Bang Records
Encyclopedia
Bang Records was created by Bert Berns
in 1965
together with his partners from Atlantic Records
: Ahmet Ertegün
, Nesuhi Ertegün
and Jerry Wexler
(Gerald). The first letters of their names formed the label's name: BANG.
. Soon thereafter, Berns took sole control of the company. At Bang, Berns had an immediate string of hit records, including "I Want Candy
" by The Strangeloves
, "Hang on Sloopy
" by The McCoys
, "Brown Eyed Girl
" by Van Morrison
, and "Solitary Man" and Kentucky Woman
by Neil Diamond
.
took over management. She believed that arguments with Van Morrison had been the cause of her husband's death, and made things difficult for the Irish artist until Warner Brothers managed to untangle him from the Bang contract, though with some awkward conditions, such as giving Bang three original recordings a month for a year. Others in the industry blame arguments, artistic differences, and the ultimate loss of Neil Diamond, who was Bang's biggest artist. Diamond has said his departure from Bang had been over his direction as an artist, and away from his early "teenybopper" type of recordings that Berns favored, which led to Berns' refusal to release the more introspective "Shilo
" as a single, even though Diamond felt it was part of his development as an artist. Shortly after what was said to be a "tense" confrontation with Berns, Diamond departed Bang for Uni/MCA Records in 1968. By 1970, a few years after Berns' death, Diamond had racked up a few hits on the Uni
subsidiary of MCA
. That year, Bang finally released "Shilo" as a single, which promptly hit the Top 40 charts. Berns' young widow signed singer/songwriter Paul Davis
, who had a number of hit records in the 1970s and 1980s, including songs such as "Ride 'Em Cowboy", "I Go Crazy", "Sweet Life", and "Do Right". Ilene Berns also signed and developed R&B
acts Brick
("Dazz
") and Peabo Bryson
. Also in 1970, Ilene hired promotion man Eddie Biscoe to help run Bang Records. They eventually married.
.
In the early years, Bang did its own distribution. In 1979
, Bang was sold to CBS Records
, kept its identity as part of the CBS Associated unit until it was absorbed in 1982 by CBS's Columbia Records
unit. Over the years, two subsidiary labels were started: Shout Records
and Bullet Records
. While Sony Music owns the Bang Records catalog today, the Berns family still owns the music publishing operations. In 1979
, Columbia Records turned over control of Neil Diamond's Bang master recordings to the artist himself, at the time one of the label's hottest stars, who has remixed and re-released them several times over the years. Some workers moved to Rapp Records.
Bert Berns
Bertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
in 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
together with his partners from Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
: Ahmet Ertegün
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
, Nesuhi Ertegün
Nesuhi Ertegun
Nesuhi Ertegun was a Turkish record producer and executive of Atlantic Records and WEA International.-Background:Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Nesuhi and his family, including younger brother Ahmet, moved to Washington, D.C...
and Jerry Wexler
Jerry Wexler
Gerald "Jerry" Wexler was a music journalist turned music producer, and was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s...
(Gerald). The first letters of their names formed the label's name: BANG.
Forming the company
Berns had been staff producer at Atlantic Records for several years when the Atlantic chief executives and Berns set out to create a new independent labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
. Soon thereafter, Berns took sole control of the company. At Bang, Berns had an immediate string of hit records, including "I Want Candy
I Want Candy
"I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by The Strangeloves in 1965 that went to number 11 in the United States. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat.-Original version:...
" by The Strangeloves
The Strangeloves
The Strangeloves were the creation of an American songwriting/production team in the 1960s who were from New York, but pretended to be from Australia. Their biggest hits were "I Want Candy," "Cara-Lin" and "Night Time"....
, "Hang on Sloopy
Hang on Sloopy
"Hang on Sloopy" is a song by the pop group The McCoys which was #1 in America in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University...
" by The McCoys
The McCoys
The McCoys were a rock group that started in Union City, Indiana, in 1962.-Career:The original members, all from Union City, were guitarist Richard Zehringer , his brother Randy on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the...
, "Brown Eyed Girl
Brown Eyed Girl
"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
" by Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, and "Solitary Man" and Kentucky Woman
Kentucky Woman
"Kentucky Woman" is a 1967 song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. Another well-known version is the 1968 recording by Deep Purple....
by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
.
Death of Berns
When Berns died suddenly on December 30, 1967 as a result of a rheumatic heart condition, his wife Ilene BernsIlene Berns
Ilene Berns Born Cleveland, Ohio - record company director.Berns worked as a go-go dancer in New York City nightclubs before meeting her husband Bert Berns, the songwriter and record producer and founder of Bang Records...
took over management. She believed that arguments with Van Morrison had been the cause of her husband's death, and made things difficult for the Irish artist until Warner Brothers managed to untangle him from the Bang contract, though with some awkward conditions, such as giving Bang three original recordings a month for a year. Others in the industry blame arguments, artistic differences, and the ultimate loss of Neil Diamond, who was Bang's biggest artist. Diamond has said his departure from Bang had been over his direction as an artist, and away from his early "teenybopper" type of recordings that Berns favored, which led to Berns' refusal to release the more introspective "Shilo
Shilo (song)
"Shilo" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond.It was originally recorded in 1967 for Bang Records, but Diamond and Bang founder Bert Berns disagreed over Diamond's career path...
" as a single, even though Diamond felt it was part of his development as an artist. Shortly after what was said to be a "tense" confrontation with Berns, Diamond departed Bang for Uni/MCA Records in 1968. By 1970, a few years after Berns' death, Diamond had racked up a few hits on the Uni
Uni Records
Uni Records was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinct UNi logo, was established in 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen and developed by music industry veteran Russ Regan...
subsidiary of MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. That year, Bang finally released "Shilo" as a single, which promptly hit the Top 40 charts. Berns' young widow signed singer/songwriter Paul Davis
Paul Davis (singer)
Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music...
, who had a number of hit records in the 1970s and 1980s, including songs such as "Ride 'Em Cowboy", "I Go Crazy", "Sweet Life", and "Do Right". Ilene Berns also signed and developed R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
acts Brick
Brick (band)
Brick is a former American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", which was released in 1976.-History:...
("Dazz
Dazz (song)
"Dazz" was a hit song by R&B/funk band Brick. "Dazz" is a combination of disco and jazz. Released in 1976 from their Good High album, it would become their biggest hit, spending four weeks at the top of the R&B singles chart and reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles...
") and Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
. Also in 1970, Ilene hired promotion man Eddie Biscoe to help run Bang Records. They eventually married.
Development of the label
In 1971, Ilene moved Bang's base of operations from New York City to Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
In the early years, Bang did its own distribution. In 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
, Bang was sold to CBS Records
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, kept its identity as part of the CBS Associated unit until it was absorbed in 1982 by CBS's Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
unit. Over the years, two subsidiary labels were started: Shout Records
Shout Records
Shout Records was a record label subsidiary of Bang Records, active between 1967 until 1972. When Bang was sold to Columbia Records the masters of Shout were also transferred....
and Bullet Records
Bullet Records
At least three record labels with the name Bullet Records have existed.The earliest one was a record label based in Nashville, USA, which was started in 1945 by Jim Bulliet and C.V. Hitchcock. Bulleit was an early partner in Sun Records...
. While Sony Music owns the Bang Records catalog today, the Berns family still owns the music publishing operations. In 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
, Columbia Records turned over control of Neil Diamond's Bang master recordings to the artist himself, at the time one of the label's hottest stars, who has remixed and re-released them several times over the years. Some workers moved to Rapp Records.
Bang Records artists
- Paul DavisPaul Davis (singer)Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music...
- Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
- The Lost Souls
- The McCoysThe McCoysThe McCoys were a rock group that started in Union City, Indiana, in 1962.-Career:The original members, all from Union City, were guitarist Richard Zehringer , his brother Randy on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the...
- Sole Survivors
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
- Nigel OlssonNigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
- The StrangelovesThe StrangelovesThe Strangeloves were the creation of an American songwriting/production team in the 1960s who were from New York, but pretended to be from Australia. Their biggest hits were "I Want Candy," "Cara-Lin" and "Night Time"....
- BrickBrick (band)Brick is a former American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", which was released in 1976.-History:...
- David L Cook
- Peabo BrysonPeabo BrysonPeabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
- DerekJohnny CymbalJohnny Cymbal was a Scottish born American songwriter, singer, and record producer who had numerous hit records, including his signature song, "Mr...
- The K-OticsThe K-OticsThe K-Otics were a college band formed at Troy University in Troy, Alabama circa 1962.-History:Originally founded by members Joe Torrillo and Mike Johnson, the band solidified and began to make records with Tommy Mann and Ray Goss from Tallassee, Alabama and Marvin Taylor and Kim Venable from...