Philles Records

Philles Records was an American record label formed in 1960 by Phil Spector and Lester Sill, the label taking its name from a hybrid of their first names. Initially, the label was distributed by Jamie/Guyden in Philadelphia.[lower-alpha 1] In 1962, Spector purchased Sill's stock to become sole owner at 21 years of age, America's youngest label chief at the time.

Philles Records
Parent companyEMI Music Publishing (Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
Founded1960
FounderPhil Spector, Lester Sill
Defunct1969
StatusDefunct
Distributor(s)Legacy Recordings
GenrePop, R&B, Blue-eyed soul
Country of originUnited States
LocationLos Angeles, California

Founding and background

The label issued twelve albums over the course of its existence, but with the exception of A Christmas Gift for You, the focus was always on the single. However, Philles X-125 is a reissue of Philles 119, and X-125 exists with two different B-side tracks, as "Winter Wonderland" (1964) and "Winter Blues" (1965) were substituted for the original flipside, "Harry and Milt Meet Hal B" (1963). "Harry and Milt" and many other flipsides were deliberately undistinguished instrumentals, which were intended to focus attention on the A-sides.[1] These B-sides were originally credited to the A-side artists, but later pieces were credited to the Phil Spector Group. Also, most discographies, including the one in the Back to Mono booklet, list two items with catalogue number Philles 123. "Stumble And Fall" by Darlene Love was released and then withdrawn (both stock and promos exist) in August 1964 (according to Billboard magazine). Its number was replaced with "Walking in the Rain" by The Ronettes, which came out that October. Philles 111 also has two B-sides: "My Heart Beat a Little Bit Faster" and "Playing for Keeps." The last few singles (134, 135, and 136) received much less airplay than their predecessors. Although singles 134 and 135 were "charted" by Billboard, single 136 did not—although both promo and regular stock copies exist. The promotion-only single "(Let's Dance) The Screw" by The Crystals is known only in the form of a handful of promotional copies and one stock copy.

After the chart failures of the last few singles, Phil Spector stopped producing and releasing new records on Philles. In the summer of 1966, he signed Bob Crewe and Jeff Barry to produce The Ronettes and Ike & Tina Turner.[2][3] The label effectively ceased operations in 1967, and Spector did not return to production work for another two years.[4][5] There was one more Philles record, The Phil Spector Spectacular. It was released only to radio stations in 1972, along with a letter from Phil.[6] The Philles catalog is now administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which acquired the catalogue when it bought EMI Music Publishing, with Sony Music's Legacy Recordings imprint handling distribution rights for the Philles catalog through a new licensing deal which was finalized in September 2009.[7] Prior to this deal, the Philles reissues were handled by ABKCO Records.

Production

The singles were produced by Spector, with five and one half exceptions: Philles 101, 103, and 104 were produced by Lester Sill prior to his departure from the company; Philles 133 by Jeff Barry; Philles 134 by Bob Crewe; and the B-side of Philles 136 was produced by Ike Turner. For years, The Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley has insisted that he produced "Unchained Melody" (Philles 129) but that has never been confirmed. Of the non-Spector productions, only "I Can Hear Music" charted and it rose no higher than 100th place. Every one of Spector's productions made the charts in the U.S., with the exceptions of Philles 136, one of the two Philles 123's, the withdrawn Philles 105, and the holiday single both times. Eighteen Philles records made the Top 40, the label topping the charts twice with Philles 106 in 1962, and again with Philles 124 in 1965.

Notable artists

Singles discography

CatalogueRelease DateHot 100

Chart Peak

Song TitleWriter(s)ArtistTime
Philles 10010/61#20There's No Other (Like My Baby)Phil Spector and Leroy BatesThe Crystals2:31
Philles 1013/62Here I StandTony MottolaJoel Scott
Philles 1023/62#13UptownCynthia Weil and Barry MannThe Crystals2:19
Philles 103/62MalagueñaErnesto LecuonaAli Hassan
Philles 1046/62Lt. Colonel Bogey's ParadeLester SillSteve Douglas and His Merry Men
Philles 1057/62withdrawnHe Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)Gerry Goffin and Carole KingThe Crystals2:32
Philles 1069/62#1He's A RebelGene PitneyThe Crystals2:25
Philles 10710/62#8Zip-a-Dee-Doo-DahRay Gilbert and Allie WrubelBob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans2:49
Philles 1081/63#43Puddin' N' TainGary Pipkin, Alonzo Willis, Brice CoefieldThe Alley Cats2:48
Philles 10912/62#11He's Sure the Boy I LoveBarry Mann and Cynthia WeilThe Crystals2:44
Philles 1101/63#38Why Do Lovers Break Each Others HeartsEllie Greenwich, Tony Powers, Phil SpectorBob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans2:48
Philles 111Early 63special use only(Let's Dance) The Screw, Part 1SpectorThe Crystals
Philles 1114/63#39(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna MarryGreenwich, Powers, SpectorDarlene Love2:48
Philles 1124/63#3Da Doo Ron RonEllie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil SpectorThe Crystals2:17
Philles 1135/63#63Not Too Young to Get MarriedGreenwich, Barry, SpectorBob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans2:27
Philles 1147/63#26Wait ‘til My Bobby Gets HomeGreenwich, Barry, SpectorDarlene Love2:23
Philles 1158/63#6Then He Kissed MeGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Crystals2:37
Philles 1168/63#2Be My BabyGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Ronettes2:40
Philles 11710/63#53A Fine Fine BoyGreenwich, Barry, SpectorDarlene Love2:46
Philles 11812/63#24Baby, I Love YouGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Ronettes2:50
Philles 11911/63Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)Greenwich, Barry, SpectorDarlene Love2:45
Philles 119x1/64#92Little BoyGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Crystals2:59
Philles 1204/64#39The Best Part of Breakin' UpVini Poncia, Pete Andreoli, Phil SpectorThe Ronettes3:02
Philles 1216/64#34Do I Love You?Poncia, Andreoli, SpectorThe Ronettes2:50
Philles 1227/64#98All Grown UpGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Crystals2:49
Philles 1238/64withdrawnStumble And FallPoncia, Andreoli, SpectorDarlene Love2:22
Philles 12310/17/64#23Walking in the RainWeil, Mann, SpectorThe Ronettes3:16
Philles 12411/64#1You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'Weil, Mann, SpectorThe Righteous Brothers3:46
Philles X-12512/64Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)Greenwich, Barry, SpectorDarlene Love2:45
Philles 1262/65#52Born to Be TogetherWeil, Mann, SpectorThe Ronettes2:57
Philles 1274/65#9Just Once in My LifeGoffin, King, SpectorThe Righteous Brothers3:56
Philles 1285/65#75Is This What I Get for Loving You?Goffin, King, SpectorThe Ronettes3:21
Philles 1297/65#4Unchained Melody (originally B side to "Hung On You")Hy Zaret and Alex North / "Hung on You" by Gerry Goffin, Carole King and Phil SpectorThe Righteous Brothers3:37
Philles 13011/65#5Ebb TideCarl Sigman and Robert MaxwellThe Righteous Brothers2:48
Philles 1315/66#88River Deep – Mountain HighGreenwich, Barry, SpectorIke and Tina Turner3:40
Philles 13210/66#118White Cliffs of DoverWalter Kent and Nat BurtonThe Righteous Brothers2:20
Philles 13310/66#100I Can Hear MusicGreenwich, Barry, SpectorThe Ronettes3:00
Philles 13410/66Two to TangoDick Manning, Al HoffmanIke and Tina Turner2:45
Philles 1355/67#114I'll Never Need More Than ThisGreenwich, Barry, SpectorIke and Tina Turner3:27
Philles 1368/67A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knockin' Everyday)Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian HollandIke and Tina Turner2:57

Albums discography

CatalogueRelease DateChart PeakAlbum TitleArtistTime
PHLP-40008/62Twist UptownThe Crystals
PHLP-40012/63#131He's a RebelThe Crystals
PHLP-40022/63Zip-a-Dee-Doo-DahBob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
PHLP-40037/63Sing the Greatest Hits, Vol. IThe Crystals
PHLP-400410/63Philles Records Present Today's HitsVarious Artists
PHLP-400511/22/63#13A Christmas Gift for YouVarious Artists34:12
PHLP-400611/64#96Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring VeronicaThe Ronettes
PHLP-40071/65#4You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'The Righteous Brothers
PHLP-40086/65#9Just Once in My LifeThe Righteous Brothers
PHLP-400912/65#16Back to BackThe Righteous Brothers
PHLP-40101/66Lenny Bruce Is Out AgainLenny Bruce
PHLP-4011[lower-alpha 2]9/66unissuedRiver Deep - Mountain HighIke and Tina Turner
PHLP-1001972DJ onlyThe Phil Spector SpectacularVarious Artists

Albums 4007, 4008, and 4009 were issued simultaneously in stereo with an ST- prefix. The Monarch job number for ST-4006 indicates that the stereo release of this album came in July 1966. Album 4000 was released in mono only in 1962. It was released through the Capitol Record Club in both mono and rechanneled stereo. Based on the catalog number of the record club issue, that release was in late 1966.

See also

Notes

  1. Jamie labels used an unusual and distinctive matrix number system, consisting of a code representing the artist followed by the number of the artist's recording. For example "TCY" was short for "The Crystals" on Philles. "DE" was short for "Duane Eddy" on Jamie. Sometimes Philles matrix numbers had a P or PH prefix.
  2. Only a few copies of the album were pressed, and covers never made, before it was canceled by Philles. This LP was released with slightly different content on A&M Records in 1969. Only a few copies of LP-4011 were pressed, and covers never printed, before it was canceled by Philles. By popular demand, Phil Spector released the album in the United Kingdom, with liner notes written by Decca's promotion man, Tony Hall. Hall included a quote from Spector reading, "We can only assume that England is more appreciative of talent and exciting music than the U.S.."

References

  1. "These B-sides were created to ensure that the focus would be 100 percent top deck." Richard Williams, Phil Spector: Out of His Head, 2009 (unnumbered page).
  2. "Spector Sets Prod. Deals With Jeff Barry & Bob Crewe" (PDF). Cash Box: 7, 48. August 13, 1966.
  3. "Barry, Crewe Ink" (PDF). Record World: 4. August 6, 1966.
  4. Billboard, March 11, 1967, p. 29 -- attributing Spector's leaving the business to the failure of "River Deep, Mountain High"
  5. For Phil's return on A&M, see Billboard, March 11, 1969, p. 30, announcing two new singles.
  6. http://www.oocities.org/sunsetstrip/palladium/7019/wallofsound/phlp100.html
  7. "Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music Publishing Strike Historic New Licensing Deal To... - NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
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