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Blue Thumb Records

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Blue Thumb Records
Bluethumblogo.jpg
Parent company Universal Music Group
Founded1968 (1968)
Founder Bob Krasnow
Tommy LiPuma
Don Graham
Defunct1978; revived 1995–2005 (1978; revived 1995–2005)
StatusDefunct
Distributor(s) Hip-O Records
(re-issues)
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited States

Blue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow and former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Blue Thumb's last record was released in 1978. In 1995, the label was revived and remained active until 2005. [1]

Contents

History

Bob Krasnow had been in the record business since the 1950s, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra Records. Blue Thumb was originally intended by Captain Beefheart to be the name of his backing band. However, Krasnow did not think the name was right for the group. Later Krasnow chose the name for his label.

Other acts that appeared on the label include Phil Upchurch, Ben Sidran, Last Poets, [2] Gerry Rafferty, The Credibility Gap, The Crusaders, Hugh Masekela, Sam Lay, Sylvester, Southwind, Robbie Basho, Tom Rapp, Aynsley Dunbar's Retaliation (licensed from UK Liberty Records), Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Jimmy Smith, Dave Mason, The Pointer Sisters, The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils, T. Rex (in its earlier incarnation as Tyrannosaurus Rex, licensed from the UK's Regal Zonophone Records), Ike & Tina Turner, Love, Gábor Szabó, Mark-Almond, Modereko, and National Lampoon (on the Banana label imprint).

Blue Thumb originally used independent distribution, but went to Capitol/EMI for distribution in late 1970. Gulf and Western's Famous Music Group took over distribution in mid-1971, then bought the label outright in 1972. Late in 1974, the Famous Music record labels were sold to ABC Records. ABC kept Blue Thumb active for a time, mostly for albums by the Pointer Sisters and the Crusaders as well as some reissues. In 1979 ABC sold its labels to MCA Records, which discontinued the Blue Thumb imprint altogether.

In the United Kingdom and Europe, Blue Thumb releases were licensed to Harvest Records (also owned by EMI) from 1969 to 1971, and to Island Records thereafter. In 1995, an anthology CD was released, All Day Thumbsucker Revisited: The History of Blue Thumb Records, consisting of recordings from various artists from 1968 to 1974. [3]

The label was revived in 1995 for blues and soft rock releases. [1] This remained so, even after the 1998 merger with parent Universal Music Group and PolyGram and being put under the fold of the Verve Music Group, continuing to be Verve's imprint for non-jazz releases. In early 2005, the Blue Thumb imprint was deactivated and was replaced with Verve Forecast to handle such releases. UMG's reissue arm Hip-O Records has reissued several Blue Thumb recordings, including such acts as the Crusaders, Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks and the Pointer Sisters.

Catalog

CatalogYearAlbumArtistNotes
BTS 11968 Strictly Personal Captain Beefheart & His Magic BandBeefheart was going to name his band “Blue Thumb” but Krasnow felt it worked better as a label name [4]
BTS 21968An Album of Political Pornography Lew Irwin & The Credibility Gap
BTS 31968Original and Authentic Recordings by the Great W.C. Fields W.C. Fields
BTS 41968The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
BTS 51969 Outta Season Ike & Tina Turner
BTS 61969Doctor Dunbar's PrescriptionAynsley Dunbar Retaliation
BTS 71969 Unicorn Tyrannosaurus Rex
BTS 81969Truckin' with Albert Collins Albert Collins Reissue of The Cool Sounds of Albert Collins (TCF Hall, 1965)
BTS 91970Coming HomeChicago Blue StarsPersonnel includes Charlie Musselwhite, Fred Roulette, Louis Myers, Skip Rose, Jack Myers and Fred Below
BTS 101969 Venus in Cancer Robbie Basho
BTS 111969 The Hunter Ike & Tina Turner
BTS 121969 Sweet Black Angel Earl Hooker
BTS 131969Ready to RideSouthwind
BTS 141969Sam Lay in Bluesland Sam Lay 's Bluesband
BTS 151969Clifton Chenier's Very Best Clifton Chenier
BTS 161970To Mum From Aynsley and the BoysAynsley Dunbar Retaliation
BTS 171969Alegria!Bossa Rio
BTS 181970 A Beard of Stars Tyrannosaurus Rex
BTS 191970 Alone Together Dave Mason On multi-colored vinyl
BTS 201970Buddy and the Juniors Buddy Guy , Junior Mance & Junior Wells
BTS 211970A Bad Donato João Donato
BTS 221970 False Start Love
BTS 231970 Magical Connection Gábor Szabó
BTS 24
BTS 251971 Dave Mason & Cass Elliot Dave Mason and Cass Elliot
BTS 261970What a Place to LandSouthwind
BTS 271971Mark-Almond Mark-Almond
BTS 281971 High Contrast Gábor Szabófeaturing Bobby Womack
BTS 291971Where's the Money? Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
BTS 301971Recorded Live at Bimbo's, San Francisco Charles Pierce
BTS 311971Naturally Jessie Hill
BTS 321972Mark-Almond IIMark-Almond
BTS 331971How Are Things in Your Town? Ken Nordine 2LP Compilation of material previously released on Dot Records
BTS 341972 Headkeeper Dave Mason
BTS 351972Crazed Hipsters Finningan & Wood
BTS 361972Striking It RichDan Hicks & His Hot Licks
BTS 371972Luis GascaLuis Gascaaka For Those Who Chant
Banana BTS 381972 Radio Dinner National Lampoon
BTS 391972Chastisement The Last Poets
BTS 401972I Lead a Life Ben Sidran
BTS 411973 Space Is the Place Sun Ra Released as a quadraphonic LP only, and 8-track
BTS 421972The Barbeque of Deville Hoodoo Rhythm Devils
BTS 431972Private Tonight Arthur Adams
BTS 441972 Stardancer Tom Rapp
BTS 451973Sylvester and the Hot Band Sylvester and the Hot Band
BTS 461973Singing/Playing Larry Carlton
BTS 471973Supermellow Paul Humphrey
BTS 481973 The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters
BTS 491973The Best of Ike & Tina TurnerIke & Tina TurnerCompilation
BTS 501973The Best of Mark-AlmondMark-AlmondCompilation
BTS 511973Last Train to Hicksville... The Home of Happy FeetDan Hicks & His Hot Licks
BTS 521973At LastThe Last Poets
BTS 53
BTS 541973Dave Mason is Alive!Dave Mason
BTS 551973Puttin' in Time on Planet EarthBen Sidran
BTS 561973 Sunforest Tom Rapp / Pearls Before Swine
BTS 571973What the Kids WantHoodoo Rhythm Devils
BTS 581973 Can I Have My Money Back? Gerry Rafferty Reissue of Transatlantic Records album
BTS 591973Lovin' Feelin' Phil Upchurch
BTS 601973BazaarSylvester & The Hot Band
BTS 611973Face to FaceEvan Pace
BTS 621972Introducing Hedzoleh Sounds Hugh Masekela
BTS 631973 Butts Band Butts Band Featuring Robby Krieger and John Densmore
BTS 641974Aim for the HighestAim
BTS 65
BTS 661974America, Wake UpPaul Humphrey
BTS 8801975Split CoconutDave Mason
BTS 60001969Memphis Swamp JamVarious ArtistsFeaturing Bukka White, Piano Red, Nathan Beauregard, Sleepy John Estes, Fred McDowell & Johnny Woods, Furry Lewis, R.L. Watson & Josiah Jones
BTS 60011972Crusaders 1The CrusadersTwo record set
BTS 6002
BTS 60031973 Home Is Where the Music Is Hugh Masekela Two record set
BTS 60041972Lights Out: San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area)Various ArtistsTwo record set featuring John Lee Hooker, Clifford Coulter, Tower Of Power, Sylvester and The Hot Band, Fadil Shahin and The Casbah Band, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks [5]
BTS 60051972Darkess DarknessPhil Upchurch
Banana BTS 60061973 Lemmings National Lampoon
BTS 60071973Unsung HeroesThe Crusaders
Banana BTS 60081974 The Missing White House Tapes National Lampoon
BTS 60091974 That's a Plenty The Pointer Sisters
BTS 60101974ScratchThe Crusaders
BTS 60111974Italian GraffitiNick DeCaro
BTS 60121974 Don't Let Go Ben Sidran
BTS 60131974The Best of Dave MasonDave Mason
BTS 60141974 Gabor Szabo Live Gábor Szabó
BTS 60151974I Am Not AfraidHugh Masekela
BTS 60161974The Big Bow-Wow StrainKen Burgan
BTS 6017
BTSD 60181975 Hear and Now Butts Band
BTSD 60191975New Year, New Band, New Company John Mayall
BTSD 6020
BTSD 60211975 Steppin' The Pointer Sisters
BTSD 60221975 Chain Reaction The Crusaders
BTSD 60231977 Having a Party The Pointer Sisters
BTSD 60241976 Those Southern Knights The Crusaders
BTSD 6025
BTSY 6026/21976 The Best of the Pointer Sisters The Pointer SistersTwo record set
BTS 60271976The Best of the CrusadersThe CrusadersTwo record set
BTS 60281977Come Into Knowledge RAMP
BT 60291977Free as the WindThe Crusaders
BT 60301978ImagesThe Crusaders
BT 60311978 Can I Have My Money Back? Gerry Rafferty Reissue of BTS 58
BT 60321978Very Best of Dave MasonDave Mason
BTS 70001973The 2nd CrusadeThe CrusadersTwo record set
BTS 7001
BT3 70021995All Day Thumb Sucker Revisited: The History of Blue Thumb RecordsVarious ArtistsThree record set label sampler – despite the title, this release shares no tracks with the 1970 original
BTS 8001
BTS 80021974 Live at the Opera House The Pointer Sisters
BTS 8701
BTS 87021970All Day Thumb SuckerVarious ArtistsLabel sampler
BTS 8703
BTS 8704
BTS 8705
BTS 87061971Memphis Swamp JamVarious ArtistsReissue of BTS 6000
BTS 88051971Outta Season Ike & Tina Turner Reissue of BTS 5
BTS 88131971Ready to RideSouthwindReissue of BTS 13
BTS 88171971Alegria!Bossa RioReissue of BTS 17
BTS 88181971 A Beard of Stars Tyrannosaurus RexReissue of BTS 18
BTS 88191971 Alone Together Dave Mason Reissue of BTS 19 on standard black vinyl
BTS 88201971Buddy and the Juniors Buddy Guy , Junior Mance & Junior Wells Reissue of BTS 20
BTS 90001969 Out Here Love Two record set
BTS 90011972Lenny Lenny Bruce Two record set
BT 90021974Southern ComfortThe CrusadersTwo record set

[4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Sidran, Ben (September 16, 1995). "Blue Thumb Rides Again" (PDF). Billboard. pp. L-6.
  2. "The Last Poets". Math.buffalo.edu. May 19, 1968. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  3. Bessman, Jim (September 9, 1995). "Blue Thumb Leaves Its Mark On Box" (PDF). Billboard. p. 9.
  4. 1 2 "Blue Thumb/Banana Album Discography". Bsnpubs.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  5. "Various – Lights Out: San Francisco (Voco Presents The Soul Of The Bay Area)". Discogs. Retrieved June 5, 2018.