Post by soulselector on Apr 19, 2011 13:21:06 GMT
I have no idea if this has penetrated on y'all's side, but the greatest soul/blues label since STAX sustained a horrible blow Saturday by way of a tornado, directly striking their studio/office facilities. Fortunately no one was injured, but the building which held masters and archives was reduced to rubble.
Home to artists such as ZZ Hill(who realized his greatest success with the Jackson Mississippi imprint), Johnny Taylor, Bobby Bland, Tyrone Davis, Dorothy Moore, Shirley Brown, and an impressive body of gospel music, Malaco defines the concept of a Southern independent label focused on the music of its region. Founded in the late 60s, Malaco produced both Jean Knight's 'Mr. Big Stuff' & 'Groove Me' by King Floyd in the 70s, handing them over to larger companies to achieve national distribution, but by the early 80s Tommy Couch, Wolf Stephenson, and Couch's son Tommy Junior were no longer dependent on bigger labels to sell their best records; starting with Dorothy Moore's big record 'Misty Blue', they followed with the breakthrough of ZZ Hill's 'Down Home Blues', an enormous hit in black communities in the South & Mid-West. Soon Bobby Bland (Hill's greatest role model), along with Taylor & Little Milton were in the fold. From the early 80s on, the Couch family never looked back.
I've had the pleasure to have known the Tommy Couch Jr. & his father many years, and I have the greatest respect for two REAL Southern record men----as the line goes, they did it their way, and their way was to produce classy, deep soul/blues & gospel. I have no doubt they shall rebuild from the deadly winds that created a slew of tornadoes in the South that weekend, a weather onslaught that killed 45 people over two days throughout the region.
Home to artists such as ZZ Hill(who realized his greatest success with the Jackson Mississippi imprint), Johnny Taylor, Bobby Bland, Tyrone Davis, Dorothy Moore, Shirley Brown, and an impressive body of gospel music, Malaco defines the concept of a Southern independent label focused on the music of its region. Founded in the late 60s, Malaco produced both Jean Knight's 'Mr. Big Stuff' & 'Groove Me' by King Floyd in the 70s, handing them over to larger companies to achieve national distribution, but by the early 80s Tommy Couch, Wolf Stephenson, and Couch's son Tommy Junior were no longer dependent on bigger labels to sell their best records; starting with Dorothy Moore's big record 'Misty Blue', they followed with the breakthrough of ZZ Hill's 'Down Home Blues', an enormous hit in black communities in the South & Mid-West. Soon Bobby Bland (Hill's greatest role model), along with Taylor & Little Milton were in the fold. From the early 80s on, the Couch family never looked back.
I've had the pleasure to have known the Tommy Couch Jr. & his father many years, and I have the greatest respect for two REAL Southern record men----as the line goes, they did it their way, and their way was to produce classy, deep soul/blues & gospel. I have no doubt they shall rebuild from the deadly winds that created a slew of tornadoes in the South that weekend, a weather onslaught that killed 45 people over two days throughout the region.
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