Atlantic Records, USA – Part One
Atlantic Records History
Atlantic Records is one of those companies with slightly more interesting origins than some. The Ertegun family were
Atlantic Records logo
Turkish residents in the United States and following the death of their ambassador father, Munir, the remaining members of the family were faced with the choice whether to stay or head back to Turkey.
Two brothers, Nesuhi and Ahmet, decided to stay while their mother and sister returned to Turkey. During their stay in the United States, Nesuhi and Ahmet had become jazz and blues fans, accruing thousands of 78rpm records. It was Ahmet who conceived the idea of a records label, persuading some wealthy friends to invest in his new venture and in October 1947 Atlantic Records came into existence.
The company was originally headquartered at The Ritz Hotel in Manhattan until the rent proved prohibitive and a cheaper venue was found. It was no one-man business right from the beginning and Ertegun, Herb Abramson and Francine Wakschal all contributed to the stability of Atlantic Records in the early days. Wakshcal in particular gained a reputation for ruthless treatment of artists when it came to advances and the like. She would remain with the company for the next 49 years.
Ahmet Ertegun (right)
It wasn’t until 1948 that Atlantic released it’s first recordings, two of which were Joe Morris’ ‘The Spider’ and Tiny Grimes ‘That Old Black Magic’; jazz productions that would characterise the first of Atlantic. Atlantic’s formation also coincided with the American Federation of Musicians announcing a ban on union members undertaking recording. Atlantic Records responded by recording and stockpiling enough vinyl to last for a year.
A. Nugetre – songwriter
Atlantic Records fist big breakthrough came in 1949 with the re-release of Stick McGhee’s ‘ Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee’ after McGhee’s original label had gone under. At the same time however, Ergetun began writing songs under the anagrammatic pseudonym A Nugetre. He would record them in one of the public recording booths in Times Square before handing them over to the artist or arranger to perfect.
Atlantic Records signing of Ruth Brown was another market on their road to success; the story is an interesting one – on her way from Washington to New York to audition for Ertegun and Abramson, she was injured in a car crash from which she took nine months to recover. Faith in her ability was so great however that Atlantic Records supported her financially during this period, eventually signing her when the time was right. She repaid them by becoming arguable the most prolific recording artist on Atlantic’s books during the 1950s, earning the label the name ‘The House That Ruth Built’. Releases such as ‘So Long’, ‘(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean’ and Teardrops From My Eyes’. The latter was Atlantic’s first million selling release.
In 1951, Atlantic Records began to press 45 rpm records of which the first release was ‘Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere’ by Joe Morris, one of the labels earliest signings. 1952 brought Ray Charles to the label who provided Atlantic with a string of hits; he was followed by another notable artists such as The Drifters and The Clovers.
Part Two follows…..