Salsoul Records
Encyclopedia
This article is about the record label. For SalSoul the Puerto Rican
Salsa
radio station see Cadena Salsoul
.
Salsoul Records was a New York City
based record label
founded by brothers Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre (the Cayre brothers). Salsoul released about 300 disco
12-inch single
s, and a string of albums. The label started in business in 1974 and went defunct in 1985. Artists such as Instant Funk
, Loleatta Holloway
, Carol Williams, Jocelyn Brown
, Double Exposure
, First Choice
, Joe Bataan
, the Salsoul Orchestra
(led by Vincent Montana Jr), Inner Life
, Skyy
, and Charo
were at one time part of their roster. Bethlehem Music Company, which included Salsoul Records, Bethlehem Records
(a jazz label) and others, was acquired by Verse Music Group in 2010.
, in the early 1970s. They had purchased some catalogs of Mexican music (mostly in the Mericana genre) to distribute, and inadvertently infringed the copyrights of CBS Records
and RCA Records
by selling them in the United States. They mended fences with the major labels, and even acquired a sole license for North American distribution for some of CBS Latino catalog. This led to recording sessions that involved Bataan that were distributed by CBS. When the major label was unable to further market the music profitably, the rights reverted back to the Cayres and they were up and running in the record business proper. According to Ken Cayre, it was his exposure to the blossoming of early discothèques which gave him the idea to record music specifically for the dance market.
Salsoul released the first commercially available 12-inch single
, Double Exposure
's Ten Percent
, in 1976. Salsoul Records also manufactured and distributed Gold Mind Records
' output. Salsoul was affected by The disco backlash
of 1979, but it was one of the few labels to survive after the death of disco. It continued to release new material until 1984 when the Cayre brothers shut down their recorded music operations to concentrate on the home video
business (such as GoodTimes Entertainment
).
", Black Box's "Ride On Time
" & Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
's "Good Vibrations
" in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the label's catalogue has been digitally remastered. It is notably more popular in Europe
and the United Kingdom
than in the United States.
However, a year later, it changed its name to Bethlehem Music Company, but it often uses Salsoul as an imprint. Today, Bethlehem Music Company focuses on releasing Salsoul & Bethlehem Jazz recordings.
, who recorded some of the earliest sessions for the Cayre brothers (predating the label's formation). "Salsoul" was street lingo for the musical culture of urban Latino
s who were absorbing African-American popular music and infusing into their own culture, as well as vice-versa. Bataan had chosen the name for an LP
he made for the Cayre brothers.
that would come to be known as Philly soul, Ken Cayre hunted down the genre's best session musician
s. In particular, he started working with the key players behind Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records
label and its predecessor/creative core: Gamble and Huff productions. Gamble and Huff
were in dispute with their key musicians over business matters, and Salsoul quickly put them under contract. Among these Philly soul artists tapped for Salsoul were Vince Montana (orchestral arrangements and vibes), Norman Harris
(lead and rhythm guitar, arrangements, songwriting and production), Ronnie Baker (bass guitar, arrangement and production), Earl Young
(drums and percussion), Bunny Sigler
and others. Baker and Young are now widely credited with crystallizing the sound and structure of a disco
record.
Young's insistent use of the Hihat cymbal
made it easy for DJs
to mix records in noisy clubs, as the high frequency of the cymbal stood out over the background noise and could be easily heard in the headphones of the DJ. Baker would plant his key bass notes on top of the kick drum of Young, making for a solid and thunderous bass sound. His widely-imitated signature style is best heard on the record Love is the Message
by MFSB
.
The Cayres also chose to record at the top-notch Sigma Sound studios in Philadelphia (one of the earliest facilities to install 24-track equipment and in possession of one of the most admired "live rooms" for accommodating small orchestras). This is why it is virtually impossible for the untrained ear to tell an MFSB recording from a Salsoul Orchestra recording (the key players, arrangers, and recording facility were the same). Many of the remixes and singles were mixed or recorded by Bob Blank at his Blank Tapes Studios in New York, using the then-new technology of automated mixing.
First Choice
under contract, and brought them along to Salsoul. Led by Rochelle Fleming, the group had moderate success on the Philly Groove label with Armed and Extremely Dangerous (which Salsoul acquired and would re-release amongst its classic catalogue in the 1990s - leading to the misconception that it was a Salsoul recording). For Salsoul, First Choice would record a string of classic disco anthems, most notably "Dr. Love" and "Let No Man Put Asunder", which still remains fashionable with urban DJs even twenty years after it was issued as a dance remix.
", was produced by the late Dan Hartman
and later sampled into "Good Vibrations
" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
as well as "Ride On Time
" by House
pioneers Black Box. Black Box at first were reviled by fans of vintage Salsoul and Ms. Holloway herself, but after legal matters were settled, many lauded the Italian DJ group for exposing an entire new generation to the Salsoul Sound. It is doubtful the "second coming of Salsoul" in the 1990s would have ever occurred if not for Black Box's initial "borrowing" of Ms. Holloway's studio vamp. After an initial "white label
" period (a now-common "trial release" for a dance recording that is often unhindered by legal clearance for any samples it contains), Black Box had legally acquired the license to Mr. Hartman's composition and the use of the Salsoul recording. Ms. Holloway's work has since been sampled frequently, and the ownership of publishing rights
for other recordings, most notably "Dreaming", has also been disputed.
Disco music received little in the way of serious historical study and documentation until the mid 1990s, when those studying the explosion of house music
began to seriously documents its roots. An early champion for the elevation of Salsoul's reputation was English DJ, producer, artist, and label executive Dave Lee (aka Joey Negro
), who himself had released several "borrowed" compositions under the moniker MDEMM (an ecstasy reference) beginning in late 1988: well ahead of Marky Mark and Black Box (late 1989 and 1990 respectively). He has since acquired the reputation of "chief historian of Salsoul" (though this title officially belongs to Tom Moulton
, who has the equivalent corporate position at Salsoul). Joey Negro has since remixed and contributed to the production of several re-issues from their back catalog.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
radio station see Cadena Salsoul
Cadena Salsoul
Cadena Salsoul, an entertainment-based salsa radio station, is the leader in Puerto Rico, one of Arbitron's most competitive market ....
.
Salsoul Records was a New York City
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...
based record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
founded by brothers Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre (the Cayre brothers). Salsoul released about 300 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...
12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
s, and a string of albums. The label started in business in 1974 and went defunct in 1985. Artists such as Instant Funk
Instant Funk
Instant Funk were a 1970s disco band, best known for their disco classic, "I Got My Mind Made Up ".-History:Instant Funk came out of New Jersey consisting of Raymond Earl, Scotty Miller and guitarist Kim Miller. The group was then called The Music Machine and they were very successful as a back-up...
, Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
, Carol Williams, Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Brown
Jocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
, Double Exposure
Double Exposure
Double exposure is a photographic technique in which two images are captured and combined into a single image.Double exposure may also refer to:* Double patterning, a technique for improving the resolution of patterning semiconductors...
, First Choice
First Choice (band)
First Choice was an American girl group vocal music trio from Philadelphia. The group produced the disco hits "Armed and Extremely Dangerous", "Smarty Pants", "The Player", "Love Thang", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and "Dr. Love". They were signed to soul label Philly Groove Records and to disco label...
, Joe Bataan
Joe Bataan
Joe Bataan is a Filipino-African American Latin R&B musician from New York.- Early life and career :...
, the Salsoul Orchestra
Salsoul Orchestra
The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing band for acts on Salsoul Records. Under their own name the group recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1981.-Group History:...
(led by Vincent Montana Jr), Inner Life
Inner Life
Inner Life was an American R&B/soul studio project of the post-disco era that enjoyed success with "I'm Caught Up " and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" . Both tracks featured the vocals of Jocelyn Brown and Leroy Burgess...
, Skyy
Skyy (band)
Skyy was an American R&B/funk/disco band based in New York. They are perhaps best known for their 1982 hit, "Call Me," as well as their 1989 "comeback" hits, "Start of a Romance" and "Real Love."-Career:...
, and Charo
Charo
María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten , better known as Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist, best known for her flamboyant stage presence, her provocative outfits, and her trademark phrase...
were at one time part of their roster. Bethlehem Music Company, which included Salsoul Records, Bethlehem Records
Bethlehem Records
Bethlehem Records was a record label based in New York and Hollywood founded by Gus Wildi in 1953. It was bought by King Records in the early 1960s....
(a jazz label) and others, was acquired by Verse Music Group in 2010.
History
The Cayre family had been involved in many entrepreneurial ventures before they stumbled upon manufacturing and distribution of 8-track tapes, which included Bethlehem RecordsBethlehem Records
Bethlehem Records was a record label based in New York and Hollywood founded by Gus Wildi in 1953. It was bought by King Records in the early 1960s....
, in the early 1970s. They had purchased some catalogs of Mexican music (mostly in the Mericana genre) to distribute, and inadvertently infringed the copyrights of CBS Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
by selling them in the United States. They mended fences with the major labels, and even acquired a sole license for North American distribution for some of CBS Latino catalog. This led to recording sessions that involved Bataan that were distributed by CBS. When the major label was unable to further market the music profitably, the rights reverted back to the Cayres and they were up and running in the record business proper. According to Ken Cayre, it was his exposure to the blossoming of early discothèques which gave him the idea to record music specifically for the dance market.
Salsoul released the first commercially available 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
, Double Exposure
Double Exposure (band)
Double Exposure is an American Disco era band hailing from Philadelphia, USA'Double Exposure’ are James Williams, Joseph Harris, Charles Whittington and Leonard ‘Butch’ Davis who were originally called ‘United Image’ back in the 1960’s...
's Ten Percent
Ten Percent (song)
In 1976, Salsoul Records released their eighth release, Walter Gibbons' remix of Double Exposure's disco song "Ten Percent"."Ten Percent" was the first commercially-available 12-inch single....
, in 1976. Salsoul Records also manufactured and distributed Gold Mind Records
Gold Mind
Gold Mind Records was the record label of guitarist Norman Harris, distributed via Salsoul Records.Many of the early Gold Mind tracks were amalgamated by DJ Walter Gibbons. These tracks date from the late 1970s; a couple of years later, Salsoul would revive some of the Gold Mind tracks like "Let...
' output. Salsoul was affected by The disco backlash
Disco Demolition Night
Disco Demolition Night was a promotional event that took place on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, during which a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field. It was held during the twi-night doubleheader baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and...
of 1979, but it was one of the few labels to survive after the death of disco. It continued to release new material until 1984 when the Cayre brothers shut down their recorded music operations to concentrate on the home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
business (such as GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
).
Revival
In 1992, Salsoul Records revived as Salsoul New Generation Records (also known as Double J Records). were an influence to revive Salsoul. Because of the resurgent interest prompted by Loleatta Holloway's "Love SensationLove Sensation
"Love Sensation" is the title of a 1980 song performed by American R&B singer Loleatta Holloway, taken from her album of the same name. The song was produced and written by Dan Hartman, arranged by Norman Harris, and mixed by Tom Moulton. It was a hit on the U.S...
", Black Box's "Ride On Time
Ride on Time
"Ride on Time" is a 1989 song recorded by band Black Box. It was later released on their debut LP Dreamland. The song was a chart success in many countries and a number-one hit in the UKand Ireland.-Music and lyrics:...
" & Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was a hip-hop group led by Mark Wahlberg. The Funky Bunch consisted of Wahlberg , Scott Ross , Hector Barros , Terry Yancey and Anthony Thomas...
's "Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations (Marky Mark song)
"Good Vibrations" is a 1991 dance song by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch from the album Music for the People and was released at the end of 1991. The song became a number-one hit in the US, Sweden and Switzerland.-Song information:...
" in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the label's catalogue has been digitally remastered. It is notably more popular in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
than in the United States.
However, a year later, it changed its name to Bethlehem Music Company, but it often uses Salsoul as an imprint. Today, Bethlehem Music Company focuses on releasing Salsoul & Bethlehem Jazz recordings.
The Name Salsoul
The label's name was conceived by artist Joe BataanJoe Bataan
Joe Bataan is a Filipino-African American Latin R&B musician from New York.- Early life and career :...
, who recorded some of the earliest sessions for the Cayre brothers (predating the label's formation). "Salsoul" was street lingo for the musical culture of urban Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
s who were absorbing African-American popular music and infusing into their own culture, as well as vice-versa. Bataan had chosen the name for an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
he made for the Cayre brothers.
The Philly Soul sound
As he admired the sound of the rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
that would come to be known as Philly soul, Ken Cayre hunted down the genre's best session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s. In particular, he started working with the key players behind Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
label and its predecessor/creative core: Gamble and Huff productions. Gamble and Huff
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
were in dispute with their key musicians over business matters, and Salsoul quickly put them under contract. Among these Philly soul artists tapped for Salsoul were Vince Montana (orchestral arrangements and vibes), Norman Harris
Norman Harris
Norman Harris was an American guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter associated with Philly soul. He was a founding member of MFSB and one-third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young...
(lead and rhythm guitar, arrangements, songwriting and production), Ronnie Baker (bass guitar, arrangement and production), Earl Young
Earl Young
Earl Verdelle Young is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics....
(drums and percussion), Bunny Sigler
Bunny Sigler
Walter "Bunny" Sigler is a pop and R&B songwriter and record producer who has done extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and who was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s. He is nicknamed "Mr...
and others. Baker and Young are now widely credited with crystallizing the sound and structure of a 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...
record.
Young's insistent use of the Hihat cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
made it easy for DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
to mix records in noisy clubs, as the high frequency of the cymbal stood out over the background noise and could be easily heard in the headphones of the DJ. Baker would plant his key bass notes on top of the kick drum of Young, making for a solid and thunderous bass sound. His widely-imitated signature style is best heard on the record Love is the Message
Love Is the Message
Love Is the Message is Misia's second studio album, released on January 1, 2000. It sold 1,349,650 copies in its first week, making it the 23rd highest debut in Japanese history, and peaked at #1 for two consecutive weeks...
by MFSB
MFSB
MFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the...
.
The Cayres also chose to record at the top-notch Sigma Sound studios in Philadelphia (one of the earliest facilities to install 24-track equipment and in possession of one of the most admired "live rooms" for accommodating small orchestras). This is why it is virtually impossible for the untrained ear to tell an MFSB recording from a Salsoul Orchestra recording (the key players, arrangers, and recording facility were the same). Many of the remixes and singles were mixed or recorded by Bob Blank at his Blank Tapes Studios in New York, using the then-new technology of automated mixing.
First Choice
Baker, Harris and Young had the girl groupGirl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
First Choice
First Choice (band)
First Choice was an American girl group vocal music trio from Philadelphia. The group produced the disco hits "Armed and Extremely Dangerous", "Smarty Pants", "The Player", "Love Thang", "Let No Man Put Asunder" and "Dr. Love". They were signed to soul label Philly Groove Records and to disco label...
under contract, and brought them along to Salsoul. Led by Rochelle Fleming, the group had moderate success on the Philly Groove label with Armed and Extremely Dangerous (which Salsoul acquired and would re-release amongst its classic catalogue in the 1990s - leading to the misconception that it was a Salsoul recording). For Salsoul, First Choice would record a string of classic disco anthems, most notably "Dr. Love" and "Let No Man Put Asunder", which still remains fashionable with urban DJs even twenty years after it was issued as a dance remix.
"Love Sensation" and Salsoul's Revival
Loleatta Holloway's "Love SensationLove Sensation
"Love Sensation" is the title of a 1980 song performed by American R&B singer Loleatta Holloway, taken from her album of the same name. The song was produced and written by Dan Hartman, arranged by Norman Harris, and mixed by Tom Moulton. It was a hit on the U.S...
", was produced by the late Dan Hartman
Dan Hartman
Daniel Earl "Dan" Hartman was an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for such songs as: "Free Ride", "I Can Dream About You", "Instant Replay", "Love Sensation", and "Relight My Fire", all of which had world-wide success.-Career:Born in Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg,...
and later sampled into "Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations (Marky Mark song)
"Good Vibrations" is a 1991 dance song by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch from the album Music for the People and was released at the end of 1991. The song became a number-one hit in the US, Sweden and Switzerland.-Song information:...
" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was a hip-hop group led by Mark Wahlberg. The Funky Bunch consisted of Wahlberg , Scott Ross , Hector Barros , Terry Yancey and Anthony Thomas...
as well as "Ride On Time
Ride on Time
"Ride on Time" is a 1989 song recorded by band Black Box. It was later released on their debut LP Dreamland. The song was a chart success in many countries and a number-one hit in the UKand Ireland.-Music and lyrics:...
" by House
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
pioneers Black Box. Black Box at first were reviled by fans of vintage Salsoul and Ms. Holloway herself, but after legal matters were settled, many lauded the Italian DJ group for exposing an entire new generation to the Salsoul Sound. It is doubtful the "second coming of Salsoul" in the 1990s would have ever occurred if not for Black Box's initial "borrowing" of Ms. Holloway's studio vamp. After an initial "white label
White label
White label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
" period (a now-common "trial release" for a dance recording that is often unhindered by legal clearance for any samples it contains), Black Box had legally acquired the license to Mr. Hartman's composition and the use of the Salsoul recording. Ms. Holloway's work has since been sampled frequently, and the ownership of publishing rights
Publishing rights
Literally, the right to publish a work.In the music industry, "publishing" is used as a catch-all shorthand for the administration of matters relating to the songwriter's and composer's share of income from a musical composition or recorded work....
for other recordings, most notably "Dreaming", has also been disputed.
Disco music received little in the way of serious historical study and documentation until the mid 1990s, when those studying the explosion of house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
began to seriously documents its roots. An early champion for the elevation of Salsoul's reputation was English DJ, producer, artist, and label executive Dave Lee (aka Joey Negro
Joey Negro
Dave Lee is a British DJ and house music producer, also known by the stage name Joey Negro. Lee was born on the Isle of Wight. He has released music under a variety of pseudonyms, including the name Jakatta...
), who himself had released several "borrowed" compositions under the moniker MDEMM (an ecstasy reference) beginning in late 1988: well ahead of Marky Mark and Black Box (late 1989 and 1990 respectively). He has since acquired the reputation of "chief historian of Salsoul" (though this title officially belongs to Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton is an American record producer, and originator of the remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single vinyl format.-Life and career:Thomas Jerome Moulton was born in Schenectady, New York, United States....
, who has the equivalent corporate position at Salsoul). Joey Negro has since remixed and contributed to the production of several re-issues from their back catalog.