Fortune Records profile picture

Fortune Records

Hi-Q - Strate 8

About Me

Fortune Records was an independent record label located in Detroit, Michigan from 1946 to 1995. Original releases tapered off after about 1966 and ceased completely after the early 1980s.Fortune specialized in R&B, blues, soul and doo-wop music, although the label also released pop, big band, hillbilly, gospel, rock 'n' roll, and even polka records. The label owners were Jack and Devora Brown. Fortune released some classic doo-wop tunes by Nolan Strong & The Diablos, such as "The Wind" (Fortune 511, 1954), "The Way You Dog Me Around" (Fortune 518, 1955), and "Mind Over Matter" (Fortune 546, 1962). Other notable artists on Fortune included John Lee Hooker, Andre Williams, and Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights (whose release, "Village of Love," on both Fortune 545 and United Artists 449 in the spring of 1962, was perhaps its most popular release; it reached No. 22 pop and No. 16 R&B on the Billboard chart). "Village of Love" also made the Top Ten in local radio station surveys in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Of course, it was No. 1 in Detroit.Prior to "Village of Love," Fortune's biggest-selling record was likely "Bacon Fat" (Fortune 831 and Epic 9196, late 1956) by Andre Williams and His New Group, which featured Williams' proto-rap over a sleazy, bluesy arrangment. "Bacon Fat" (the name of the song refers to a dance) reached No. 9 R&B on the Billboard chart in early 1957 after it was leased to Columbia's Epic subsidiary for national distribution.Record collectors often find Fortune's numbering system confusing because there were several series issued at once, and also because some particular record numbers were used more than once.Fortune's best-known location was at 3942 Third Avenue in a small concrete block building. Fortune moved there in the fall of 1956 and stayed there until the mid 1990s, when the building was sold and vacated. (The landmark building was demolished late in 2001.) The storefront contained a record shop in the front (the Browns sold their product direct to the public) and the crude 18-by-40 studio in the rear (which originally had a dirt floor).Whereas its far bigger Detroit rival, Motown Records, perfected a highly polished pop sound, releases on Fortune Records were often characterized by raw, unrestrained vocal performances and relatively simple instrumental arrangements, recorded without excessive care for production values. Recording was accomplished via a few microphones to an Ampex one-track tape deck. As a result, the label's records have a distinctively direct sound and often packed considerable emotional power. It is estimated that Fortune Records and its subsidiaries, Hi-Q Records and Strate-8, released approximately 400 45-RPM vinyl records, as well as long-playing albums, during its existence.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/15/2006
Band Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_Records
Band Members: Nolan Strong - Nathaniel Mayer - Andre Williams - The Five Dollars - John Lee Hooker - Eddie Kirkland - Johnny Gibson - Russ Titus - Fred Kendall - Willie Anderson - Joseph Sudy - Jeff Durham - Robert Barnes - Slim Williams With The Sons Of The Prarie - Bob Manners - The York Brothers - Skeet Ring And The Hillbilly Swingsters - Bill Holleman - Jeff Durham And His Kentucky Boys - Jimmy Milner - Roy Hall And His Cohutta Mountain Boys - Frank Brumbalough & Trio - Doyle Franklin And His Red River Boys - Russ Titus - Earl Songer And The Rocky Road Ramblers - Earl & Joyce Songer - Slim Williams And His Tennessee Avenue Boys - Roy Hall And His Cohutta Mountain Boys - Eddie Jackson And His Melody Riders - Jimmy Gartin - Josephine & Her Orchestra - Major Merriweather - Bob Durham And His Sunset Riders - Johnny White And His Melody Knights - Johnnie White And His Rhythm Riders - Tony Kaczmarek - Hal Clark And The West-O-Crats - Jack Bube - Hubert Friar And His Hillbilly Hicks - Farris Wilder - Ernest Johnson With The Western Night Riders - Randy Hankins And His Melody Wranglers - Freddy Myers And His Trail Riders - John Shoupe - Jimmy Myers And His Happy Highway Gang - Jeff Durham And His Kentucky Boys - Lester Thomas - Sonny Sexton And His Musical Westernairs - Leon Benson And His Rhythm Ramblers - The Davis Sisters - Forrest Rye - May Hawks With Lester Thomas And His Southern Pals - Boots Gilbert & Bob Sykes With Chuck Hatfield And The Treble-Airs - Gene Rowe - May Hawks With Chuck Hatfield And His Treble-Airs - Boots Gilbert - Big Chief Redbird And His Cherokee Braves - Cal Davis And His Tennessee Kings Third Set Of Tears - Eddie Jackson And His Swingsters - Buster Turner And His Pinnacle Mt. Boys - Bill Hicks And The Southerneers - Jimmy Lee - Will Haynes And The Ozark Valley Boys - Peter De Bree & The Wanderers - Matt Hutson And His Arkansas Playboys - Roy Rector - Billy Martin - Johnny Powers And His Rockets - Lexie Harvey And The Gospel Four - Dell Vaughn With The Fortune-Aires - Dan Rader And The 20th Century Ranch Hands - The Terrigan Brothers With The Sterlings - Ellis Kirk & The Town & Country Boys - The Hunt Sisters - Mark, Roy Hall And His Boys - Jimmy Meyers & Tex Regan With Jim Myers And His Gems - The Montclairs - Jim Myers - Bobby Bernell - Danny Richards - Danny Richards And The Country Rhythm Boys - Vic Norwin - The Windy Mountain Boys - Loyd Howell - Jim Click And The Blue Stars - Spyder Turner - The Fortune Bravos - Tommy Kato - The Hall Brothers - Curley Dan & Wilma Ann And The Danville Mt. Boys - Dewey & Johnny Campbell - Al Burnette And His Southern Swingsters - Wendy Smith And His Windy Mountain Ramblers - Johnny Buckett And His Cumberland River Boys - Pat Holben Trio - Bus Stanley - Nathaniel Mayer And The Fabulous Twilights - Bus Stanley - Arsene Siegal - Bill Holeman - Bob Manners - Frankie Connors - Four Jacks & A Jill - Larry Corona - The Diablos Featuring Nolan Strong - Nolan Strong And The Diablos - Don Lane - Roy Hall And His Back Room Boys - George Young And His Guitar And Band - Rose Gambino, Geo Annis And His Orch - The Premiers - Gino Parks - Tony Lee - The Centurys - The Earthquakes - The Catalinas - Jimmy Burke With The Sequins And Rhythm Kings - Doctor Ross The Harmonica Boss With Tony Valla And The Alamos - Terry Soggs - Floyd Smith With The Montclairs - The Delteens With The Orbits Under Direction Of Devora Brown - Robert Preston - The Nite Sounds - Arlando King With The Earthquakes - Melvin Davis With The Nite Sounds - Butch Vaden - Eddie Stapelton - The Royal Jokers - Maury Dean And The Nite Shift With The Marteens - Nathaniel Mayer And The Dynamics With The Crescendals - Gene & The Jeanettes - Cozy & The Creshendals - The Utopias - The Fortune Bravos - Jacqui Carr With Ric And Karen - Armond Adams - The Disciples - Dell Vaughan - The National Harmonizers - John Brim - Henry Smith - Gene Allen - Maceo Merriweather - Jimmy Milner / Calvin Frazier - Gene Seals - Choker Campbell And His Orchestra - Boo Boo Turner - Harry "Honey Boy" Willis - The Four Kings - The Five Dukes Of Rhythm - Paul Lewis "The Mighty Swamba" & The Swans - Joe Weaver And His Blue Note Orchestra - The Swans - The Bu Bu Turner Group - Kenny Burrel With The Bu Bu Turner Group / Devora Brown - Andre Williams With The Don Juans - Andre Williams With The Don Juans - Chet Oliver - Little Eddie And The Don Juans Charlie Morris And His Orch - Andre Williams With Gino Purifoy - Bo-Bo Jenkins - Ernest Tucker - Earl Chatman - Little Eddie & The Five Dollars - Walter Hamilton Combo - Al Gelb - Andre Williams & Gino Parks With The Diablos - Andre Williams And The Inspirations - Dr. Ross & The Orbits - Tony Valla & The Alamos - Big Blues Carson - Dave Hamilton And His Peppers - The Lapels - The Continental Four - The Destinations - Pat Holben Trio - The Concertina Millie Trio - Leo & The Leopards - Joey Day & The Dares - The Flaming Embers - Ray Kimble - Arthur Griswold - Roman & Daddy Griswold - The K-Otics - Willie Anderson - The Emeraldite Singers - W. Emmons & Mount Olive Soul Stirrers - The Gospel Stars - Milton Pullen - The Late Bishop C. L. Morton - The Trutone Gospel Singers - Victory Five - Reverend Arthur Carruthers New St. Paul Baptist Church - Reverend E. T. Baker - Reverend E. T. Baker - The Gospel Believers Of Detroit, Michigan - The Disciples - The Hi-Fidelities - Sermon By Rev. M. Larry Franklin Pastor Of Greater St. Paul Baptist Church - The Trutone Gospel Singers ---- & more!I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4
Influences: R&B, Soul, Gospel, Country, Rockabilly
Sounds Like: Soul, Rock-n-Roll, Gospel, Rockabilly, Genius
Record Label: Fortune Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Fortune Records links on the web

Fortune Records radio tribute with Billy from Norton Records and Lenny Khttp://wfmu.org/listen.ram?show=14104AWESOME Fortune Records articlewww.soulfuldetroit.com/web13-fortune records/fortune text/in...
Posted by Fortune Records on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 10:15:00 PST