Murray and the Slams

Watched Murray’s first round match at the French Open yesterday as he just squeezed through.  Whilst he should clearly be applauded for coming through what was undoubtedly a tough first rounder, seems to me it was largely down to the frailty of his opponent rather than an upswing in Murray’s performance.

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The Atlantic Label

Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records

A (Very) Brief History

Founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, Atlantic was the label that did most to popularise the breadth and depth of popular black music – jazz, soul and R’n’B. Initially set up as a jazz label, it moved into Rhythm and Blues in 1949 with the Stick McGhee recording ‘Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Doe’.

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Fire and Fury – An Independent Tale

Luck and business acumen combined and the emerging R&B scene ensured early success. Independent record producers started to visit the store and dalliances with Ahmet Ertegun (The Atlantic Label) coupled with the showcasing of demos of local talent convinced Robinson there was a future in independent record production. He cut his first record in November 1951 – Robin was the first label he set up, …

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The Goldwax Label and its Artists

Any cursory appreciation of the southern soul music genre usually points initially in the direction of Stax, Fame and Muscle Shoals. There are reasons for this of course, with those labels and studios pushing out some of the best popular music of the 20th century. Much less likely to receive recognition, but much loved by country soul buffs everywhere, is the output from the Goldwax label. …

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The Modern Records Story

Formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by Saul, Joe and Jules Bihari, Modern Records seemed much more inclined to do whatever it took to succeed commercially than many other labels of the period (e.g. Aladdin, King etc.). Having said that, although it had a few fairly substantial hits from 1954-1956, it never really consolidated its position, despite or perhaps because of its rather cavalier recording …

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