/Malaco Records A soul survivor celebrates 50 years

Malaco Records A soul survivor celebrates 50 years

Malaco is known as “The Last Soul Company”, a title that was taken from Peter Guralnick’s writings. Malaco thrived in a volatile and fickle industry by catering to a niche audience, rather than following the latest trends. The Mississippi Blues Trail marker is located at the gate to the studio. It was established on Northside Drive in 1967 and continues to be the home of Malaco Records. This marker tells the story of Malaco Records’ pioneering label in Southern blues, gospel, and soul music. Malaco Inc. was created one year after the building was opened. Although details are not yet finalized, plans for celebrating the 50th anniversary of Malaco Inc. include special vinyl releases and a coffee table book with photos, as well as a gospel celebration concert, and other events throughout 2018. Tommy Couch Jr., president of Malaco, said that while we are celebrating 50 years ago, we continue to move forward. The legacy is still intact. Scott Barretta, blues music historian, said that they took on the role of deep soul when many larger companies had given up (in the mid-’70s). Long-standing sounds such as Stax and Hi faded, being replaced by more modern music, including disco. Barretta stated that “not everyone stopped enjoying this kind of music,” and Malaco kept these fans in mind. Walls are covered with certificates citing Malaco’s numerous Grammy nominations. Movie posters show Malaco songs that were used in film soundtracks. It is home to a scene from Get On Up, a James Brown biopic. The lore includes Malaco’s successes and its struggles. At Ole Miss, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers Tommy Couch Sr. (Pi Kappa Alpha) and Wolf Stephenson booked bands to dance at parties. Malaco Attractions was founded later in Jackson by Mitchell Malouf, Couch’s brother-in-law and Jackson. Stephenson joined them for concert promotion and the opening of the recording studio. Couch stated that music was the main focus and it was “about as pointed as it was.” They recorded almost anything from the beginning, including country music and lectures given by Dr. Arthur Guyton at University of Mississippi Medical Center. Stephenson, Malaco’s vice-president, recalled a title from his youth as “Anesthesia Rounds”. A favorite thread eventually became a direction. Couch said, “Rhythm and blues, soul music, whatever the name was at that time — was what our hearts were drawn to and what we were most successful at.” Stephenson suggested that Fred McDowell be recorded, after being inspired by the success of another studio with Delta blues. Capitol Records released the McDowell sessions, and Malaco received some national attention after Malaco was nominated to win a Grammy. The studio was a mainstay with jingles, concert promotions and booking bands. However, Wardell Quezergue (New Orleans producer and arranger) needed a studio and musicians to record in 1970. Stephenson stated, “And he would split the spoils with me.” It was worth a week of recording music tracks, and a marathon weekend for recording artists who traveled from New Orleans on a borrowed school bus. Eventually. Malaco’s top picks were rejected by Atlantic and Stax on their first listen, which left them feeling defeated. They decided to release one of the recordings on 45s. “We chose King Floyd. Couch laughed and said, “To show you how sharp we were, we chose King Floyd.” Floyd gave the record to his friend, a New Orleans soul DJ who brought it home. The B side remained in constant rotation at the teen’s slumber party. He called Monday morning to say, “Man, you have a hit!” Stephenson stated that this Groove Me song was “incredible!” Atlantic reached out to make a distribution deal. The Malaco team worked quickly to complete the album. Stax, recalling its first pass, circled back and released Jean Knight’s Mr. Big Stuff. It also sold well. Couch stated that Groove Me, and Mr. Big Stuff were each sold at approximately 2,000,000 copies each. Stephenson stated, “We thought it would be easy after that.” “It was — it was — for one minute.” Malaco is home to the Pointer Sisters, Rufus Thomas, Stax, and Paul Simon (for There Goes Rhymin’ Simon). It was lit but the fire started to fade around 1974, when lean times returned. Malouf quit the company. Couch stated, “Then we recorded Dorothy Moore’s Misty Blue, and kind of the same thing occurred.” “We couldn’t get anybody to listen to it.” It remained on the shelves for one year as disco began to dominate the music industry. Stephenson stated that they had the song mastered and printed it with enough money to mail it with first-class postal service. It was heard on Jackson’s radio and other small stations and took off. Distribution was handled by TK Productions in Miami. Misty Blue, a pop and R&B hit, sold more than 2,000,000 copies and earned a Grammy nomination. Moore was nominated for another Grammy for I Believe You. Fern Kinney’s midtempo song Together We Are Beautiful was a huge success in England and other European countries. Groove Me was also remade disco. Frederick Knight, writer/producer, brought Anita Ward to Malaco to record in 1979. “There was only one song that we liked. Stephenson stated that everyone else thought Ring My Bell was a must-have song. Stewart Madison joined the company as director of business affairs in 1979, while Couch and Stephenson remained focused on the creative side. Dave Clark, a pioneering African-American promoter, was appointed in 1980. He was instrumental in Z.Z. Hill and other Malaco-based promoters. Z.Z. Hill’s Down Home Blues “broke the mold” on blues’ “brown-paper-bag/under-the-seat” reputation at the time, Couch said. Barretta stated that it was a sign of recognition of an audience for old-style and soul music. Malaco had been the market leader in this subgenre. Artists Hill (until his death in 1984), Denise LaSalle and Little Milton Campbell, Johnnie Taylor and Shirley Brown were key songwriters. The house band’s soulful tunes cemented Malaco’s dominance of Southern R&B and blues. Couch stated that they had a lot of work producing all these R&B and soul artists up to the ’90s. Stephenson said, “At the time, we were up until our ears in gospel music since 1975.” “Just as Dave Clark did with blues and soul artists, (Jackson Southernaires’ and Malaco gospel directors) Frank Williams had the exact same effect on black gospel artists. He also founded the Mississippi Mass Choir. Tommy Couch Jr. joined the company in 1992 and said that this is the other part of “The Last Soul Company”. Malaco was not trying to be something else. It was focusing on what it did well.” Tommy Couch Sr. explains: “We were one the last companies to make black music for black people.” It could have spilled over or gotten into trouble, but it did it all on its own.” Malaco has faced similar challenges over the years to other musicians. Tommy Couch Jr. stated that “people don’t really buy records anymore.” In the 1990s, bootleggers and counterfeiters were the main problem. Then came illegal digital downloading as technology improved. He said, “Like all things, we kinda took a step back to realize where we were at that time and embraced them.” They are now directly connected to digital outlets in the United States and around the globe. Malaco also made some good acquisitions, including part in Select-O-Hits and Savoy Records, which provided Malaco with the largest gospel catalog in the world, Atlanta International, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, as well as publishing and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Stephenson stated that 44 years of experience were lost when Malaco’s studio and offices were destroyed by a tornado in April 2011. The property was home to about 20 people who were uninjured. The masters were able to survive a tornado thanks to the tape vault that was built “in our infinite wisdom”. It gave us the opportunity to plan and prepare for the next decades. The best thing? They have great insurance. They rebuilt. Tommy Couch Sr. stated that content was king, as many people have said, particularly in the past five years. Stephenson stated, “We are fortunate to have a lot of content here, both masters and publishing.” He also said that licensing for commercials, TV and movie use is “ever valuable.” Tommy Couch Jr. looked across at Stephenson and his father. He said, “Just because these guys were talented enough and smart enough understand the business and keep the important stuff important is why we’re still here. And actually thriving.” “We’ve been quite good at accepting changes and have been very blessed along the journey.”_x000D