Chess
The history of Chess Records
"Chess Records" was an American record label from Chicago, specializing in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases. Operated from 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, the label produced many of the singles and albums now considered central to the development of rock music. Musician and critic Cub Koda described it as "America's greatest blues label".
The label's history began in 1947 when Leonard Chess joined Aristocrat Records financially and brought his brother Phil into the business in 1950, making them sole owners of the company and renaming it. In 1952, they alternatively started the " Checker Records " label, which was responsible for radio licenses. In 1955 they started the jazz and pop label "Marterry" which was later renamed "Argo Records" and finally "Cadet Records" to avoid confusion with the British classic label of the same name.During the 1950s, the brothers ran the company mostly on their own, but in 1960 they brought the legendary producer Ralph Bass on board, to whom they entrusted the gospel music. 1958 saw their first production on record, including albums such as "The Best of Muddy Waters", "Best of Little Walter", and "Bo Diddley".
In 1969 they sold the rights to General Recorded Tapes. Leonard died in October of the same year.
Although Chess Records produced many successful "R&B number ones" and "major pop hits" over the years, their big breakthrough came in 1972 when they produced Chuck Berry's "My Ding-A-Ling", a live recording from Manchester, England. This also heralded an end of sorts for the Chess label, as GRT had moved to New York and was now operating ChessRecords as a branch of "Janus Records". In 1975, GRT sold what was left of the company to New Jersey's All Platinum Records.
When Leonard's son Marshall discovered in 1980 that much of the Chess catalog was no longer available on the market, he convinced Joe and Sylvia Robinson, who ran All Platinum, to reissue the works under his supervision.
In 2008, two films about the history of the label were released: "Cadillac Records" and "Who Do You Love?"
