Great Soul Labels Hi, Ichiban, and Malaco

**daviddesper** · 04-18-2018, 12:34 AM

I assume that when most of us think of the classic soul music labels of the past and present, Motown first comes to mind, as it certainly should and I was as big a Motor City fan as anyone back in the day. I wore out many a transistor and car radio listening to the latest sounds out of Detroit!

But for my personal tastes, Motown reached its peak in the late 60s or early 70s. Once the careers of the Marvelettes and Vandellas faded and the Supremes fragmented into all their various incarnations, it was all over but the shouting for me. I just could not get into the electronic age, the more socially-conscious music of the 70s and 80s, and definitely not the funk rock of Rick James and that genre.

So my tastes from the 70s through the 90s led me to embrace the other three labels mentioned in my subject line. Do I have any support out there?

In alphabetical order, Hi was all about Ann Peebles for me. I did not discover her until later in her career, but once I did, I could not get enough. She put out a great body of work in the 70s, and although her 90s revival was short-lived, those two comeback albums were hot as well.

By the way in case it is not obvious by now, when it comes to listening to music, I LOVE the ladies, and Ichiban had some awesome ones, but again for such a short time or so it seemed. But what really made that label special in my opinion was the house band. Their backing of Trudy Lynn, Francine Reed, and a latter-day Millie Jackson was just indescribable. Listen sometime to Trudy's "Instant Breakfast" or "Anybody's Man Tonight", and just today I heard Francine's incredible version of the Canned Heat classic "Let's Work Together," which inspired this post.

Trudy by the way is still very active today and Francine released a new album about 2 or 3 years ago and still performs live in the Atlanta area I believe.

Then there was Malaco. As you all have learned about me over the years, I was obsessed with Denise LaSalle, and although her career spanned several other labels, she had by far her most creative and prolific success on that label. That is why I will be saddened if the label doesn't release SOMETHING as a tribute to her since it [[Malaco) does still exist. I wrote to them to ask if anything might be planned and sadly received no answer.

Thanks for allowing me this Tuesday night walk down Memory Lane and thanks ladies for all the great music!!!

**Bluebrock** · 04-18-2018, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by daviddesper

I assume that when most of us think of the classic soul music labels of the past and present, Motown first comes to mind, as it certainly should and I was as big a Motor City fan as anyone back in the day. I wore out many a transistor and car radio listening to the latest sounds out of Detroit!

But for my personal tastes, Motown reached its peak in the late 60s or early 70s. Once the careers of the Marvelettes and Vandellas faded and the Supremes fragmented into all their various incarnations, it was all over but the shouting for me. I just could not get into the electronic age, the more socially-conscious music of the 70s and 80s, and definitely not the funk rock of Rick James and that genre.

So my tastes from the 70s through the 90s led me to embrace the other three labels mentioned in my subject line. Do I have any support out there?

In alphabetical order, Hi was all about Ann Peebles for me. I did not discover her until later in her career, but once I did, I could not get enough. She put out a great body of work in the 70s, and although her 90s revival was short-lived, those two comeback albums were hot as well.

By the way in case it is not obvious by now, when it comes to listening to music, I LOVE the ladies, and Ichiban had some awesome ones, but again for such a short time or so it seemed. But what really made that label special in my opinion was the house band. Their backing of Trudy Lynn, Francine Reed, and a latter-day Millie Jackson was just indescribable. Listen sometime to Trudy's "Instant Breakfast" or "Anybody's Man Tonight", and just today I heard Francine's incredible version of the Canned Heat classic "Let's Work Together," which inspired this post.

Trudy by the way is still very active today and Francine released a new album about 2 or 3 years ago and still performs live in the Atlanta area I believe.

Then there was Malaco. As you all have learned about me over the years, I was obsessed with Denise LaSalle, and although her career spanned several other labels, she had by far her most creative and prolific success on that label. That is why I will be saddened if the label doesn't release SOMETHING as a tribute to her since it [[Malaco) does still exist. I wrote to them to ask if anything might be planned and sadly received no answer.

Thanks for allowing me this Tuesday night walk down Memory Lane and thanks ladies for all the great music!!!

You have my undivided support David. I loved, and still love the music these and other smaller labels put out. I cherish the glorious music that Johnnie Taylor put out on Malaco, and i agree with you that Denise LaSalle made her most memorable music for the label. I also loved Beverly Glen records. Who can forget Chapter 8, Anita Baker, the wonderful poet albums by Bobby Womack and of course Johnnie Taylor's wonderful effort for the label.