How Chess Records Helped Develop Chicago Blues
In the early 1950s, Chess Records was founded in Chicago by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess. The label quickly became a leading force in the city’s burgeoning blues scene, helping to launch the careers of artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Willie Dixon.
While the Chess brothers were not the first to record the blues, they were instrumental in shaping the sound of Chicago blues. Their approach emphasized the rough-and-tumble aspects of the music, which spoke
The Birth of Chess Records
The story of Chess Records is the story of the blues. It is the story of two men who loved the music and were willing to take a chance on a new sound. It is the story of a city that was the crossroads of the blues. And it is the story of the artists who made Chess Records the most important label in the history of the blues.
The Chess brothers start a record label
In 1950, Leonard and Philip Chess, two brothers from Chicago’s South Side, started a record label called Chess Records. The label was named after their family’s last name. The Chess brothers were not musicians, but they loved the blues. They wanted to help develop the Chicago blues sound and make it famous all over the world.
The first Chess Records studio was located in a small building on the corner of 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. The studio was not fancy, but it had good acoustics. It became known as “The House That Muddy Waters Built” because Muddy Waters recorded so many of his hit songs there.
Chess Records quickly became one of the most important record labels in the history of blues music. Some of the most famous blues musicians in the world recorded for Chess Records, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Etta James, and Bo Diddley. These musicians helped make the Chicago blues sound famous all over the world.
The Chess brothers sign Muddy Waters
In 1947, the Chess brothers – Leonard and Philip – started a record label in Chicago, Illinois. They called it Aristocrat Records. In 1950, they changed the name to Chess Records.
The Chess brothers were not musicians. They were businessmen. But they loved music. They loved the blues.
The first artist they signed was Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters was a very famous blues musician. He was born in Mississippi in 1915. He moved to Chicago in 1943.
Muddy Waters recorded his first single for Chess Records in 1947. It was called “I Can’t Be Satisfied”. It was a huge hit!
In 1955, Muddy Waters recorded his most famous song. It was called “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man”. It sold over a million copies!
The Development of Chicago Blues
Chess Records was a record company based in Chicago that helped to develop the Chicago blues sound in the 1950s. The company was started by two white men, Leonard and Phil Chess, who were interested in the new sound of black music. They began recording blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Willie Dixon. The Chess brothers also signed some of the first rock and roll artists, including Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley.
Muddy Waters records “I Can’t Be Satisfied”
In May of 1948, Muddy Waters recorded “I Can’t Be Satisfied” at Chess Records in Chicago. The song was a hit, and helped to establish the Chicago blues sound.
Waters was born in Mississippi in 1915, and moved to Chicago in 1943. He quickly became one of the most popular blues musicians in the city. His recordings for Chess Records, which began in 1948, were influential in the development of the Chicago blues sound.
“I Can’t Be Satisfied” was recorded with Waters’ regular band, which included Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elgin Evans on drums, and Ernest Lawlar on bass. The song features a simple 12-bar blues chord progression and Waters’ signature slide guitar playing.
The success of “I Can’t Be Satisfied” helped to establish Chicago as a center for blues music. It also helped to launch the careers of several other Chess artists, including Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, and Etta James.
Howlin’ Wolf records “Smokestack Lightning”
In 1956, Howlin’ Wolf recorded the song “Smokestack Lightning” with Chess Records. The song helped to develop the Chicago blues sound.
Howlin’ Wolf was a major influence on the development of the Chicago blues sound. His recordings with Chess Records, such as “Smokestack Lightning”, were hugely popular and helped to develop the sound of the city’s blues scene.
Willie Dixon writes “Hoochie Coochie Man”
In October 1953, Muddy Waters recorded “Hoochie Coochie Man” with Willie Dixon on bass and Jimmy Rogers on guitar. It was released as a single in 1954 and became one of Waters’ best-known songs. The Dixon-penned tune is a classic example of Chicago blues at its finest, and its success helped Chess Records sign other noted blues artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Etta James.
The Legacy of Chess Records
Chess Records was a record label based in Chicago that was influential in the development of the Chicago blues sound and rock and roll. Chess Records was founded in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Philip Chess. The Chess brothers were Jewish immigrants from Poland who had come to the United States in 1928.
Chess Records closes its doors
In late 1975, Chess Records closed its doors for the last time. The last recordings by the label were made in October of that year. Over the next few months, the master tapes were shipped off to GRT in Canada (the parent company of Chess at that time), and the historic recording studio at 2120 S. Michigan Ave. was sold.
The closing of Chess Records marked the end of an era in American music. For nearly two decades, the label had been a major force in the development of blues and rock & roll, and its influence could be heard in the work of countless artists who had passed through its doors.
The story of Chess Records is, in many ways, the story of two men: Leonard Chess and his brother Phil. It is also the story of a city, Chicago, which played a vital role in the development of both blues and rock & roll.
Leonard and Phil Chess were born in Poland and immigrated to the United States with their family in 1928. They settled on Chicago’s South Side, where they became involved in the city’s vibrant nightlife scene. In 1950, they opened a nightclub called The Macomba Lounge, which quickly became one of Chicago’s most popular live music venues.
The Macomba Lounge was located near several other clubs that featured jazz and blues musicians. Leonard and Phil Chess began to take notice of these performers and realized that there was a market for their music. In 1952, they founded Chess Records with the intention of recording and releasing recordings by these artists.
Over the next few years, Chess became one of the leading labels in the burgeoning field of rhythm & blues. The roster included such legendary artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Etta James, and Buddy Guy. These artists would go on to have a profound impact on popular music, influencing everyone from The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix.
In addition to recording some of the greatest performers in blues and R&B history, Chess Records also played a role in developing Chicago’s unique form of blues known as ” electric blues.” Artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf took traditional acoustic blues songs and added electric guitars, creating a new sound that was louder and more intense than anything that had come before it. This new sound became hugely popular with young white audiences in America and Europe during the 1960s
The Chess brothers sell the label
In 1969, the Chess brothers sold the label to GRT Corporation for $6.5 million. The deal included a provision that the brothers would continue to run the operation for three years. Leonard Chess remained as president of the label until his death in 1969, when he was succeeded by his son, Marshal. Phil Chess continued to run the record company until his retirement in 1975.
Under the new ownership, Chess Records continued to release successful blues and soul records. Howlin’ Wolf’s “The Red Rooster” and Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” were both top-10 hits on the R&B charts in 1970. The following year, Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-Ling” became the only No. 1 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for Chess Records.
In 1972, GRT Corporation sold Chess Records to Yahoo! Incorporated for $5 million. The label was then sold again in 1975 to All Platinum Records for an undisclosed sum. In 1982, George Thorogood and The Destroyers released their cover of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” as a single on Chess Records. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped revitalize interest in the label’s catalogue.
The Chess brothers start a new label
In 1950, two brothers from Chicago’s South Side, Leonard and Phil Chess, started a new record label. They called it Chess Records. The Chess brothers were not musicians. They were entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity to make money by recording the music that was popular in the city’s African-American community.
The South Side was home to a large number of blues clubs and bars. Leonard and Phil Chess began by recording live performances at these clubs. They then took the recordings to radio stations and pressed them onto 78 rpm records, which they sold at local stores.
The Chess brothers’ first release was “My Buddy” by Muddy Waters. It was a hit with both black and white audiences. The success of “My Buddy” led the Chess brothers to record other Chicago blues legends, such as Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, and Etta James.
Chess Records quickly became one of the most successful independent record labels in the country. It helped to develop the Chicago blues sound and launch the careers of many influential musicians.
