label with a minimum of 2 releases.
• Exclude unreleased items, ie items on tape or unreleased on 45 at the time
• Exclude Acetates

 

You can select by either how Scarce the item is or by Value (not always an indicator we know but a guide or sorts)

Just as an experiment type Shrine in as a search on popsike & see how many entries there are.

 

Edit: I should add that I realise this is not definitive but it's interesting to see the numbers non the less

Edited December 14, 2013 by tiberius

[Roburt]

I'd nominate a quite left-field choice ........ late 70's LA based Emkay Records.

But that's just coz I'm more into later sounds and more x-over stuff.

The majority of tracks released on 45's on the label sound great to me and those 45's certainly are rare.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Roburt

[Jim Elliott]

Artco for sure!

[Raremusicdirect]

Artco

101 - Dyke & The Blazers - Funky Broadway Pt 1 / Part 2
102 - The Traditions - On Fire / My Heart
103 - Eddie Campbell - Contagious Love / Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do
104 - Ernie Johnson - I Can't Stand The Pain  / These Very Tender Moments

[Mrtag]

Gogate!!  got be up there with the best!! The Trent Sisters, Little John

[Raremusicdirect]

Gogate!!  got be up there with the best!! The Trent Sisters, Little John

 

Tough one to beat

[Jasonofa]

Mrtag beat me to it! Gogate... Because if its not on Gogate then its not a hit!

[Pete S]

But they were saying that GoGate is not a proper soul label, or anything label - it's a custom setup where anyone can make a record and GoGate would release it.

The stuff that came out on suggests they'd release any old crap.

[Raremusicdirect]

But they were saying that GoGate is not a proper soul label, or anything label - it's a custom setup where anyone can make a record and GoGate would release it.

The stuff that came out on suggests they'd release any old crap.

Isn't that the same as a record label using a pressing plant though Pete ?

[Pete S]

Isn't that the same as a record label using a pressing plant though Pete ?

 

Every record label has to use a pressing plant so I don't get that comment.

It's a custom label, like Oak here in the UK, where people could record demos and put them out.

[Driveller]

One of the hot ones these days seems to be Tuska, and Sen-Town appears to have a following for items that are hard to track down.  

 

My candidate for a 'sizeable' label is Gaye from Augusta, Georgia, with a good dozen or so releases.  Few items on the label are genuinely 'easy' to get, most are pretty tough to find, and some are excruciatingly elusive - and all of them seem to be top-notch examples of their type, spread between Northern Soul, Deep Soul, R&B and Garage Punk.

 

For a small label, I'd go for Phelectron; Jackie Daye and Terri Goodnight would be hard to beat as a pair of tough-to-find items, even with the pack of Jackie Days that turned up about ten years (ten years!) ago.

 

I'm keen to see what suggestions other people have.

 

All the best,

 

Nick

[Raremusicdirect]

Every record label has to use a pressing plant so I don't get that comment.

It's a custom label, like Oak here in the UK, where people could record demos and put them out.

I am meaning it can be a label, if it has a run, even if pressed up as a "private" thing .......

[Sceneman]

english King label ?

and how about the heroin lable ?

seen 1 in the flesh but nothing online

[Guest Polyvelts]

One of the hot ones these days seems to be Tuska, and Sen-Town appears to have a following for items that are hard to track down.  

 

My candidate for a 'sizeable' label is Gaye from Augusta, Georgia, with a good dozen or so releases.  Few items on the label are genuinely 'easy' to get, most are pretty tough to find, and some are excruciatingly elusive - and all of them seem to be top-notch examples of their type, spread between Northern Soul, Deep Soul, R&B and Garage Punk.

 

For a small label, I'd go for Phelectron; Jackie Daye and Terri Goodnight would be hard to beat as a pair of tough-to-find items, even with the pack of Jackie Days that turned up about ten years (ten years!) ago.

 

I'm keen to see what suggestions other people have.

 

All the best,

 

Nick

Has there ever been a sen-town discography ?

[Dave Thorley]

LaBeat up there with them

[Stanley]

northern del-la .......telma laverne and i know dickie has another release......can,t be far away

[Pete S]

northern del-la .......telma laverne and i know dickie has another release......can,t be far away

 

Think there's a Johnnie Mae Matthews on that label?

[good angel]

444 label and its British

[Stanley]

Think there's a Johnnie Mae Matthews on that label?

yeah, you,re right pete .dickie has the johnnie mae 45 track.

[Robbk]

yeah, you,re right pete .dickie has the johnnie mae 45 track.

Calvin Williams was on the label as well.  If I remember correctly, there were a couple more artists on that label.  LaBeat certainly isn't a rare label.  I've seen hundreds of Masqueraders, James Shorter and Nelson Sanders, and several Al Williams.  I'll admit that the Lester Tipton is rare (but that doesn't make it a rare label.  I wouldn't even say that Northern Del-La is a "rare label".   I would say that a "rare label" (in terms of '60s-'70s Soul) is one that people who have looked through at least 100,000 45s or LPs during 1960-today, in cities all over USA have seen only a handful, even though they've been through masses of distributor stock and record store stock and thrift stores (in)/from all geographical areas.  Shrine is a rare label because virtually all their non sold or non given-away stock was destroyed.  Even given that, I'm sure there are "rarer" labels than Shrine.  I found several Shrine records in the mid '60s.  So, they did get to some shops and record mass closeouts and thrift stores in some quantity.  There are many little local labels that had very small press runs, no sales, and the small stock didn't get given away to very many people, and the handsful that did land in people's hands have been lost over the years.  THOSE labels might have only a few copies of each release known now.  They'd be rarer than Shrine, overall, because only some of Shrine's many releases are that rare.

[Kjw]

All of the releases on Saadia are quite difficult to get hold of although it's more funk than soul

[Marc Forrest]

yeah, you,re right pete .dickie has the johnnie mae 45 track.

have both jjm and cw. the jjm was around in quantity when I bought it, its lazer tecord though. seventies if I am not mistaken.

[Marc Forrest]

Tuska, Saadia..even La Beat. Think they all do not qualifiy in the real meaning of this thread as all it takes for one to buy a run of these is to really have the dosh. They ARE around...

But try buying a set on Mars-La-Tour..

[Guest gordon russell]

LaSalle and dottys.....notwithstanding the rare shit one on LaSalle and the shit rare one on dotty's

[Realpeoplesmusic]

Isn't the shit rare one on Dottys a mispress? Michael Robinson has the only known copy I think...

[good angel]

When you think about is the rarest the biggest failure ..

[Nick Soule]

Awake Records from Detroit has two records (Eddie Parker and Shane Hunter).

[Pumpkinseed]

Artco for sure![/quot

ARTCO ...............no way , doesn't come close to .......TERI DE ...... What a brilliant label , out of L . A . Owned by the GREAT

Leonard Jewell Smith . Here's a few for starters !!

002 THE GROOVERS - I'M A BASHFUL GUY

003 THE SOUL SHAKERS - YOU'RE TURNIN'

004 LEONARD JEWELL - BETTIN' ON LOVE

005 JIMMY GRESHAM - THIS FEELIN' I HAVE

006 THE. PENETRATIONS - SWEET SWEET BABY

YEAH , I'M SPEECHLESS TOO !

[Guest gordon russell]

 

Isn't the shit rare one on Dottys a mispress? Michael Robinson has the only known copy I think...

 it,s bloody good though.....what a tune!!....by lee jennings,but rumour has it it,s j/hampton

[Calvinlee]

Velgo?

[Guest]

Rare Earth!...........now that's a rare label. 

[Guest I KNOW NOTHING]

British... RnB label... only did about 6 records.

[boba]

radio city (san diego)

[Robbk]

I would say that Phelectron was the rarest.  Or did they find a box of each, in later years.  In all the looking I did from 1966 to 1980 (through millions of 45s, I only saw the one of each that I bought.  I know that a few were found in later years, but were enough found that it isn't thought of as super rare anymore?  I'm sure almost none (if any) were sold in record shops in 1966.

 

On the other hand, I've seen at least 30 Radio City records (many of them the same record) in various locations.

Edited December 17, 2013 by RobbK

[Robbk]

I know that for you Brits, "rare" is what has survived to this day, not what existed during the years of the records' releases and the few years later.  But, it's hard for me to think of records as rare, when I saw many of them back in the day. 

[boba]

Palladium (Houston)

[mshoals]

Mode (New Orleans)

[Ady Croasdell]

Maulted Sound Detroit. I've seen one knackered copy and need it if anyone has one. I know its not a run of releases but there may have been other releases, who knows? Otherwise I go for Shrine though Gaye's a good shout

[Chalky]

LaSalle and dottys.....notwithstanding the rare shit one on LaSalle and the shit rare one on dotty's

The rare one on LaSalle, Lynn Terry? Glad it has stayed so rare, poor record.

Edited December 17, 2013 by chalky

[Davenpete]

No question it's a fantastic label (you forgot Sonny Craver) - but I wouldn't say it's that rare, I've had the Penetrations and still have Sonny Craver and have seen several copies of both. Come to that I've seen a few UK Kings in my time.

 

The rare shit one on LaSalle you probably mean is Ellen and The Shandells (do you still have it Sooty?) - this is a different La Salle. Love Lynn Terry with a passion - cack singing, cack recording, but there's something about it.

 

Used to have Lou Lawton Wrapped In A Dream on UK Speciality - never seen that anywhere else (the track being released om the UK Ember compilation).

 

Dave

Edited December 17, 2013 by DaveNPete

[Guest gordon russell]

 

The rare one on LaSalle, Lynn Terry? Glad it has stayed so rare, poor record.

 Yep at last a rare record that no one cares about......awful rubbish

[Guest gordon russell]

 

 Theres rumoured to be one by the VISITORS on TERI DE.....wheres robk

Edited December 17, 2013 by gordon russell

[Stanley]

must admit i never really liked the lynn terry,and was pleased john sold it on for me.

[boba]

I would say that Phelectron was the rarest.  Or did they find a box of each, in later years.  In all the looking I did from 1966 to 1980 (through millions of 45s, I only saw the one of each that I bought.  I know that a few were found in later years, but were enough found that it isn't thought of as super rare anymore?  I'm sure almost none (if any) were sold in record shops in 1966.

 

On the other hand, I've seen at least 30 Radio City records (many of them the same record) in various locations.

 

Robb, although your looking through huge warehouses does give you a lot of insight into relative rarities, soul music was such a local phenomenon with stuff only being distributed certain places that I think it's hard to judge by personal experience. Bob Miner tells me he saw 50 copies of the classics on yan-g at a flea market in the '80s, where did they go? probably in the trash... also, how many releases were on phelectron? there probably need to be at least 4 to be considered a real "label" imo, otherwise it's more one off.

 

kev roberts told me that oj simpson lawyer johnny cochran owned phelectron, I don't know if that's the case or not.

[boba]

 

the question is rarest label, not your favorite rare label. artco releases are way rarer than teri de releases.

[boba]

although this contradicts my statement about needing 4 records, Jam-Cha out of san francisco (3 records) has to be one of the rarest also.

[boba]

Tuska, Saadia..even La Beat. Think they all do not qualifiy in the real meaning of this thread as all it takes for one to buy a run of these is to really have the dosh. They ARE around...

But try buying a set on Mars-La-Tour..

 

mars-la-tour wasn't even close to being a soul label, right?

[Robbk]

Robb, although your looking through huge warehouses does give you a lot of insight into relative rarities, soul music was such a local phenomenon with stuff only being distributed certain places that I think it's hard to judge by personal experience. Bob Miner tells me he saw 50 copies of the classics on yan-g at a flea market in the '80s, where did they go? probably in the trash... also, how many releases were on phelectron? there probably need to be at least 4 to be considered a real "label" imo, otherwise it's more one off.

 

kev roberts told me that oj simpson lawyer johnny cochran owned phelectron, I don't know if that's the case or not.

Yes. That is absolutely true.  As far as we know, they had only the 2 releases.  So, I guess we could call Phelectron a TWO-off.