Blue Rock Records was a subsidiary of Mercury Records

Mercury Records

Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

, and like their parent, based in Chicago between 1964 and 1969.

Despite their name, they didn't release blues or rock, concentrating almost exclusively on soul music

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

, with a fair number of the singles echoing Chi-town styles popularized by Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...

 and other local producers and writers.

Highlights included a version of "Mustang Sally

Mustang Sally

Mustang Sally can refer to*Mustang Sally , written by Mack Rice and recorded by Wilson Pickett*Mustang Sally , a 2006 horror movie*Salvatore "Mustang Sally" Intile, a minor character on The Sopranos...

" by its author, Sir Mack Rice

Mack Rice

Mack Rice , is a American songwriter, whose compositions have been performed by many well-known artists, including The Staple Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, Shirley Brown, Rufus Thomas, Etta James, Billy Eckstine, Eddie Floyd, Buddy Guy, The Rascals, Wilson Pickett,...

.

Big names past their hit-making prime, such as (The Shirelles

The Shirelles

The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...

), (The Chi-Lites

The Chi-Lites

The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...

), and in experimental phases (bluesmen Junior Wells

Junior Wells

Junior Wells , born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., was an American Chicago blues vocalist, harmonica player, and recording artist...

 and Junior Parker

Junior Parker

Junior Parker was an American Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth"...

), cut records for the label.

The best known Blue Rock Records artist was Dee Dee Warwick

Dee Dee Warwick

Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....

.

Otis Leavill, Tony Diamond, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Little Rose Little, Big Tim & The Empires, Janeen Henry, Big Frank & The Essences, Johnny Moore, Kenny Carlton, Bobby Hutton, The Commotions, Brothers Of Love, Johnny & Jake, Shirley Wahls & Spouse, Renaldo Domino and Dizzy Jones were also on the roster.

The 90's 2-CD collection of the label's output Lost and Found: The Blue Rock Records Story, is out of print but is still available used.