Spivey Records

Spivey Records was a specialist blues record label, founded by blues singer Victoria Spivey and jazz historian Len Kunstadt in 1961. Spivey Records released a series of blues and jazz albums between 1961 and 1985.

History of Spivey Records

The label recorded a wide variety of blues musicians who were friends of Spivey and Kunstadt, including Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Big Joe Williams, Lonnie Johnson, Memphis Slim, and Louis Armstrong. Kunstadt had a rough and ready approach to recording; he was known to walk through the session and shout "More mistakes!"[1]

On March 2, 1962, Bob Dylan contributed harmonica and backing vocals to a recording session featuring Big Joe Williams. These tracks appeared on Spivey LP 1004, Three Kings And The Queen.[2] However, this was not Dylan's first recording session. He had already recorded his debut album Bob Dylan for Columbia Records, which was released on March 19, 1962.

In recognition of her entrepreneurial achievements with Spivey Records, Spivey was awarded the "BMI Commendation of Excellence" in 1970.[3]

Victoria Spivey died in 1976. The label became dormant after the death of Len Kunstadt in 1996.

In 2007, Len Kunstadt's niece, Lisa Weiner, announced the revival of the label on the Spivey Records website. It was announced that audio engineer Doug Pomeroy had remastered the original tapes recorded between 1961 and 1986, and that Spivey LP1001 through Spivey LP1016 would be reissued on CD in 2008. Queries on the notice board of Spivey Records website indicate that as of October 2011, no reissued CDs are currently available.[4]

Albums released by Spivey Records

Buddy Tate Band; Hannah Sylvester; Lucille Hegamin; Victoria Spivey

Victoria Spivey

Big Willie Dixon; Sunnyland Slim; John Henry Barbee; Homesick James; St Louis Jimmy; Washboard Sam; Cocoa (Aka "Koko") Taylor; Evans Spencer

Roosevelt Sykes; Lonnie Johnson; Big Joe Williams (with Bob Dylan); Victoria Spivey

Big Joe Williams

Victoria Spivey; Memphis Slim; Little Brother Montgomery; Lonnie Johnson

Louis Metcalf; Sonny White; Jerome Patterson; Al Matthews; Struttin' Sam; Victoria Spivey

Otis Spann; George Smith; Luther Johnson; Sammy Lawhorn; Francis Clay

Muddy Waters Bluesmen; Harvey Hill; Koko Taylor; Memphis Slim; Babe Stovall; Big Joe Williams; Oliver Brown; J. B. Lenoir; Washboard Sam's Band; Victoria Spivey; Willie Dixon; John Hammond; John Henry Barbee; Viola Wells; Homesick James; Roosevelt Sykes

Otis Spann; Lucille Spann; Luther Johnson; Sammy Lawhorn; Little Sonny Wimberley; S.P. Leary; Paul Oscher; Pee Wee Madison; Willie Smith

Roosevelt Sykes; John Hammond; Victoria Spivey; Smokey Hogg; Washboard Doc; Smokey Hogg; Willie Dixon; Sunnyland Slim; Marie Dixon; Johnny Shines

Spivey's Blues Paraders: Bill Dicey, John Hammond, Bob Malenky, Roosevelt Sykes & Washboard Doc: Benny Jefferson; Pat Blackman; Sugar Blue & His Harmonica; Sippie Wallace; Billie Mitchell; Walter "Shakey" Horton, Sunnyland Slim & Johnny Shines; Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson, Little Brother Montgomery & Sonny Greer; Carolina Rose; Sonny Boy Williamson; Nita Washington; Washboard Bill; Little Sonny Parker; Delsey Maccay, Horton & Sunnyland Slim; Papa Comb & His Ukulele Mama; Lonnie Johnson

Otis Spann; Johnny Young; Luther Johnson; Peter Malick; S.P. Leary

Memphis Slim; Lonnie Johnson; Roosevelt Sykes; Victoria Spivey, Big Joe Williams and Bob Dylan; Big Joe Williams; Roosevelt Sykes and John Hammond; Victoria Spivey and Bob Dylan.

Bill Dicey's High Street Blues Band; Larry Johnson; Brooklyn Blues Busters; Danny Russo; Washboard Bill; Ted Stilles; Homesick James; Mark Ross & John Brenner; John Hammond; Johnny Shines, Big Walter Horton and Sunshine Slim; Bukka White; Bill Dicey and Sugar Blue; Ralph Rush; Harvey Hill; Ted Stilles; Louisiana Red; Victoria Spivey.

Willie Dixon Band; Buster Benton; Lafayette Leake; Larry Johnson; Carey Bell; Larry Johnson; Victoria Spivey.

Big Joe Turner Lloyd Glenn, Brenda Bell, Robert Ross, Bill Dicey, Washboard Doc

Victoria Spivey, Paul Oscher, Sugar Blue, Washboard Doc, Charles "Honeyboy" Otis, Smokey Hogg, The Dicey Ross Band featuring Bill Dicey and Robert Ross

Eunice Davis and the Spivey Low-Down Blues Privacy Invaders with Bill Dicey, Robert Ross, Jonathan Dreschler, Georges Morales, Andy Story, Washboard Doc

Victoria Spivey with Danny Russo plus Lefty Dizz and Larry Johnson

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Lenny Kunstadt". GeoCities. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ Gray, The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, pp. 630-631
  3. ↑ "Victoria Spivey". Allmusic.
  4. ↑ "Spivey Records Blues Forum". Spiveyrecords.proboards.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.

References

External links

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