Steed Records
Encyclopedia
Steed Records was a record label
founded by songwriter
-record producer
Jeff Barry
in 1967
in New York City
. The label was active until 1971
. It was first distributed by Dot Records
, then by Gulf+Western
's Famous Music
Group after it absorbed Dot.
Steed's main artist was singer-songwriter
Andy Kim
, whose biggest hit for the label was "Baby, I Love You
" (co-written and produced by Barry) in 1969. Other artists on the label included Robin McNamara
("Lay a Little Lovin' On Me") and The Illusion
("Did You See Her Eyes"). Barry and Kim's songwriting partnership was a cornerstone of the label's fortunes. Steed Records rode the wave of bubblegum pop
in the late Sixties and early Seventies, but when musical trends changed, Steed's sales fell off. Paramount Records
took over the label with Famous Music
taking over distribution.
Jeff Barry discontinued Steed Records when he relocated to California
in 1971. Kim's last two hits, "Rock Me Gently" and "Fire, Baby, I'm On Fire", appeared on Capitol Records
in 1974
. The Steed catalogue is today controlled by Universal Music Group
.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
founded by songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
-record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
in 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The label was active until 1971
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
. It was first distributed by Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
, then by Gulf+Western
Gulf+Western
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
's Famous Music
Famous Music
Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...
Group after it absorbed Dot.
Steed's main artist was singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Andy Kim
Andy Kim
Andrew Youakim, performing as Andy Kim, is a Lebanese Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter. He grew up in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. Kim is known for a number of hit singles that he released in the late 1960s and early 1970s such as "Rock Me Gently", which topped the US singles charts. In 1968,...
, whose biggest hit for the label was "Baby, I Love You
Baby, I Love You
"Baby, I Love You" is a pop song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, produced by Spector, and originally recorded in 1963 by The Ronettes...
" (co-written and produced by Barry) in 1969. Other artists on the label included Robin McNamara
Robin McNamara
Robin McNamara is an American singer, songwriter and musician.In 1963, while in tenth grade, McNamara formed a rock and roll group with a few school mates; they christened their band Robin and the Hoods, performing locally in the New England area with McNamara as the lead vocalist...
("Lay a Little Lovin' On Me") and The Illusion
The Illusion (band)
The Illusion were an American hard rock band from Long Island, New York. They released three full-length albums in the U.S., the first of which was also issued in the United Kingdom. All three albums were produced by the famous Jeff Barry. The group had one major hit in the U.S...
("Did You See Her Eyes"). Barry and Kim's songwriting partnership was a cornerstone of the label's fortunes. Steed Records rode the wave of bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
in the late Sixties and early Seventies, but when musical trends changed, Steed's sales fell off. Paramount Records
Paramount Records (1969)
Paramount Records was a record label started in 1969 by Paramount Pictures after acquiring the rights to the name from George H. Buck. The previous label with the same name had been unconnected to Paramount Pictures. The new Paramount label reissued pop releases by sister label Dot Records, which...
took over the label with Famous Music
Famous Music
Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...
taking over distribution.
Jeff Barry discontinued Steed Records when he relocated to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1971. Kim's last two hits, "Rock Me Gently" and "Fire, Baby, I'm On Fire", appeared on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1974
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
. The Steed catalogue is today controlled by Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
.