Minit Records

2024-10-13T23:29:24Z

74.196.92.213:

{{Short description|American independent record label}}
{{Infobox record label 
| name = Minit Records
| image = Minit Records rainbow logo.svg
| image_size =
| image_alt = logo of the company: a circle of rectangles of various colors around blocky light tan text reading "Minit". The background is black.
| caption = One logo included on many of their records starting in 1966
| parent = 
| founded = {{start date|1959}}
| founder = Joe Banashak
| defunct = {{end date|1971}}
| slogan = 
| status = 
| distributor = 
| genre = R&B, Soul
| country = United States
| location = New Orleans
| website = 
}}

'''Minit Records''' was an American [[independent record label]], originally based in [[New Orleans]] and founded by Joe Banashak in 1959.<ref name="Larkin60">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0149-X|pages=308/9}}</ref> [[Ernie K-Doe]], [[Aaron Neville]], [[Irma Thomas]], and [[Benny Spellman]] were early artists on the label.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/imperial/minit.html|title=Minit Records|publisher=Bsnpub.com|access-date=2009-04-15}}</ref> Later artists included [[Bobby Womack]] and [[Ike & Tina Turner]].

==History==
[[File:Minit Records clock logo.svg|left|thumb|Logo used from {{circa}} 1961-1963 ]]
[[Allen Toussaint]] was responsible for much of the label's early success, he wrote, produced, arranged and played piano on a number of tracks.<ref name="Larkin60"/> The label's first hit was Toussaint's production of "[[Ooh Poo Pah Doo|Ooh Poo Pah Doo - Part 2]]" by Jessie Hill in 1960.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/jessie-hill|title=Jessie Hill Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> After making a distribution deal with [[Imperial Records]], the label released its biggest hit, "[[Mother-in-Law (song)|Mother-in Law]]" by [[Ernie K-Doe]] reached the top of the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B singles]] chart in 1961.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|date=May 22, 1969|title=Hot 100, Hot R&B Sides|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1961/Billboard%201961-05-22.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=18, 35}}</ref>

When Allen Toussaint was drafted into the Army in 1963, the hits dried up and the label was sold to Imperial.<ref name=":2" /> Banashak also owned [[Instant Records]], which he kept. Minit was acquired by [[Liberty Records]] in [[1963 in music|1963]] as part of its acquisition of Imperial Records. In 1968, Liberty was bought by [[Transamerica Corporation]] and combined with [[United Artists Records]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Tiegel|first=Eliot|date=April 6, 1968|title=Transamerica Buys Liberty for $24 Mil.|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1968/Billboard%201968-04-06.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=1}}</ref> Two years later Imperial and Minit were shut down and transferred to Liberty. In 1971, Liberty and its remaining labels (except for [[Soul City Records (American label)|Soul City]], whose catalog was sold to [[Bell Records]]) were absorbed into United Artists.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=January 23, 1971|title=UA Corp Absorbs Lines; UA Records Sole Disk Co.|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-01-23.pdf|magazine=Billboard|pages=3}}</ref> In 1979, [[EMI]] purchased United Artists. The Minit catalog is currently owned by [[Universal Music Group|UMG]], successor-in-interest to previous owner EMI.

==Label variations==
*1961-1963: (catalog #s MR-601-626) Orange with black print and disclaimer indicating "C/O Imperial Records, Hollywood, Calif. Later pressings of some records in this period are on the second label."<ref name=":2" />
*1961-1963 (catalog #s 626-666): Black label with multi-color logo centered at top reading "MINIT RECORDS" with clock inside lettering; in middle of label, magenta bars contain publishing information and track time (left), catalog number and performance type (right). Silver print for all other text, including disclaimer at bottom which reads "PRODUCED AND MANUFACTURED BY IMPERIAL RECORDS INC. HOLLYWOOD 28, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/nc995153us|title=The Five Knights - Let Me In|access-date=13 June 2021|website=45cat.com}}</ref>
*1964-1968: (new series, catalog #s 32000-32076) Black label with silver print, multi-color logo on left side with "MINIT" inside the logo and "A PRODUCT OF LIBERTY RECORDS" under MINIT. Disclaimer at bottom of label reads "A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS."<ref name=":2" />
*1969-1970: (catalog #s 32077-32088) Same as black label mentioned above but with the "PRODUCT" disclaimer removed under "MINIT" inside the logo. Disclaimer at bottom of label now reads "LIBERTY/UA, INC."<ref name=":2" />

== Selected discography ==
=== Albums ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Catalog No.
!Release
date
![[Billboard 200|US]]
![[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US]]
[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|R&B]]
!Title
!Artist
|-
|LP-24005
|1966
|
|25
|''Turning Point''
|[[Jimmy Holiday]]
|-
|LP-40007
|1967
|
|
|''Like It 'Tis''
|[[Aaron Neville]]
|-
|LP-24012
|1968
|
|
|''Flippin' - The Very Funny Flip Wilson''
|[[Flip Wilson]]
|-
|LP-24014
|Jan 1969
|
|
|''[[Fly Me to the Moon (Bobby Womack album)|Fly Me to the Moon]]''
|[[Bobby Womack]]
|-
|LP-24017
|May 1969
|
|
|''The Stinger Man''
|[[Jimmy McCracklin]]
|-
|LP-24018
|Jun 1969
|142
|19
|''[[In Person (Ike & Tina Turner album)|In Person]]''
|[[Ike & Tina Turner]]
|-
|LP 24023
|1969
|
|
|''Blue All The Way''
|[[Tina Britt]]
|-
|LP 24024
|Dec 1969
|
|
|''Blues Man''
|[[Junior Parker|Little Jr. Parker]]
|-
|LP-24027
|Apr 1970
|
|
|''[[My Prescription]]''
|Bobby Womack
|}

=== Singles ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Catalog No.
!Release
date
![[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
![[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US]]
[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]]
!'''Single (A-side, B-side)'''
!Artist
|-
|607<ref name=":0" />
|Feb 1960
|28
|3
|"[[Ooh Poo Pah Doo|Ooh Poo Pah Doo - Part 1]]"
b/w "Ooh Poo Pah - Part 2"
|[[Jessie Hill]]
|-
|611<ref name=":0" />
|Jun 1960
|91
|
|"Whip It On Me"
b/w 'I Need Your Love"
|Jessie Hill
|-
|623<ref name=":1" />
|Jan 1961
|1
|1
|"[[Mother-in-Law (song)|Mother-In-Law]]"
b/w "Wanted, $10,000.00 Reward"
|[[Ernie K-Doe]]
|-
|627<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ernie-k-doe/chart-history/hsi/|title=Ernie K-Doe Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
|May 1961
|53
|21
|"Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta"
b/w "Real Man"
|Ernie K-Doe
|-
|32002<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/jimmy-holiday/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Jimmy Holiday Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|May 1966
|98
|21
|"Baby, I Love You"
b/w "You Won't Get Away"
|[[Jimmy Holiday]]
|-
|32016<ref name=":3" />
|Jan 1967
|
|36
|"Everybody Needs Help
b/w "Give Me Your Love"
|Jimmy Holiday
|-
|32027<ref name=":4" />
|Feb 1968
|
|33
|"What Is This"
b/w "What You Gonna Do (When Your Love Is Gone)"
|[[Bobby Womack]]
|-
|32048<ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/bobby-womack|title=Bobby Womack Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
|Jul 1968
|52
|16
|"[[Fly Me to the Moon]]"
b/w "Take Me"
|Bobby Womack
|-
|32055<ref name=":4" />
|Nov 1968
|43
|20
|"[[California Dreamin']]"
b/w "Baby, You Oughta Think It Over"
|Bobby Womack
|-
|32059<ref name=":4" />
|Mar 1969
|
|48
|"[[I Left My Heart in San Francisco]]"
b/w "Love, the Time Is Now"
|Bobby Womack
|-
|32060<ref name=":5">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/ike-tina-turner/chart-history/hot-100|title=Ike & Tina Turner Chary History|magazine=Billboard}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|Mar 1969
|98
|46
|"[[I'm Gonna Do All I Can (to Do Right by My Man)|I'm Gonna Do All I Can (To Do Right by My Man)]]"
b/w "You've Got Too Many Ties That Bind"
|[[Ike & Tina Turner]]
|-
|32071<ref name=":4" />
|Jul 1969
|
|43
|"It's Gonna Rain"
b/w "Thank You"
|Bobby Womack
|-
|32981<ref name=":4" />
|Oct 1969
|94
|13
|"[[How I Miss You Baby]]"
b/w "Tried and Convicted"
|Bobby Womack
|-
|32087<ref name=":5" />
|Jan 1970
|57
|21
|"[[Come Together]]"
b/w "[[Honky Tonk Women]]"
|Ike & Tina Turner
|-
|32093<ref name=":4" />
|Mar 1970
|90
|23
|"More Than I Can Stand"
b/w "Arkansas State Prison"
|Bobby Womack
|}

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct record labels of the United States]]
[[Category:Record labels based in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1959]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1970]]

{{US-record-label-stub}}

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Minit Records