Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll, and jazz and comedy recordings, released on Chess and its subsidiary labels Checker and Argo/Cadet. The Chess catalogue is owned by Universal Music Group and managed by Geffen Records and Universal Music Enterprises.
Established and run by two Jewish immigrant brothers from what was then Poland, Leonard and Phil Chess, the company produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music canon. The musician and critic Cub Koda described Chess as "America's greatest blues label".
Chess was based at several locations on the south side of Chicago, initially at 4750 South Cottage Grove Ave. The most famous was 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, from May 1957 to 1967, In 1967, Chess relocated to a much larger building, the former home of Revere Camera Company at 320 E. 21st Street, the label's final Chicago home. Shortly before the death of Leonard Chess in 1969, the Chess brothers sold the company. The studio at 2120 South Michigan Avenue was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 16, 1990. In 1993 the building was purchased by Marie Dixon, the widow of Willie Dixon, and turned into a museum which opened in 1997.
The building is now the home of Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation.
This record is also known for the soundtrack of Rock, Rock, Rock!
History
Chess brothers' company
right|250px|thumb|The Chess Records logo, as featured on a [[Memphis Slim single]]
Leonard Chess bought a stake in Aristocrat Records in 1947 and slowly bought out other owners. The Chess brothers became the sole owners of the company in 1950 by buying out founder Evelyn Aron. They renamed the company Chess Records.
The first release from Chess was "My Foolish Heart", backed with "Bless You", by Gene Ammons, issued as a 78 RPM single in June 1950. It became the label's biggest hit of the year.
In 1951, the Chess brothers began an association with record producer Sam Phillips of the Memphis Recording Service (the forerunner of Sun Records). and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of its influence on rock and roll. Upon release, the record was attributed to Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, but the band was actually called Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. Howlin' Wolf's first release with Chess was "Moanin' at Midnight"/"How Many More Years", which both charted on the Billboard R&B charts, reaching 4 and 10 respectively. He stayed with Chess until his death in 1976, releasing hits like "Smokestack Lightning", "I asked for Water", and "Spoonful". In December 1955, they launched a jazz and pop label, Marterry, a name created from the first names of Leonard and Phil's sons, Marshall and Terry.
In the mid-1950s, the Chess brothers received two doo-wop groups by Alan Freed, the Coronets and the Moonglows; the former group was not very popular but the latter achieved several major crossover hits including "Sincerely", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.
In 1958, Chess began producing their first LP records which included such albums as After School Session by Chuck Berry, The Best of Muddy Waters, The Best of Little Walter, and Bo Diddley.
Chess Records was also known for its regular band of session musicians who played on most of the company's Chicago soul recordings, including the drummer Maurice White and the bassist Louis Satterfield, both of whom later shaped the funk group Earth, Wind & Fire; the guitarists Pete Cosey, Gerald Sims and Phil Upchurch; the pianist Leonard Caston, later a producer for Motown; and the organist Sonny Thompson. In 1962, Chess Records was sued by Peacock Records for recording their artists Reverend Robert Ballinger and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.
In 1969, Chess Records established a subsidiary label in the U.K., Middle Earth Records, which was distributed by Pye Records. The subsidiary specialized in Psychedelic rock and was a joint venture with the Middle Earth Club in London. The Middle Earth label released only four albums and about a dozen singles before it closed in 1970.
Chess moved to a larger building in 1968, located at 320 East 21st Street in Chicago. The facility housed a pressing plant & new home for Ter-Mar Studios. The company was briefly run by Marshall Chess, Leonard's son, in his position as vice president between January and October 1969 and then as president following its acquisition by GRT, before he went on to found Rolling Stones Records.
Under GRT and All Platinum
In early 1969, the Chess brothers sold the label to General Recorded Tape (GRT) for $6.5 million. In October 1969, Leonard Chess died and by 1972, the only part of Chess Records still operating in Chicago was the recording studio, Ter-Mar Studios. Following the sale of Chess to GRT, Phil left the label to run radio station WVON. In the 1970s, Chess Records and its publishing arm, Arc Music, were successfully sued by Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon for nonpayment of royalties due to them. Ter-Mar Studios continued to operate at the 320 E. 21st St. building until its closure in 1979.
In February 1997, MCA started releasing eleven compilation albums for the 50th anniversary of Chess Records.
In the 2000s, Universal's limited-edition reissue label, Hip-O Select, began releasing a series of comprehensive box sets devoted to such Chess artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry.
In July 2008, the 2008 Universal Studios fire burned down a warehouse filled with Universal Music Group recording masters, including many albums and songs released by Chess. These masters, by artists such as Chuck Berry, were "priceless" and irreplaceable; while UMG claimed at the time it had copies, later investigative reporting questioned this, with the truth emerging that all the masters were destroyed.
Chess Records was the subject of two films produced in 2008, Cadillac Records and Who Do You Love?. In addition to the Chess brothers, both films feature portrayals of or characters based on Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James. Cadillac Records was directed by Darnell Martin and features an ensemble cast including Adrien Brody (as Leonard Chess), Mos Def (as Chuck Berry), Beyoncé Knowles (as Etta James) and Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters). Who Do You Love was directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and stars Alessandro Nivola playing Leonard Chess "as a complicated, driven man, hard on both his musicians and his family, yet with a real love for some of America's greatest music." The world premiere of the latter film was at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 11, 2008.
Discography
Chess LP-1425 to LPS-1553 (1956–1970)
The original Chess LP series started with LP-1425 and included albums on both the Chess and the Checker labels. After 1437, the series was used exclusively for the Chess label; the Checker label switched to a 2970 series.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Catalog No.
! Album
! Artist
! Details
|-
|LP-1425
|Rock, Rock, Rock
|Various Artists
|soundtrack album for the motion picture of the same name featuring The Moonglows, Chuck Berry and The Flamingos
|-
|LP-1426
|After School Session
|
|
|-
|LP-1427
|The Best of Muddy Waters
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP-1428
|The Best of Little Walter
|Little Walter
|
|-
|LP-1429
|Oh! Suzy-Q
|
|
|-
|LP-1430
|Look! It's the Moonglows
|
|
|-
|LP-1431
|Bo Diddley
|
|
|-
|LP-1432
|One Dozen Berrys
|
|
|-
|LP-1433
|The Flamingos
|
|released on Checker
|-
|LP-1434
|Moanin' in the Moonlight
|Howlin' Wolf
|
|-
|LP-1435
|Berry Is on Top
|
|
|-
|LP-1436
|Go Bo Diddley
|
|released on Checker
|-
|LP-1437
|Down and Out Blues
|
|released on Checker
|-
|LP-1438
|House of the Blues
|
|compiles tracks from 1951–52
|-
|LP-1439
|Oldies in Hi-Fi
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1440
|Benny Rides Again
|
|
|-
|LP-1441
|Bunch of Goodies
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1442
|Soulful Saxophone
|
|
|-
|LP-1443
|In a German Beer Garden
| at the Organ
|
|-
|LP-1444
|Muddy Waters Sings "Big Bill"
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP-1445
|Jug and Sonny
| and Sonny Stitt
|
|-
|LP-1446
|Walkin' by Myself...and Other Blues Hits of the Past
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1447
|The Funniest Woman in the World: Moms Mabley Onstage
|
|
|-
|LP-1448
|Rockin' at the Hops
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1449
|At Newport 1960
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP-1450
|Have I Had You Before?
|
|
|-
|LP-1451
|The Trial
|
|
|-
|LP-1452
|Moms Mabley at the 'UN'
|
|
|-
|LP-1453
|The Loneliest Gal in Town
|
|
|-
|LP-1454
|John Lee Hooker Plays & Sings the Blues
|
|
|-
|LP-1455
|Memphis Slim
|Memphis Slim
|
|-
|LP-1456
|New Juke Box Hits
|
|
|-
|LP-1457
|Larry Williams
|
|
|-
|LP-1458
|Murray the K's Golden Gassers
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1459
|Fun
|
|
|-
|LP-1460
|"Moms" Mabley at the Playboy Club
|
|
|-
|LP-1461
|Murray the K's Blasts from the Past
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1462
|Pigmeat at the Party
|
|
|-
|LP-1463
|Moms Mabley at Geneva Conference
|
|
|-
|LP-1464
|Jimmy McCracklin Sings
|
|
|-
|LP-1465
|Chuck Berry Twist
|
|also released as More Chuck Berry
|-
|LP-1467
|Anything Goes with Pigmeat
|
|
|-
|LP-1468
|Big Bill Broonzy and Washboard Sam
| / Washboard Sam
|split album
|-
|LP-1469
|Howlin' Wolf
|Howlin' Wolf
|
|-
|LP-1470
|Murray the K's Gassers for Submarine Race Watchers
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1471
|The Best of Bobby Lester and the Moonglows
| and the Moonglows
|
|-
|LP-1472
|Moms Mabley Breaks it Up
|
|
|-
|LP-1473
|Rinky Dink
|
|
|-
|LP-1474
|Treasure Tunes from the Vault
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1475
|The World's Greatest Clown
|
|
|-
|LP-1476
|Dance Tunes from the Vault, Volume 2
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1477
|Young Men Si, Old Men No
|
|
|-
|LP-1478
|Groups of Goodies
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP-1479
|I Got Somethin' to Tell You
|
|
|-
|LP-1480
|Chuck Berry on Stage
|
|
|-
|LP-1481
|Slappy White at the Club Harlem
|
|
|-
|LP-1482
|The Funny Sides of Moms Mabley
|
|
|-
|LP-1483
|Folk Singer
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP-1484
|Open the Door Richard
|
|
|-
|LP-1485
|Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits
|
|
|-
|LP-1486
|Moms Wows
|
|
|-
|LP-1487
|The Best of Moms and Pigmeat Volume One
| / Pigmeat Markham
|split album
|-
|LP/LPS-1488
|St. Louis to Liverpool
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1489
|Full Bloom
|
|
|-
|LP-1490
|The Blues Soul of Johnny "Guitar" Watson
|
|also released as I Cried For You
|-
|LP-1491
|Groups of Goodies Volume 2
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1492
|Shades of a Genius
|
|
|-
|LP-1493
|Mr. Funny Man
|
|
|-
|LP-1494
|Up Tight
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1495
|Chuck Berry in London
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1496
||I Do Love You
|
|
|-
|LP-1497
|The Men in My Life
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1498
|Fresh Berry's
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1499
|Unbelievable
|
|also released as Summertime
|-
|LP-1500
|This'll Kill Ya!
|
|
|-
|LP-1501
|The Real Folk Blues
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP-1502
|The Real Folk Blues
|Howlin' Wolf
|
|-
|LP-1503
|The Real Folk Blues
|
|
|-
|LP-1504
|One More Time......
| / Pigmeat Markham
|split album
|-
|LP/LPS-1505
|If You Can't Be Good, Be Careful!
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1506
|The Comeback
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1507
|Muddy, Brass & the Blues
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1508
|The Real Folk Blues
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1509
|More Real Folk Blues
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1510
|The Real Folk Blues
|Memphis Slim
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1511
|More Real Folk Blues
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1512
|More Real Folk Blues
|Howlin' Wolf
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1513
|Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1514D
|Chuck Berry's Golden Decade [2xLP]
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1515
|Mr. Vaudeville
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1516
|The Baroques
|
|
|-
|LP-1517
|Save Your Soul, Baby!
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1518
|Sax and the Single Girl
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1519
|Wayne Cochran!
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1520
|Petal Pushers
|Various Artists
|The Bystanders - Royal Blue Summer Sunshine Day; Sounds Around - Red White And You; Pennsylvania Sixpence - Love Of The Common People; Ali Ben Dhown - Mustapha; Pinkerton's Colours - MUM And DAD; The Bystanders - Make Up Your Mind; The Traffic Jam - Almost But Not Quite There; Tony Crane - Anonymous Mr. Brown; Ali Ben Dhown - Turkish Delight; The Bystanders - Pattern People.
|-
|LP/LPS-1521
|Backstage
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1522
|Heavy Heads
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1523
|Here Come the Judge
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1524
|The Last Request
| and Operation Breadbasket
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1525
|Moms Mabley Breaks Up the Network
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1526
|Tune Me In
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1527
|I Left My Blues in San Francisco
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1528
|Heavy Heads Voyage 2
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1529
|The Hustlers
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1530
|Moms Mabley Sings
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1531
|Fathers and Sons
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1532
|Koko Taylor
|
|
|-
|LP-1533
|Blues from Big Bill's CopaCabana
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1534
|Pigmeat's Bag
|
|
|-
|LP-1535
|Hate to See You Go
|Little Walter
|Chess Vintage Series
|-
|LP-1536
|Bummer Road
|
|Chess Vintage Series
|-
|LP-1537
|Whose Muddy Shoes
| / John Brim
|Chess Vintage Series
|-
|LP-1538
|Door to Door
| / Otis Rush
|Chess Vintage Series
|-
|LP-1539
|Sail On
|Muddy Waters
|Chess Vintage Series reissue of Chess LP-1427
|-
|LP-1540
|Evil
|Howlin' Wolf
|Chess Vintage Series reissue of Chess LP-1434
|-
|LP-1544
|Pop Origins Volume One
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1545
|Moogie Woogie
|
|
|-
|LP/LPS-1546
|Souled Out
|Various Artists
|
|-
|LPS-1547
|Billy Stewart Remembered
|
|
|-
|LPS-1548
|Just a Taste
|
|
|-
|LPS-1549
|On the Case
|
|
|-
|LPS-1550
|Back Home
|
|
|-
|LPS-1551
|Black Merda
|Black Merda
|
|-
|LP-1552
|Rocky Roberts
|
|
|-
|LP-1553
|They Call Me Muddy Waters
|Muddy Waters
|
|-
|}
Chess Vintage Series
The Chess Vintage LP series started with LP-407 and featured 9 albums released in 1970/71 with an additional three albums released in 1975.
{| align="center" class="wikitable sortable" bgcolor="#cccccc" |
! Catalog number !! Title !! Artist
|-
|Chess CH-50001
|Another Dimension
|
|-
|Chess CH-50002
|Message to the Young
|Howlin' Wolf
|-
|Cadet CA-50004
|Freedom Means
|
|-
|Cadet CH-50005
|Great Female Soul Vocalists
|Various Artists
|-
|Cadet Concept CC-50006
|Hey, Love
|The New Rotary Connection
|-
|Cadet CA-50007
|Occasional Rain
|
|-
|Chess CH-50008
|San Francisco Dues
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50009
|Mystical Lady
|
|-
|Cadet Concept CC-50010
|Oh What a Lovely War
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50011
|Swahili Strut
| Sextet
|-
|Chess CH-50012
|Live at Mr. Kelly's
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Chess CH-50013
|Greatest Hits
|Little Milton
|-
|Chess CH-50014
|Power and Light
|Power & Light
|-
|Chess CH-50015
|Live and Cookin
|Howlin' Wolf
|-
|Chess CH-50016
|Where it All Began
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50017
|The Dells Sing Dionne Warwick's Greatest Hits
|
|-
|Chess CH-50018
|Basic Soul
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50019
|What Color Is Love
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50020
|The Groover
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50021
|Sweet as Funk Can Be
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-50022
|The Best of the Soulful Strings
|
|-
|Chess CH-50023
|Can't Get No Grindin
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Cadet CA-50024
|Check This Out
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50025
|Lean on Me
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50026
|Mr. Bojangles
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-50027
|This Is My Story
|
|-
|Chess CH-50029
|The London Bo Diddley Sessions
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-50030
|The Golden Age of Rhythm and Blues
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess CH-50031
|Love More Than Pride
|
|-
|Chess CH-50032
|Ghettos of the Mind
|Bama the Village Poet
|-
|Chess 2CH-50033
|Fathers and Sons
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Cadet CA-50034
|Teardrops in the Rain
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-50035
|Inspiration
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50036
|Superstition
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50037
|Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-50038
|It Was a Very Good Year
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-50039
|I Cover the Waterfront
|
|-
|Chess CH-50040
|Come and Get Me
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50041
|I Just Can't Help Myself
|
|-
|Chess CH-50042
|Etta James [a.k.a. Only a Fool]
|
|-
|Chess CH-50043
|Bio
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50044
|Songs for Ageing Children
|
|-
|Chess CH-50045
|The Back Door Wolf
|Howlin' Wolf
|-
|Cadet CA-50046
|The Dells
|
|-
|Chess CH-50047
|Big Bad Bo
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50048
|While My Guitar Gently Weeps
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50049
|Atlantis
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50051
|The Fourth Dimension
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50052
|In the Cut
|
|-
|Chess CH-50053
|You Can All Join In
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-50058
|Solid Ivory
|
|-
|Cadet CH-50059
|Cross My Heart
|
|-
|Cadet CA-50060
|Satan
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-60000
|Laugh Time
| and Pigmeat Markham
|-
|Cadet CA-60001
|Back to the Roots
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60002
|Charlie Parker Memorial Concert
|Various Artists
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60003
|Rock Bottom
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess 2CH-60004
|Peaches
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-60005
|Got My Own Bag of Tricks
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-60006
|McKinley Morganfield A.K.A. Muddy Waters
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60007
|Ha' Mercy
|
|-
|Chess CH-60008
|The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions
|Howlin' Wolf
|-
|Chess 2CH-60009
|Moms and Pigmeat
| and Pigmeat Markham
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60010
|Everything 'Bout Sax and Flute
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-60011
|Mad Man's Blues
|
|-
|Chess 2CH-60012
|Chicago Blues Anthology
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess CH-60013
|The London Muddy Waters Sessions
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Chess 2CH-60014
|Boss Blues Harmonica
|Little Walter
|-
|Chess 2CH-60015
|Blues Rock Cookbook: Montreux Festival
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess 2CH-60016
|Chester Burnette A.K.A. Howlin' Wolf
|Howlin' Wolf
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60017
|The Heatin' System
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60018
|Inside
|
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60019
|Cool Cookin'
|
|-
|Chess CH-60020
|The London Chuck Berry Sessions
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60021
|12 X 6 The Hard Way
|Various Artists
|-
|Cadet CA-60022
|12 X 6 The Easy Way
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess 2CH-60023
|Chuck Berry's Golden Decade Volume 2
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60024
|12 X 6 Volume 3
|Various Artists
|-
|Cadet CA-60025
|12 X 6 Volume 4
|Various Artists
|-
|Chess 2CH-60026
|London Revisited
|Howlin' Wolf / Muddy Waters
|-
|Cadet CA-60027
|The Dells vs. The Dramatics
| / The Dramatics
|-
|Chess 2CH-60028
|Chuck Berry's Golden Decade, Volume 3
|
|-
|Chess CH-60029
|Come a Little Closer
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60030
|The Mighty, Mighty Dells
|
|-
|Chess CH-60031
|"Unk" in Funk
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Chess CH-60032
|Chuck Berry
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60033
|Got to Get Your Own
|
|-
|Chess CH-60034
|American Gypsy
|American Gypsy
|-
|Chess CH-60035
|The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album
|Muddy Waters
|-
|Chess CH-60036
|The Dells Greatest Hits, Volume 2
|
|-
|Chess CH-60037
|Black Caucus Concert
|Various Artists
|-
|Cadet 2CA-60038
|Early Visions
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60039
|Magnetic Feel
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60040
|Never Can Say Goodbye
|
|-
|Chess CH-60042
|Music to Make Love By
|
|-
|Cadet CA-60044
|We Got to Get Our Thing Together
|
|}
References
External links
- Chuck Berry Collector's Guide - Jack Wiener and the Sheldon Recording Studios
- Marshall Chess in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' August 2010
- Jack Weiner
- The Chess Story, by Mike Callahan and David Edwards
- Chess Records at history-of-rock.com
- Chess Records in the Encyclopedia of Chicago
- Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation
- Chess Records: How Two Polish Brothers Made Music History
- Chess Records on the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project