Atlantic Label Info and Listing Pete Smith

Atlantic - by Pete Smith First on Soul Source in 1997

ATLANTIC

The legend that is Atlantic Records was founded in New York in 1947, and immediately went out on a limb by specialising in discs aimed at the black R & B market as opposed to the white pop market. It hit the R & B charts in a big way in the early 50's with the likes of The Chords, Laverne Baker, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown and The Drifters. Despite many of these artists recordings having their thunder stolen from under them by inferior white cover versions, the label had established a solid foundation, and with the signing of a major white star, Bobby Darin, it went into the 60's with confidence.

Those R & B classics from the 50's and early 60's are removed from the scope of this publication, so the discography here deals with records that could be classed as R & B but still have a discernible 'dance' rhythm. That's why you may find one recording by, say, Solomon Burke, but not another. This is, after all, a Northern Soul discography.

After initially leasing it's product to UK Columbia for a handful of (now very rare) releases, US Atlantic licensed all of it's product thereafter to London-American records, the set-up proving so successful that by 1960, Atlantic had been given it's own specialised logo (London-Atlantic, naturally). In 1964, Atlantic set up it's own individual label, staying with Decca for manufacturing and distribution purposes. This is the classic label for UK collectors. In May '66, the label signed up with Polydor, with whom it stayed until 1972 when it became part of the Kinney (Warner Bros.) set up, hence the 'K' prefix on post-1972 releases.

The 60's Atlantic labels look something like this: up until July 1964, releases were on London-Atlantic, black label with silver top. The 1964-66 releases under it's own logo were on a black label with silver lettering with a logo on the right of the label. 1966-71 labels were red with black lettering and a logo on the left. Originally these had solid or push out centres, but as the decade wore on, in line with most Polydor/Polygram labels, they were pressed as juke box copies i.e. without centres.

London-Atlantic demos follow the pattern of the main London label - see there for exact details. Demos for the black Atlantic label are yellow with black lettering in the Decca style (with slatted edging). Nearly all red label demos carry a simple datestamp; however, one or two of the very early releases have the release date printed in the lower right corner along with a small 'A'- these are very scarce indeed. A few items were custom pressed as demonstration only records (the very rare Led Zepplin singles spring to mind), and this information is printed on the label.

There are a few anomalies which may interest collectors.

AT 4029 Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long/Wonderful World. This single was not issued, though it's A side was released as AT 4039 with a different flip. It is not known whether demo copies exist.

AT 4065 Ben E.King - Goodnight My Love/Tell Daddy. This is one of the most curious of all British releases. As was par for the course, demo copies were issued of these tracks. However, on a minuscule amount of copies - two at the last count - Tell Daddy is replaced with the uptempo dancer I Can't Break The News To Myself, but with the labels either blank or handwritten. Naturally, this is one of the most sought after of all UK items. The track did appear as a single in other countries, but only on an EP - officially - in the UK. Such is the wonderful world of soul collecting.

AT 4054 Levon & The Hawks - The Stones That I Throw. This disc is unusual in that, according to rumour, every demo copy is one sided and with handwritten credits.

This group went on to become The Band.

584004 Following this release, The Capitols had to endure being called The Three Caps to avoid confusing them with the Irish group The Capitol Showband!

The main source of Atlantic's releases was the parent US company and it's Atco subsidiary, but you can also find releases from the following US labels:

Rosemart, Stax, Dial, Ara, Volt, Carla, Class and Dunwich. The Polydor distributed Atlantic cast it's net even wider and as well as the above gathered material from: Fame, Like, Jotis, Karen, Satellite (pre-Stax), Magic Touch, Cotillion, Dakar, San Francisco, and also issued some UK recordings, mainly by Sharon Tandy and The Fleur De Lys.

Most of the black Atlantic's are well known and you'll come across many classic sounds. However, the Polydor Atlantic's were under-promoted (even though there were several top 40 entries) and many disappeared without trace. Some of the late 60's red Atlantics are now being rediscovered and played as 'crossover' sounds, so there are probably still a few gems lurking around on those red labels. Much of the unsold stock ended up in Tesco bargain bins in the early 70's, selling for 10p each.

To look at all of the quality Atlantic sides would take a whole book (indeed there are already several books dealing with the Atlantic story), so here are 10 of the best from both the black label and the red.

BLACK ATLANTIC ESSENTIALS

4004 Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love/Looking For My Baby. The A side was already a legend when The Blue Brothers popularised it and turned it into every would-be Commitments' party piece. Unrivalled good time r'n'b. Stompers should check out the overlooked Looking For My Baby on the flip for some dance action.

4017 Travis Wammack - Scratchy. Another of those totally wacko instrumentals that the Northern scene is forever throwing up. This has been popular on and off for 30 years now and no one seems to know why. The title refers to Wammacks's guitar playing style, indeed the whole caboodle consists of him forcing unnatural high pitched squeals from his chosen instrument over a solid bassline. Half way through is a line of spoken gibberish, which is then played backwards and the first half is repeated. All this after an intro which seems to be the sound of a marble rolling around an empty tin bath!

4025 Ben E.King - The Record (Baby I Love You). Great song (also cut by H.B Barnum) concerning two lovers a thousand miles apart. The guy goes into a penny arcade and cuts this record to send to his long lost lover a la Dickie Attenborough's Pinky character in Brighton Rock, only Ben E.'s message is one of love rather than hate.

4036. Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour. Surely the archetypal cool 60's soul sound, and one which spawned hundreds of cover versions and imitations. One that absolutely everyone knows and which made no.12 in the charts in July '65. Wilson never bettered this one.

4037. Astors - Candy. A marvellous oldie from the US Stax label which did nothing on it's original release and was spun from the Twisted Wheel era onwards. A classic vocal group outing with brilliant horn riffs and a kitchen sink production, this is simply superb and one that you just never get tired of hearing. It was reissued due to demand in February '69.

4043. Ben E. King - Cry No More/There's No Place To Hide. Most of Ben's releases from 62 onwards have a good beat ballad feel to them. This is the best. Cry No More is good without being exceptional, but There's No Place To Hide has just about everything that the beat ballad connoisseur could ask for. The only thing that spoils it is the dreadful girl backing which sounds out of tune. Another 90's biggie.

4055. Patty LaBelle & Her Belles - All Or Nothing/You Forgot How To Love. This is yet another 90's rediscovery which, like so many of the records featured in this book, were rediscovered by a handful of collectors and publicised in Beatin' Rhythm magazine before going on to become big collectors records. Top side is a lilting beat ballad, while the pacier You Forgot.. is a fine Come See About Me soundalike which, if there was any justice, would have people dancing in the aisles.

4067. Mary Wells - Can't You See Your Losing Me. Brash, uptown New York soul from one of the greatest female singers of all time. As with her 20th Century material, this knocks the spots of most of her Motown work and only now is Mary's post-Motown work getting the recognition it deserves. Strangely, her best Atco recording, the stupendous Keep Me In Suspense, never found a UK release.

4071. Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You. Wonderful pop soul memory jerker which finally got it's just desserts when it charted on a Mojo reissue in 1971. Tami was rescued from obscurity and her Top Of The Pops performance of this number - sung live - still exists on video (well it does in my house anyway!)

4077. Esther Phillips - Just Say Goodbye. The Stafford era turned the Northern scene upside down by the fact that records that were sometimes barely danceable but supremely soulful replaced the out and out 100mph pop stompers typical of the Wigan era. The beat ballad became en vogue and people began to browse through their record collections and rediscovered literally thousands of quality mid paced sounds. These became known firstly as 'midtempos' and then 'beat ballads'. Esther's Just Say Goodbye was one such find, featuring her unique vocal stylings over a slowish rhythm which just oozes soul. Attaining monster proportions in the late 80's, this is now a firmly established classic and may just be the best of all the black Atlantic sides.

RED ATLANTIC HIGHLIGHTS

004. The Capitols - Cool Jerk/Hello Stranger. Cool Jerk was a well known and established classic, a great uptempo party number. However, as with the above Esther Phillips single, it's the flip side which grabs the attention nowadays, being a sublime cover of the Barbara Lewis classic which has that great Detroit sound stamped all over it and features one of the most heartfelt vocals ever put on record.

009. Vala Reegan & The Valarons - Fireman. A mystery artist and a very unusual choice for release in the UK, this was once so obscure that it was thought only to exist in the imagination of a handful of collectors. Red Atlantic copies are simply impossible to find, indeed this was a popular Emidisc choice in the mid-70's before a handful of US Atco copies started to appear. As for the record, it's a belting Herb Bernstein production out of New York, with a little girl vocal and unusual lyrics. Rumoured to have been issued on a local label before Atco.

028. Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - Sock It To 'Em J.B. A James Bond cash-in, this semi instrumental is a real powerhouse of 60's soul which has been popular on and off since it's release date. If this doesn't make you want to dance, then it's time to dust off your rocking chair.

032. Loretta Williams - Baby Cakes. A tremendous fast stomper recorded for Otis Redding's Jotis set up which did nothing on it's original release but is now quite sought after. Recording quality is pretty poor on the UK release.

035. Joe Tex - You Better Believe It Baby. A reactivated oldie which was massive in 1977, first for Keith Minshull and then for everyone else. At one time the price rocketed to £5, by which time it had been bootlegged. Easily Joe's best dancer and it's stop-start breaks make it tailor made for the Northern scene.

053. Art Freeman - Slipping Around. Another reactivation from 1977, bootleggers also stepped in to knock this one off the playlists but it's the second hardest release on the label after Vala Regan and is a wicked, low down tale of extra marital relations (I think) over a solid backbeat. Art is most probably the same person who recorded another great Northern dancer, You Got Me Uptight on the Jumbo label.

061. Barbara Lewis - I Remember The Feeling. Breezy skipping dancer which hit the big time in the early 80's. Remember the Channel 4 feature on the Morecombe Pier allnighters which used this as it's musical backdrop (no pun intended)?

116. Willie Tee - Walking Up A One Way Street. Some times a record is so good that mere words can't do it justice. This is one such record. Put quite simply, it's two and a half minutes of pure magic pressed onto vinyl. The song itself is superb, the vocal performance could not be improved on, and you can even sing along to it. Willie Tee, take a bow, you are a genius.

118. Soul Brothers Six - I'll Be Loving You. A minimal song over a repetitive guitar riff , obviously derivative of it's A side Some Kinda Wonderful, but this one hooks you and reels you in before you can even think of escaping! Absolute brilliance from 1967, and yet again, an early 90's rediscovery that spread like wildfire.

120. Darrell Banks - Angel Baby/Look Into The Eyes Of A Fool. The tragic figure of Darrell Banks has left a very big mark on soul music history, and even if he'd left us with just Open The Door To Your Heart he would be revered as a god. But he did better than that, recording a handful of singles and a couple of albums, very little, if any of which can be faulted. Angel Baby, previously recorded by Stevie Wonder, is an uptempo dancer of high quality, but the honours here go to Look Into The Eyes Of A Fool, a stunning midtempo gem. Again, as with many UK Atlantic pressings, sound quality is not perfect, but who cares, it's Darrell Banks for God's sake!

AT 4004 SOLOMON BURKE Looking for my baby / Everybody needs somebody to love 10/25

4006 DON COVAY Mercy mercy / Can't stay away 6/15

4009 RUFUS THOMAS Jump back / All night worker 6/15

4013 BARBARA LEWIS Pushin' a good thing too far / Come home 8/20

4014 SOLOMON BURKE The price / More rockin' soul 6/15

4017 TRAVIS WAMMACK Scratchy / Firefly 15/30

4018 BEN E. KING River of tears / Seven letters 6/15

4019 DRIFTERS At the club / Answer the phone 6/20

4023 DRIFTERS Come on over to my place / Chains of love 6/15

4024 OTIS REDDING Mr. Pitiful / That's how strong my love is 6/20

4025 BEN E. KING The record (baby I love you) / The way you shake it 6/15

4028 ESTHER PHILLIPS And I love him / Shangri-la 6/12

4031 BARBARA LEWIS Baby I'm yours / I say love 6/15

4033 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Outrage / Bootleg 6/15

4034 DRIFTERS The outside world / Follow me 8/20

4036 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / I'm not tired 4/25

4037 ASTORS Candy / i found out 20/45

4039 OTIS REDDING Respect / I've been loving you to long 5/20

4040 DRIFTERS Far from the maddening crowd / I'll take you where the music's playing5/12

4041 BARBARA LEWIS Make me your baby / Love to be loved 6/15

4042 JIMMY WILLIAMS I'm so lost / Walking on air 8/15

4043 BEN E. KING (There's) no place to hide / Cry no more 12/30

4049 BOCKY & the VISIONS I go crazy / Good good lovin' 7/15

4050 OTIS REDDING My girl / Down in the valley 4/20

4051 MAD LADS Tear maker / Don't have to shop around 10/20

4053 PAUL KELLY Chills and fever / Only your love 15/35

4054 LEVON & the HAWKS The stones that I throw / He don't love you 15/30

4055 PATTI LABELLE You forgot how to love / All or nothing 10/22

4056 DON COVAY See-saw / I never get enough of your love 6/15

4063 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Red beans and rice / Be my lady 6/15

4065 BEN E. KING I can't break the news to myself (demo only) 400

4067 MARY WELLS Can't you see you're losing me / It's magic 10/25

4068 BARBARA LEWIS Don't forget about me / Dear lover 8/15

4070 DEON JACKSON Love makes the world go round / You said you loved me 10/25

4071 TAMI LYNN I'm gonna run away from you / The boy next door 20/50

4075 JACKIE IVORY Hi heel sneakers / Do it to death 6/15

4076 GOOGIE RENE COMBO Smokey Joe's lala / Needing you 8/18

4077 ESTHER PHILLIPS Just say goodbye / I could have told you 25/55

4078 DON COVAY Sookie sookie / Watching the late late show 6/15

4079 MAR KEYS Philly dog / Honey pot 8/15

4080 OTIS REDDING (I can't get no) satisfaction / Any ole way 6/20

4081 JOE TEX If sugar was as sweet as you / The love you save 6/15

584003 SAM & DAVE Hold on I'm coming / I got everything you need 5/10

584004 CAPITOLS Cool jerk / Hello stranger 5/12

584006 WAYNE KEMP Little home wrecker / Watch that first little step 6/10

584008 BEN E. KING Don't drive me away / So much love 6/10

584009 VALA REEGAN & the VALARONS Fireman / Living in the past 120/160

584010 RUSSELL EVANS & the NITEHAWKS The bold / Send me some cornbread 8

584012 DEON JACKSON Love takes a long time growing / Hush little baby 8

584017 JIMMY HUGHES It's a good thing / Neighbour neighbour 8

584027 MIKE WILLIAMS Lonely soldier / If this isn't love 10

584028 REX GARVIN Sock it to'em J.B. / Part II 6

584030 OTIS REDDING I can't turn you loose / Just one more day 5

584031 LITTLE MAC & BOSS SOUNDS In the midnight hour / You can't love me (in the midnight hour) 7

584032 LORETTA WILLIAMS Baby cakes / I'm missing you 20

584035 JOE TEX You better believe it baby / I believe I'm gonna make it 10

584037 BARBARA LEWIS Make me belong to you / Girls need loving care 6

584038 MAD LADS Sugar sugar / Get out of my life woman 5

584039 WILSON PICKETT Land of 1000 dances / You're so fine 5

584041 EDDIE FLOYD Knock on wood / Got to make a comeback 5

584043 THREE CAPS I've got to handle it / Zig zagging 5

584052 HERBIE MANN Philly dog / Sunny (by Dave Pike) 10

584053 ART FREEMAN Slippin' around with you / Can't get you out of my mind 85

584054 MARY WELLS Such a sweet thing / Me and my baby 8

584055 PERCY SLEDGE Heart of a child / My adorable one 10

584056 DEE DEE SHARP Bye bye baby / My best friends man 15

584059 DON COVAY See-saw / Somebody's got to love you 5

584061 BARBARA LEWIS I remember the feeling / Baby what do you want me to do 25

584064 SAM & DAVE You got me hummin' / Sleep good tonight 5

584065 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Aretha 6

584066 WILSON PICKETT Mustang Sally / Three time loser 5

584067 RASCALS Too many fish in the sea / No love to give 5

584071 PERCY SLEDGE Oh how happy / It tears me up 5

584072 PATTI LABELLE Take me for a little while / I don't want to go on without you 6

584074 MAR-KEYS Last night / Night before 5

584080 PERCY SLEDGE Baby help me / You've got that something wonderful 6

584082 DON COVAY Shingaling 67 / I was there 5

584083 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Let's go steady 5

584088 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Green onions / Bootleg 5

584091 OTIS REDDING Respect / These arms of mine 5

584092 OTIS REDDING Mr Pitiful / My girl 5

584094 DON COVAY Sookie sookie / Mercy mercy 5

584097 REX GARVIN I gotta go now (up on the floor) / Believe it or not 8

584099 ALBERT KING Crosscut saw / Down don't bother me 6

584101 WILSON PICKETT Nothing you can do / Everybody needs someone to love 6

584102 JOE TEX Show me / A woman sees a hard time 6

584104 MARY WELLS Hey you set my soul on fire / Coming home 5

584106 BEN E. KING Tears, tears, tears / A man without a dream 5

584113 PERCY WIGGINS Book of memories / Can't find nobody to take your place 7

584115 ARETHA FRANKLIN Respect / Save me 5

584116 WILLIE TEE Walking up a one way street / Thank you John 20

584118 SOUL BROTHERS SIX I'll be loving you / Some kind of wonderful 25

584120 DARRELL BANKS Angel baby / Look into the eyes of a fool 20

584135 JIMMY HUGHES Time will bring you back / High heel sneakers 5

584143 ARTHUR CONLEY Love comes and goes / Whole lotta woman 5

584150 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Danger zone 5

584153 BARBARA LEWIS Hello stranger / Baby I'm yours 5

584155 BOBBY MARCHAN Get down with it / Half a mind 5

584159 DEON JACKSON Ooh baby / All on a sunny day 10

584174 BARBARA LEWIS Sho nuff (it's got to be your love) / Thankful for what I've got 5

584176 CLARENCE CARTER Looking for a fox / I can't see myself (crying about you) 5

584183 WILSON PICKETT She's looking good / We've got to have love 5

584184 BEN E. KING Forgive this fool / Don't take you love from me 10

584185 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Tighten up / Dog eat dog 6

584206 ARETHA FRANKLIN See-saw / I say a little prayer 5

584217 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS You're such a beautiful child / Can't stop dancing 5

584236 WILSON PICKETT Night owl / Hey Jude 4

584244 BAR-KAYS Soul finger / Knucklehead 4

584245 ASTORS Candy / I found out 8

584251 THREE CAPS Cool jerk / Hello stranger 8

584256 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Some kind of wonderful / Somebody else is lovin' my baby 7

584270 DYNAMICS The love that I need / Ice cream song 7

584277 MAJOR LANCE Follow the leader / Since you've been gone 5

584282 OTIS CLAY Baby Jane / You hurt me for the last time 50

584302 MAJOR LANCE Sweeter as the days go by / Shadows of a memory 5

2091 003 TYRONE DAVIS Turn back the hands of time / I keep coming back 5

104 DON COVAY See-saw / Mercy mercy 4

105 THREE CAPS Hello stranger / Cool Jerk 4

106 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Shake rattle and roll 4

109 EDDIE FLOYD Things get better / Knock on wood 4

133 BARBARA LYNN Take your love and run / Until then I'll suffer 8

136 ENTICERS Calling for your love / Storyteller 7

143 BARBARA LEWIS Some day we're gonna love again / Baby I'm yours 6

156 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Tighten up / I can't stop dancing / (There's gonna be a) showdown 5

K 10051 OTIS REDDING Respect / These arms of mine 4

/510082 BAR-KAYS Soul finger / Knuckle head 4/5

10104 PERCY SLEDGE Baby help me / When a man loves a woman / Love me like you mean it4/5

10105 REX GARVIN Sock it to 'em J.B. / Part 2 5/610107 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Aretha 4/5

10108 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Lets go steady 4/5

10109 BOOKER T & M.G.'s Green onions / Boot leg 4/5

10111 OTIS REDDING Mr Pitiful / My girl 4/5

10117 THREE CAPS Hello stranger / Cool jerk 4/5

10128 BARBARA LEWIS Some day we're gonna love again / Baby I'm yours 4/5

10129 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Danger zone 4/5

10144 PERCY SLEDGE Standing on the mountain / Rainbow road 4/5

10168 ESTHER PHILLIPS Catch me I'm falling / Release me 7/8

10179 HERBIE MANN Philly dog / Memphis underground / It's a funky thing 5/6

10204 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Some kind of wonderful / Check yourself 5/6

10205 CAPITOLS Ain't that terrible / Zig-zagging 4/5

10207 TYRONE DAVIS Turn back the hands of time / Can I change my mind / One way ticket 4/5

10210 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Here I go again / World without music 5/6

10211 MAJOR LANCE Follow the leader / Since you've been gone 4/5

10242 JOHNNY COPELAND Sufferin' city / It's my own tears 5/6

10254 MARY WELLS Can't you see your losing me / Dear lover 5/6

10263 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS (There's gonna be a) showdown / Tighten up 4/5

10272 PAUL KELLY Chills and fever / Only your love 5/6

10277 BILLY YOUNG The sloopy / Same thing all over 5/6

10278 JOE TEX Show me / I want to 5/6

10281 CLARENCE CARTER Looking for a fox / It's all in your mind 4/5

10321 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Land of 1000 dances 4/5

10389 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Land of 1000 dances / Funky Broadway 4/5

10390 OTIS REDDING I can't turn you loose / Satisfaction / Dock of the bay 4/5

10394 PECRY SLEDGE Baby help me / When a man loves a woman 4/5

10441 SONS OF ROBIN STONE Got to get you back / Love is just around the corner 5/6

10471 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Thank you baby for loving me / Some kind of wonderful 5/6

10481 JACKIE MOORE Both ends against the middle / Will power 5/6

10515 DON CONVAY See-saw / Mercy mercy 4/5

10551 SISTER SLEDGE Love don't go through no changes / Don't you miss him 5/6

10585 MAJOR HARRIS After loving you / Love won't let me wait 5/6

10599 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Another night with the boys 4/5

10617 TONY & TYRONE Please operator / Apple of my eye 5/6

10618 BEN E KING Drop my heart off / Happiness is where you find it 4/5

10676 SAM DEES Fragile, handle with care / Save the love at any cost 15/25

10700 DRIFTERS You've gotta pay your dues / Black silk 5/6

10723 SONS OF ROBIN STONE Got to get you back / Love is just around the corner 5/6

10879 DARRELL BANKS Angel baby / Look in th eyes of a fool 5/6

10894 ALFIE KHAN Law of the land / Woman 4/5