Buddah Records
Encyclopedia
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City
. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records
, an MGM Records
-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding. Buddah handled a variety of music genres, including bubblegum pop
(the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company
), folk-rock (Melanie
), experimental music (Captain Beefheart
), and soul (Gladys Knight and the Pips).
In addition to the Buddah imprint, the company distributed many other independent labels, including Kama Sutra Records
(after Kama Sutra cut their distribution ties with MGM in 1969), Curtom Records
(Curtis Mayfield
), T-Neck Records
(the Isley Brothers), Charisma Records
(Genesis
, Monty Python
), Sussex Records
(Bill Withers
), Hot Wax Records
(Holland-Dozier-Holland
post-Motown productions) and smaller subsidiaries.
. Kama Sutra's head, Art Kass ultimately grew dissatisfied with his distribution deal with MGM and started Buddah Records in 1967, with his Kama Sutra partners, Artie Ripp, Hy Mizrahi, Phil Steinberg, and (allegedly) Italian mobster
Sonny Franzese.
Kass brought in 24-year-old Neil Bogart
to oversee Buddah's daily operations. Bogart had been an MGM General Manager in the early sixties before taking a VP/Sales Director position at Cameo-Parkway Records
. Bogart would quickly enlist Cameo-Parkway producers, Jerry Kasenetz
and Jeff Katz
, the Ohio Express (a band signed to Kasenetz's and Katz's Super K Productions
firm), and the Five Stairsteps
into the new label. Buddah's first single
was "Yes, We Have No Bananas"/"The Audition" by the Mulberry Fruit Band (BDA 1); the label's first album
was Safe As Milk by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (BDM-1001/BDS-5001).
Buddah Records initially made its mark as a "bubblegum pop
" music label as that music genre's success peaked in 1968-69, with Kasenetz's and Katz's bands Ohio Express, the 1910 Fruitgum Company
and Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
regularly placing Buddah on the map. However, it was The Lemon Pipers
who gave Buddah its first #1 hit with "Green Tambourine
," produced by Paul Leka
, in February 1968.
The New York-area visual aids company, Viewlex purchased a controlling interest in Buddah in 1968 with Ripp, Steinberg and Mizrahi departing the company at this time, leaving Kass and Bogart at the helm.
As bubblegum music's popularity declined at the turn of the decade, Buddah branched out in various musical directions, including gospel, folk-country and R&B. Bogart, a master promoter, would go to great lengths to generate hit singles for "top 40
" radio airplay, and got results; music industry historian Bob Hyde has estimated that, during their heyday, Buddah and its associated labels charted over 100 singles, with about one in five singles issued by the company charting (vs. the ratio of one chart hit to 20 singles released that most "major labels" experienced in that time period).
Hit singles released by Buddah and its associated labels during 1969-73 included:
While Buddah primarily focused on singles, several of its album releases, including Brewer & Shipley's Tarkio
(1970), Bill Withers' Still Bill
(1972), and most notably Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly (1972), also charted well during this period.
Neil Bogart left Buddah Records in 1973 to start Casablanca Records
. Soon after Bogart's departure, Gladys Knight & The Pips
would emerge as Buddah's biggest success. Previously signed to Motown
, Knight and the Pips would release their biggest hits, including "Midnight Train to Georgia
" and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
," for Buddah.
Jazz session drummer Norman Connors
became Buddah's musical director in 1976 and helped to foster the label's move toward R&B and disco
(e.g., the Andrea True Connection
's "More, More, More" (1976) and Chic
's "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
" (1977), the latter hit the charts on its subsequent re-issue by Atlantic Records
). Viewlex declared bankruptcy in 1976 and Art Kass purchased Buddah back from them, but the resulting debt resulted in a substantial decline in the number of new releases. Arista Records
took over distribution of Buddah from 1978 to 1983, with several artists including Norman Connors and Phyllis Hyman switching to Arista.
Buddah's final release of new product came in mid-1983, with Michael Henderson's R&B hit "Fickle" (BDA 9007) and the accompanying album of the same name (BDS-6004). Art Kass subsequently sold the label to Essex Entertainment, who managed the Buddah catalog until 1993, when they sold it to BMG
. Kass would form another label, Casino Records, in partnership with former New York Dolls
manager Marty Thau
and concert promoter Terrell Braly, but this venture was not successful.
Buddah, now known as Buddha Records (the correct spelling), was re-activated by BMG
in September 1998 as a reissue label, subsequently reorganizing as BMG Heritage Records
on January 1, 2002. The Buddah/Buddha catalogue is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment
and managed by Legacy Recordings
.
Other Buddah subsidiaries or associated labels included Radio Active Gold (for reissue singles), Team, Super K
, Royal American, Symbolic, Eleuthera, Ember,Pace, Desert Moon, Pi Kappa, Skye, Southwind, Thomas, Harbour, National General, and Brut.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
, an MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding. Buddah handled a variety of music genres, including bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
(the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company
1910 Fruitgum Company
The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
), folk-rock (Melanie
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
), experimental music (Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
), and soul (Gladys Knight and the Pips).
In addition to the Buddah imprint, the company distributed many other independent labels, including Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
(after Kama Sutra cut their distribution ties with MGM in 1969), Curtom Records
Curtom Records
Curtom Records was a record label started by Curtis Mayfield of The Impressions along with Impressions associate Eddie Thomas in 1968 although the name was used as early as 1963. The labels name was a combination of Mayfields first name and Thomas' surname...
(Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
), T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records
T-Neck Records was a record label founded by The Isley Brothers in 1964.It's notable for having the Isleys becoming the first R&B band to form a record label, a rarity in black music. During the label's early years, the Isleys issued the records "Testify" and "Move Over And Let Me Dance", which...
(the Isley Brothers), Charisma Records
Charisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
(Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
), Sussex Records
Sussex Records
-History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
(Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
), Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records
Hot Wax Records was a Detroit, Michigan-based record label, created by producers/songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland in 1968 when they left Motown...
(Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
post-Motown productions) and smaller subsidiaries.
History
Kama Sutra Records helped bolster MGM Records' profits during 1965 and 1966, primarily due to the success of Kama Sutra's flagship artists The Lovin' SpoonfulThe Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
. Kama Sutra's head, Art Kass ultimately grew dissatisfied with his distribution deal with MGM and started Buddah Records in 1967, with his Kama Sutra partners, Artie Ripp, Hy Mizrahi, Phil Steinberg, and (allegedly) Italian mobster
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
Sonny Franzese.
Kass brought in 24-year-old Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
to oversee Buddah's daily operations. Bogart had been an MGM General Manager in the early sixties before taking a VP/Sales Director position at Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 to 1967...
. Bogart would quickly enlist Cameo-Parkway producers, Jerry Kasenetz
Jerry Kasenetz
Jerry Kasenetz is an American bubblegum pop producer who worked with Jeff Katz, the two working together as the Super K production company, to manufacture and produce bands like The Music Explosion, 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant, and The Ohio Express....
and Jeff Katz
Jeff Katz
Jeffrey Katz is an American music producer, one of the first exponents of bubblegum pop.-Music career:He is one half of a hitmaking duo with Jerry Kasenetz, the two working together as the Super K production company...
, the Ohio Express (a band signed to Kasenetz's and Katz's Super K Productions
Super K Productions
Super K Productions was a 1960s American recording production company under Buddah Records, headed by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, whose groups specialized in bubblegum pop. Their biggest successes were The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant and The Music Explosion...
firm), and the Five Stairsteps
The Five Stairsteps
The Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul", were an American Chicago soul group made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni", and briefly, Cubie...
into the new label. Buddah's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was "Yes, We Have No Bananas"/"The Audition" by the Mulberry Fruit Band (BDA 1); the label's first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was Safe As Milk by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (BDM-1001/BDS-5001).
Buddah Records initially made its mark as a "bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
" music label as that music genre's success peaked in 1968-69, with Kasenetz's and Katz's bands Ohio Express, the 1910 Fruitgum Company
1910 Fruitgum Company
The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
and Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus was a bubblegum "supergroup" created by record producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, consisting of various Super K Production groups.-Original cast recording:...
regularly placing Buddah on the map. However, it was The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers
The Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
who gave Buddah its first #1 hit with "Green Tambourine
Green Tambourine
"Green Tambourine" was the primary hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track to their debut-album Green Tambourine. The song has been credited as being the first bubblegum pop chart-topper. Released towards the end of 1967, it peaked at number one on the U.S...
," produced by Paul Leka
Paul Leka
Paul Leka was an American songwriter, pianist, arranger, and orchestrator, most notable for his writing associations with the 1960s hits "Green Tambourine" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", the latter of which has become a standard song at sporting events.-Life and career:Born in Bridgeport,...
, in February 1968.
The New York-area visual aids company, Viewlex purchased a controlling interest in Buddah in 1968 with Ripp, Steinberg and Mizrahi departing the company at this time, leaving Kass and Bogart at the helm.
As bubblegum music's popularity declined at the turn of the decade, Buddah branched out in various musical directions, including gospel, folk-country and R&B. Bogart, a master promoter, would go to great lengths to generate hit singles for "top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
" radio airplay, and got results; music industry historian Bob Hyde has estimated that, during their heyday, Buddah and its associated labels charted over 100 singles, with about one in five singles issued by the company charting (vs. the ratio of one chart hit to 20 singles released that most "major labels" experienced in that time period).
Hit singles released by Buddah and its associated labels during 1969-73 included:
- Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn BridgeJohnny Maestro & The Brooklyn BridgeJohnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
's "The Worst That Could HappenThe Worst That Could Happen"The Worst That Could Happen" is a song with lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by The 5th Dimension on their 1967 album of nearly all-Jimmy Webb songs, The Magic Garden, "The Worst That Could Happen" was later recorded by Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn...
" (1969) - The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
' "It's Your ThingIt's Your Thing"It's Your Thing" is an influential funk single by the Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the funk anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late-1968....
" (1969) - The Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy DayOh Happy Day"Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th century hymn. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching US #4 and UK #2 on the pop charts...
" (1969) - MelanieMelanie SafkaMelanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
's "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"Lay Down " was the second single from Melanie's 1970 album Candles in the Rain. The song proved to be her breakthrough hit in the United States, climbing to #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts and #3 on the U.S...
" and "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" (1970) - The Five StairstepsThe Five StairstepsThe Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul", were an American Chicago soul group made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni", and briefly, Cubie...
' "O-o-h ChildO-o-h Child"O-o-h Child" is a seminal 1970 single recorded and released by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps, who released it on the Buddah label. Written by Stan Vincent and included on the band's The Stairsteps album from 1970, it has become the Stairsteps' signature song and has inspired more...
" (1970) - The JaggerzThe jaggerzThe Jaggerz are a pop/rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, often considered a one-hit wonder because their only major success was the single "The Rapper", written by Donnie Iris...
' "The RapperThe Rapper"The Rapper" is a song by The Jaggerz, written by band member Dominic Ierace, better known as Donnie Iris. Released as a single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1970 for selling over a million copies of the record.- Covers :"The Rapper" has...
" (written by and featuring a young Donnie IrisDonnie IrisDonnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
) (1970) - Lou ChristieLou ChristieLuigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,...
's "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (1970) - 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)100 Proof (Aged in Soul)100 Proof was a funk/soul group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. Put together by Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, they signed to Hot Wax Records and went on to release several hit singles between 1969 and 1972. The biggest of these, "Somebody's Been Sleeping", reached #8 on the...
's "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed" (1970) - Brewer & ShipleyBrewer & ShipleyBrewer & Shipley were an American folk rock music duo of the late 1960s through 1970s, consisting of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics. Their greatest success was the song "One Toke Over the...
's "One Toke Over the Line" (1970) - OceanOcean (band)Ocean was a gospel rock band formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Ontario, Canada. They are best known for their million-selling 1971 single "Put Your Hand in the Hand", penned by Gene MacLellan. The gramophone record sold over one million copies and received a gold disc awarded by the Recording...
's "Put Your Hand in the HandPut Your Hand in the Hand"Put Your Hand in the Hand" is a Gospel pop song composed by Gene MacLellan and first recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray from her third studio album Honey, Wheat and Laughter....
" (1971) - Honey ConeHoney ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
's "Want AdsWant Ads"Want Ads" was a R&B/Soul/Funk song recorded by Honey Cone for their third album Sweet Replies and also appears on their fourth album Soulful Tapestry...
" (1971) - Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
' "Ain't No SunshineAin't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
" (1971), "Lean on MeLean on Me (song)"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
" (1972) and "Use MeUse Me (song)"Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" (1972) - GalleryGallery (band)Gallery was an American soft rock band of the 1970s. It was formed in Detroit, Michigan by Jim Gold. While Gallery did record a number of songs, they are most famous for their 1972 hit single, "Nice to Be with You", written by Gold...
's "Nice to Be With You" (1972) - Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
's "Super FlySuperfly (song)"Superfly" is a song by Curtis Mayfield, the title track from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film of the same name. It was the second single released from the album, following "Freddie's Dead ", and reached #8 on the Billboard Pop chart. The lyrics celebrate the craftiness and determinaton of...
" and "Freddie's DeadFreddie's Dead"Freddie's Dead" is a song by Curtis Mayfield. It was the first single from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film Super Fly. The single was released before the Super Fly album, and in fact before the film itself was in theaters. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S...
" (1972) - Gunhill RoadGunhill RoadGunhill Road was an American band, consisting of Glenn Leopold, Steven Goldrich, and Gil Roman. Paul Reisch replaced Gil Roman in 1973.-Career:...
's "Back When My Hair Was Short" (1973) - Charlie DanielsCharlie DanielsCharles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
' "Uneasy RiderUneasy Rider"Uneasy Rider" is a 1973 song written and performed by American singer and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Daniels. It consists of a narrative that is spoken rather than sung over a guitar melody and is sometimes considered a novelty song...
" (1973) - StoriesStories (band)Stories was a rock and pop music band, based out of New York in the early 1970s. The band consisted of keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey, and had a Number 1 hit with a cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie."-Band history:Lloyd ...
' "Brother Louie" (1973)
While Buddah primarily focused on singles, several of its album releases, including Brewer & Shipley's Tarkio
Tarkio (album)
Tarkio is the third album by Brewer & Shipley. Released in 1970, the album yielded the hit singles "One Toke Over the Line" and "Tarkio Road".The title came about when they left California in 1969 returning to the Midwest, this time to Kansas City, Missouri,...
(1970), Bill Withers' Still Bill
Still Bill
Still Bill is the second studio album by American soul musician Bill Withers, released in 1972 by Sussex Records. It includes two hit singles: "Lean on Me", which is number 205 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and went to number 1 on the Billboard pop and R&B charts in summer of...
(1972), and most notably Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly (1972), also charted well during this period.
Neil Bogart left Buddah Records in 1973 to start Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
. Soon after Bogart's departure, Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
would emerge as Buddah's biggest success. Previously signed to Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, Knight and the Pips would release their biggest hits, including "Midnight Train to Georgia
Midnight Train to Georgia
"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records...
" and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
"You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — also known simply as "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — is a song written by Jim Weatherly, and enjoyed two runs of popularity, each by an artist in a different genre.-Ray Price country version:...
," for Buddah.
Jazz session drummer Norman Connors
Norman Connors
Norman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...
became Buddah's musical director in 1976 and helped to foster the label's move toward R&B and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
(e.g., the Andrea True Connection
Andrea True
Andrea True was an American adult film star and singer from the disco era. In addition to her given name, she had multiple stage names, including Inger Kissin, Singe Low, Sandra Lips, Andrea Travis, and Catherine Warren, .She is best known for the disco tune "More, More, More", released in 1976,...
's "More, More, More" (1976) and Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
's "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)
"Dance, Dance, Dance " is a 1977 disco song recorded by Chic. It was the group's first hit, reaching #6 on both the pop and R&B charts and reached #1 on the dance play charts. Luther Vandross provided backup vocals...
" (1977), the latter hit the charts on its subsequent re-issue by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
). Viewlex declared bankruptcy in 1976 and Art Kass purchased Buddah back from them, but the resulting debt resulted in a substantial decline in the number of new releases. Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
took over distribution of Buddah from 1978 to 1983, with several artists including Norman Connors and Phyllis Hyman switching to Arista.
Buddah's final release of new product came in mid-1983, with Michael Henderson's R&B hit "Fickle" (BDA 9007) and the accompanying album of the same name (BDS-6004). Art Kass subsequently sold the label to Essex Entertainment, who managed the Buddah catalog until 1993, when they sold it to BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
. Kass would form another label, Casino Records, in partnership with former New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
manager Marty Thau
Marty Thau
Marty Thau is an American rock 'n' roll entrepreneur and music producer. He is best known as the founder of Red Star Records in 1977, arguably America's first full - fledged post '60s indie punk punk - new wave label and for being the manager of the New York Dolls and co-producer of Suicide's...
and concert promoter Terrell Braly, but this venture was not successful.
Buddah, now known as Buddha Records (the correct spelling), was re-activated by BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
in September 1998 as a reissue label, subsequently reorganizing as BMG Heritage Records
BMG Heritage Records
BMG Heritage Records was the record label of the BMG Strategic Marketing Group reissue division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment which handled the reissue of recordings first issued on the RCA Victor, Arista, Buddah, Windham Hill as well as other labels BMG or predecessor companies acquired over the...
on January 1, 2002. The Buddah/Buddha catalogue is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
and managed by Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
.
Buddah subsidiary/affiliated labels
Buddah distributed many labels during its history, including:- the wholly owned subsidiary Kama Sutra RecordsKama Sutra RecordsKama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
, from 1969 (when Kama Sutra's distribution deal with MGM Records expired) to 1976. - Curtom RecordsCurtom RecordsCurtom Records was a record label started by Curtis Mayfield of The Impressions along with Impressions associate Eddie Thomas in 1968 although the name was used as early as 1963. The labels name was a combination of Mayfields first name and Thomas' surname...
, founded and owned by Curtis Mayfield, from 1968 to 1974. - Sussex RecordsSussex Records-History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
, from 1971 to 1973. - T-Neck RecordsT-Neck RecordsT-Neck Records was a record label founded by The Isley Brothers in 1964.It's notable for having the Isleys becoming the first R&B band to form a record label, a rarity in black music. During the label's early years, the Isleys issued the records "Testify" and "Move Over And Let Me Dance", which...
, owned by The Isley Brothers, from 1969 to 1973. - Charisma Records (The Famous Charisma Label)Charisma RecordsCharisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
, the U.K.-based label founded by Tony Stratton-SmithTony Stratton-SmithTony Stratton-Smith was an English rock music manager, and entrepreneur. He was best known as founder of London based independent record label Charisma Records which he began in 1969. Groups he managed included The Nice , Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator...
, distributed from 1971 to 1973. Buddah would adopt the font Charisma used on their "Mad Hatter" label to create a uniform branding for its key labels (i.e., Buddah, Kama Sutra and Charisma) in 1973, although Charisma's distribution deal with Buddah would end later that year. - Hot Wax RecordsHot Wax RecordsHot Wax Records was a Detroit, Michigan-based record label, created by producers/songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland in 1968 when they left Motown...
, owned by Motown songwriting trio Holland-Dozier-HollandHolland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
, from 1969 to 1973. - Cobblestone RecordsCobblestone RecordsCobblestone Records was an American jazz record label.Cobblestone had two successive incarnations. The early one was in 1968-69 as a singles label, subsidiary of Buddah Records...
, featuring jazz performers and musicians. - Pavilion Records, a short-lived Gospel music imprint best known for its release of "Oh Happy DayOh Happy Day"Oh Happy Day" is a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th century hymn. Recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, it became an international hit in 1969, reaching US #4 and UK #2 on the pop charts...
" by The Edwin Hawkins SingersEdwin HawkinsEdwin Hawkins is a Grammy Award-winning American gospel and R&B musician, pianist, choir master, composer and arranger. He is one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He are best known for his arrangement of "Oh Happy Day" , which was included on the Songs of the Century list...
in 1969. - Studio One Records, the Jamaican label founded by Coxsone DoddCoxsone DoddClement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
. Buddah released various selections from Studio One's back catalog in 1978.
Other Buddah subsidiaries or associated labels included Radio Active Gold (for reissue singles), Team, Super K
Super K Productions
Super K Productions was a 1960s American recording production company under Buddah Records, headed by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, whose groups specialized in bubblegum pop. Their biggest successes were The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant and The Music Explosion...
, Royal American, Symbolic, Eleuthera, Ember,Pace, Desert Moon, Pi Kappa, Skye, Southwind, Thomas, Harbour, National General, and Brut.
Buddah label design variations
- 1967—BUDDAH RECORDS in stylized black letters at the bottom. Singles were designated with green labels, albums with red labels
- 1968-1972—Multi-color "kaleidoscope" label with silhouette of a ShivaShivaShiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
deityDeityA deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
(not BuddhaBuddhaIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
) at the bottom of the label between the words BUDDAH and RECORDS (same format for both singles and albums) - 1972-1978—Maroon label with pink circle around outer edge, BUDDAH RECORDS at top of label in white letters (deliberately borrowing from the font used on Charisma Records'Charisma RecordsCharisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
"Mad Hatter" label for a uniform branding). Singles feature the head of an actual Buddha statue at the top of the label, albums show the entire statue at the bottom. When Arista took over distribution in 1978, the Arista logo and disclaimer were added by stamp at the bottom, starting with this label format - 1978-1983—Black label with multi-colored "B" logo at top in a box, BUDDAH in white letters under the "B" in a subsection of the box, Arista logo and disclaimer at the bottom (same format for singles and albums)
Buddah Records and associated labels artists
The following artists released at least one recording for Buddah Records, or for one of Buddah's subsidiaries/distributed labels as noted in parentheses:- Addrisi BrothersAddrisi BrothersThe Addrisi Brothers were an American pop duo from Winthrop, Massachusetts. The brothers themselves were Donald Addrisi and Richard Addrisi, known as Dick ....
- Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
- Baby HueyBaby Huey (singer)Baby Huey was an American rock and soul singer, born in Richmond, Indiana. He was the frontman for the band Baby Huey & The Babysitters, whose single LP for Curtom Records in 1971 was influential in the development of hip hop music.-Biography:A native of Richmond, Indiana, James Ramey moved to...
(Curtom) - Len BarryLen BarryLen Barry is a retired American vocalist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:...
- Black IvoryBlack IvoryBlack Ivory was a R&B group from Harlem, which had a number of hits in the 1970s, including "Don't Turn Around", "You and I" , "I'll Find a Way ", "Spinning Around", "What Goes Around ", "Will We Ever Come Together", and "Mainline." -Career:The group features songwriter and prolific...
- Brewer & ShipleyBrewer & ShipleyBrewer & Shipley were an American folk rock music duo of the late 1960s through 1970s, consisting of singer-songwriters Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley. They were known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics. Their greatest success was the song "One Toke Over the...
(Kama Sutra) - Brooklyn BridgeJohnny Maestro & The Brooklyn BridgeJohnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
- Bulldog
- George BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
- Freddy CannonFreddy CannonFrederick Anthony Picariello Jr. , known as Freddy Cannon, is an American rock and roll singer, whose biggest international hits included "Tallahassee Lassie", "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans", and "Palisades Park".-Biography:...
- Captain BeefheartCaptain BeefheartDon Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
- Captain Groovy and his Bubblegum Army
- Carnaby Street Runners
- ChicChic (band)Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
- Lou ChristieLou ChristieLuigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s , including his 1966 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes" and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.-Biography:Sacco was born in Glenwillard,...
- Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar BandDennis CoffeyDennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
(Sussex) - Norman ConnorsNorman ConnorsNorman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...
- Dave "Baby" Cortez (T-Neck)
- James CottonJames CottonJames Cotton is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time as well as with his own band.-Career:...
- CovenCoven (band)Coven is an American rock band formed in the late 1960s, composed of vocalist Jinx Dawson, bassist Oz Osborne , Chris Neilsen on guitar, Rick Durrett and later John Hobbs on keyboards, and drummer Steve Ross...
- Papa John CreachPapa John CreachPapa John Creach played for Jefferson Airplane , Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship, Jefferson Starship - The Next Generation, the San Francisco All-Stars , The Dinosaurs , and Steve Taylor...
- Charlie Daniels Band (Kama Sutra)
- James DarrenJames DarrenJames William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
- DustDust (band)Dust was an American hard rock band active in the early 1970s.Dust was formed in the late 1960s by Richie Wise and two teenagers, Kenny Aaronson and Marc Bell. Additionally, Kenny Kerner wrote the group's lyrics, and acted as their producer and manager...
(Kama Sutra) - ExumaExuma (musician)Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded as Exuma was a Bahamian musician, known for his almost unclassifiable music; a strong mixture of carnival, junkanoo, calypso and ballad. In his early days in New York's Greenwich Village, Tony McKay performed in small clubs and bars...
- The Five StairstepsThe Five StairstepsThe Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul", were an American Chicago soul group made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Kenneth "Keni", and briefly, Cubie...
(Curtom, Buddah) - Free Beer
- David FryeDavid FryeDavid Frye was an American comedian, specializing in comic imitations of famous political figures, most of which were based on notable Americans including, former U.S. Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard M...
- GalleryGallery (band)Gallery was an American soft rock band of the 1970s. It was formed in Detroit, Michigan by Jim Gold. While Gallery did record a number of songs, they are most famous for their 1972 hit single, "Nice to Be with You", written by Gold...
(Sussex) - GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
(Charisma, Buddah) - Barry GoldbergBarry GoldbergBarry Goldberg is a blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:As a teenager in Chicago, Goldberg sat in with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf. He played keyboards in the band supporting Bob Dylan during his 1965 'electrified' appearance at the Newport Folk Festival...
- Steve GoodmanSteve GoodmanSteve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
- The Good Ship Lollipop (Ember)
- Gorgoni, Martin & TaylorChip TaylorJames Wesley Voight , better known by his stage name as Chip Taylor, is an American songwriter, who is noted for writing the songs "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing." He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight...
- Gunhill RoadGunhill RoadGunhill Road was an American band, consisting of Glenn Leopold, Steven Goldrich, and Gil Roman. Paul Reisch replaced Gil Roman in 1973.-Career:...
(Kama Sutra)
- Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
- Edwin Hawkins Singers (Pavilion, Buddah)
- Michael HendersonMichael HendersonMichael Henderson is an American bass guitarist and vocalist best known for his bass playing with Miles Davis in the early 1970s, on early fusion albums such as A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Pangaea, and Live-Evil.- Biography :He was one of the first notable bass guitarists of the fusion era as well...
- Honey ConeHoney ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul all girl vocal group, who are best remembered for their Billboard #1 hit single, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by Holland–Dozier–Holland after they had departed from Motown Records.-Career:Honey Cone comprised...
(Hot Wax) - Lena HorneLena HorneLena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...
- Phyllis HymanPhyllis HymanPhyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
- The Impressions (Curtom)
- Isis
- Isley Brothers (T-Neck)
- Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral CircusKasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral CircusThe Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus was a bubblegum "supergroup" created by record producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, consisting of various Super K Production groups.-Original cast recording:...
(aka K-K Super Circus) - J.C.W. Ratfinks
- The JaggerzThe jaggerzThe Jaggerz are a pop/rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, often considered a one-hit wonder because their only major success was the single "The Rapper", written by Donnie Iris...
(Kama Sutra) - Jennifer's Friends
- Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
- Jimmy Jackson
- Gladys Knight & The PipsGladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
- Robert KleinRobert KleinRobert Klein is an American stand-up comedian, singer and actor.-Early life:Klein was born in the Bronx, the son of Frieda and Benjamin Klein, and was raised in a "prototypical 1950s Bronx Jewish" environment. After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Klein planned to study medicine...
(Brut) - The Lemon PipersThe Lemon PipersThe Lemon Pipers were a 1960s psychedelic pop band from Oxford, Ohio, known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached No. 1 in the United States in 1968...
- Lovin' Spoonful (Kama Sutra)
- Trade MartinTrade MartinTrade Martin is an American musician, songwriter, and producer.Martin worked with Johnny Power in the late 1950s, recording as Johnny & the Jokers and together launching the label Rome Records, active from 1960 to 1962. The label signed the groups The Earls, Del & the Escorts, and The Glens...
- Barbara MasonBarbara MasonBarbara Mason is an American R&B/soul singer best known for her 1965 hit song, "Yes, I'm Ready".-Career:A soul singer, Mason initially focused on songwriting when she entered the music industry in her teens...
- Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
(Curtom) - Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
- Rod McKuenRod McKuenRod McKuen is an American poet, songwriter, composer, and singer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music...
- MelanieMelanie SafkaMelanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
- The Modulations
- Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
(Charisma, Buddah) - Melba MooreMelba MooreBeatrice Melba Smith , known by her stage name, Melba Moore is an American disco, R&B singer and actress. She is the daughter of saxophonist Teddy Hill and R&B singer Bonnie Davis.-Early life:...
- Dorothy Morrison
- MotherlodeMotherlode (band)Motherlode was a Canadian pop rock group formed in 1969 in London, Ontario. The group scored some success in the US with their single, "When I Die", which hit #18 on the U.S...
- The Mulberry Fruit Band
- The Music ExplosionThe Music ExplosionThe Music Explosion was an American garage rock band from Mansfield, Ohio, best known for their Top 10 hit, "Little Bit O'Soul", in 1967. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and received gold record status by the R.I.A.A....
- The Teri Nelson Group
- The New Birth
- The NiceThe NiceThe Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
(Charisma) - Penny Nichols
- 1910 Fruitgum Company1910 Fruitgum CompanyThe 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
- OceanOcean (band)Ocean was a gospel rock band formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Ontario, Canada. They are best known for their million-selling 1971 single "Put Your Hand in the Hand", penned by Gene MacLellan. The gramophone record sold over one million copies and received a gold disc awarded by the Recording...
(Kama Sutra) - Ohio Express
- 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)100 Proof (Aged in Soul)100 Proof was a funk/soul group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. Put together by Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, they signed to Hot Wax Records and went on to release several hit singles between 1969 and 1972. The biggest of these, "Somebody's Been Sleeping", reached #8 on the...
(Hot Wax) - Protozoa (Kama Sutra)
- Rock & Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Card Co. of Philadelphia, 19141
- Rory GallagherRory GallagherWilliam Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
- Sha Na NaSha Na NaSha Na Na is an American rock and roll group. The name is taken from a part of the long series of nonsense syllables in the doo-wop hit song "Get a Job", originally recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes....
(Kama Sutra, Buddah) - Shadows Of KnightShadows of KnightThe Shadows of Knight are an American rock band from the Chicago suburbs, formed in the 1960s, who play a form of British blues mixed with influences from their native city. At the time they first started recording, the band's self-description was as follows: "The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds...
(Team) - Sixto Diaz RodriguezSixto Diaz RodriguezSixto Diaz Rodriguez is an American folk musician, born in Detroit, Michigan on . He was named 'Sixto' because he was the sixth child in his family. Rodriguez's parents were middle-class immigrants from Mexico, who left in the 1920s...
(Sussex) - The Smoke RingThe Smoke Ring (band)The Smoke Ring was a rock band from Norfolk, Nebraska active in the 1960s. It was formed from two previous regionally popular rock and roll groups, Little Joe & the Ramrods and The Strollers...
- StoriesStories (band)Stories was a rock and pop music band, based out of New York in the early 1970s. The band consisted of keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey, and had a Number 1 hit with a cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie."-Band history:Lloyd ...
(Kama Sutra) - Johnny TillotsonJohnny TillotsonJohnny Tillotson is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"...
- Cal TjaderCal TjaderCallen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
- The TokensThe TokensThe Tokens are an American male doo-wop-style vocal group from Brooklyn, New York. They are known best for their chart-scoring 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" .-Career:...
- The TrammpsThe TrammpsThe Trammps were an American disco band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973...
- Andrea True ConnectionAndrea TrueAndrea True was an American adult film star and singer from the disco era. In addition to her given name, she had multiple stage names, including Inger Kissin, Singe Low, Sandra Lips, Andrea Travis, and Catherine Warren, .She is best known for the disco tune "More, More, More", released in 1976,...
- Up With PeopleUp with PeopleUp with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
(Pace-Buddah) - Van der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
(Charisma) - Les VariationsLes VariationsLes Variations was a French rock band from the 1960s and 1970s that sang in English and was known for its rock guitar-based music. They were France's first band to headline the famed Olympia Theatre, the first to tour America, the first to sign with a US label and the first to achieve hit records...
- Vik VenusVik VenusJack Spector was an American radio disc jockey.Spector began his career in 1955 and in 1961 became one of the original WMCA Good Guys. He was working as a DJ in New York when he released a single in 1969 on Buddah Records as "Vik Venus, Alias: Your Main Moon Man"...
- Ben VereenBen VereenBen Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
- Wadsworth Mansion (Sussex)
- Jimmie WalkerJimmie WalkerJames Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
- Jim WeatherlyJim WeatherlyJames Dexter Weatherly is an American singer-songwriter. Weatherly played quarterback at the University of Mississippi and was an All-American before choosing songwriting over a football career...
- Michael Wendroff
- Jack WildJack WildJack Wild was a British actor who is best remembered for his performances in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! with Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, and Oliver Reed. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16 for the role of the...
- Johnny WinterJohnny WinterJohn Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues-rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters...
- Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
(Sussex) - Zalman Yanovsky (Buddah, Kama Sutra)
Compilation discography w/Billboard chart peak positions
- Bubble Gum Music Is The Naked Truth (#105) -- Buddah BDS-5032—3/69
-
- Hits by 1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express, The Lemon Pipers, Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, and Shadows Of Knight
- Buddah's 360 Degree Dial-A-Hit—Buddah BDS-5039—1969
- Tracks from Buddah, Kama Sutra and Curtom artists
- The Amazing Mets (#197) -- Buddah 1969—11/69
- Songs by the 1969 World Series Champions New York Mets (take note of the appropriately issued label number)
- Dick Clark / 20 Years Of Rock & Roll (#27) -- Buddah BDS-5133—7/73
- 2-LP set of hits from 1953 to 1972. Original copies (with gatefold cover) include booklet and bonus 7" cardboard record "Inside Stories with Dick Clark" (reissues have none of the extras)
- The Buddah Box—Essex Entertainment 7060—1993
- 3-CD set of 45 tracks by various Buddah artists (1965–1984). Includes 27-page booklet with label history and photos
- Hits by 1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express, The Lemon Pipers, Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, and Shadows Of Knight