Jihad Productions (1968)

I thought this would be a somewhat appropriate counterpoint to yesterday's label. Nothing too complicated in terms of design. Orange is my top color. Unfortunately the scan isn't quite up to snuff in terms of capturing the brightness. I do appreciate how there appears to be an attempt at centering all the text, but the song titles are off by a good quarter inch at least. But what song titles they are. For a taste of what this sounds like, you can check out this fanmade YouTuber of "Beautiful Black Women."

I did some digging on Jihad Productions -- it's a hell of a name and not one I'd imagine would really go over so well these days. From what I understand poet Amiri Baraka aka LeRoi Jones (he's in the center on the cover) started this label but then only released three albums. Soul & Madness was the third. The second, A Black Mass, is one I've been searching for since I was in high school because this one old head at the local record store who managed for Sam Rivers was always getting me hyped about obscure Sun Ra records. I picked this up on the cheap at a D.C. flea market along with a handful of free jazz and Angela Davis LPs. Soul and madness for sure.

Brunswick (1969)

This reminds me of the really classy Decca label from the early 70's.

Young & Holt played on some classic Ramsey Lewis albums before forming their own group.

Lizard (1969)

It's called Lizard, but the mascot is a cat. A cat named Lizard? A lizard-cat? Either way, it's a great logo.

This record is an awesome piece of funky instrumental soul. Humphrey wrote a book called "No. 1 Soul Drums," so you know he's not kidding around. Check out "Detroit" for extra-exciting drums.

CNC Spring Update

Collector Not Completist is on temporary hiatus - back soon with more fantastic labels!

Chimneyville (1977)

Chimneyville was an imprint of Malaco records, a soul outfit from Jackson, Mississippi. I first saw this nice bricked-up label on a grimy King Floyd 45 I found at a thrift store in Alabama. Man did King Floyd jam me out. I was just getting into southern soul, and that 45 felt so good, like James Brown had run headlong into a nasty, smoked-out, reggae-flavored Stax session. Anyway, this is not that record, but it's a much cleaner label than that King Floyd joint, which looked like it was used for target practice.

Cadet (1968)

When I'm looking for a one way ticket to my happy place, I pull out this record. And just before I put the needle to it, I admire its label's tricolor font, blue gradient background and amazing radial stallion/sun logo.

(Note: I just found Alexander's post of an almost identical label. I almost took my post down, but I decided that the subtle differences between the two labels are worth noting--I much prefer the more muted colors of the Cadet font here, and I think the logo pops a little more as a filled-in shape rather than an outline. Still, I absolutely agree with Alexander that an ideal Cadet records label would be nothing more than "that logo, printed large and crisp, spinning around.")

Back Beat (1970)

This Back Beat label is one of my favorites. I'm a fan of hand-drawn fonts, and this one is great. I also like the subtle shading of the shadow of the sticks.

A few years ago I found a trove of Southern soul 45s at a thrift store in Alabama, which introduced me to a lot of Stax and Hi artists. When I dropped the needle on this O.V. Wright record I was instantly hooked on him, as well as on the producer of this, Willie Mitchell. Wright was later on Hi, but at this point he was working with Willie Mitchell and putting out records on this label Back Beat from Houston. This track is a real funky jam too.

Buddah (1969)

The Buddah text and icon along the bottom are one of my favorite label layouts. The trippy background really makes this one. Funny that this is a soul compilation, but is graphically styled like a far-out pysch head trip.

Hi (1978)

Now here's a nice design. I love seeing labels where the printed artwork plays off the turntable spindle.

A couple of years ago I got on an Al Green kick, and then started looking for any Willie Mitchell albums I could find. Based on the late date, I assumed that this O.V. Wright album would be some disco-funk. Boy was I wrong. This one sounds like disco never happened, crisp Hi records sound. It's remarkable that Mitchell kept up the classic Memphis Sound production for as long as he did. Great record, amazing cover photo too.

Hot Wax (1971)

I like this one a whole lot. There is something ominous going on here: the 'hot wax' name and the words When Will it End placed between the flame-like waves in the background. Cool stuff.

Sussex (1972)

This is my last post. I have Alexander to thank for my love of Mr. Withers and this Sussex design is completely amazing.

Motown Record Corporation (1968)

Shout out to my mom for this one.

Magic Touch

The only piece I scored out of a big ole box of 45s at a Salvation Army store that used to be on the south side of Richmond, Va. I figured 25 cents for a track with the hardass title "Kill the Pain" on a label that had a bow-tie-wearing rabbit performing his own trick (he is holding the wand after all) from a top hat wasn't a huge gamble. I'm not sure what sort of sleight of hand this wascal is up to -- he doesn't appear to be pulling himself out of the hat like Bugs Bunny would do.

I tossed this in a big ole box of booty (which was mainly kids' records, old Casio keyboards and satin Starter jackets) from my day of scouring the thrift store circuit. I got home that night, flipped my wig over how raw and good this scratchy single sounds, and then, for what it's worth, flipped my wig again when I recognized the "Oh baby you got me hurting / I want you to kill / Kill the pain" lyric from, strangely enough, a Depeche Mode remix. Well, maybe it's not such a koinky dink given that the remix was done by one DJ Shadow. Anyhoo. This baby is a blarer with some knocking drums, bouncing bass line and James Brown-ish inflections. Junior is the sort of guy that gives orders, but at least he's nice about it. The non-plug side is another blunt plea: "Please Make Love to Me."

Enterprise (1968)

Enterprise (1969)

This copy of Hot Buttered Soul is pretty banged up, but the Enterprise font and logo is nice. Enterprise was part of Stax Records that released Isaac Hayes-related albums.

Chess (1972)

This later Chess label makes me think of Lion-O from Thundercats.

GRT (1970)

GRT (General Recorded Tape) bought Cadet in 1969, which meant they got to put out all of the Chicago talent on this classic soul album - Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, Phil Upchurch, Maurice White. As much as the classic Cadet logo and design has my heart, I have to admit that I also really dig the businesslike GRT logo.

Charles Stepney is one of my favorites. This album carries forward a noticeable soft-psych pop vibe from the Riperton's previous band, The Rotary Connection, but with a strong soul flavor. Overall it's a really satisfying listen, but it veers into moments of saccharine indulgence that I suspect inadvertently capture what was going on culturally at the time. Take for example the opening track Les Fleurs. The opening bars are understated, groovy and downright sublime. The first time I heard those opening 10 seconds of this album, I thought it might be the best piece of music I ever heard. Minnie's famous voice is impressive, but by the time it hits the first crescendo at about 1:30, I'm reaching for the volume knob. Whoa! Let's cool out a minute. The track pulls itself together with a catchy "la-la-la" ending that always sticks in my head. I think this track pretty well sums up what's going on with the big picture of the album. Killer talent, amazing moments of arranging and musicianship, but a nagging feeling that ambition is getting the best of the whole exercise. This is 1970, the 60's are over.

"The 80's will trash the 70's for garbaging the 60's." - Ed Sanders, Fame and Love in New York

Volt (1972)

Volt was part of Stax Records, and put out Otis Redding's music. The Bar-Kays are on a kind of groovin instrumental soul-rock flavor. They were Redding's backing band, sort of the other Stax house band besides Booker T. This is the second incarnation of the band.