King Records of Cincinnati by Randy McNutt (review)

BOOK REVIEWS 94 OHIO VALLEY HISTORY R andy McNutt, author of recording industry articles and books, has assembled an informative Arcadia volume of the legendary King Records. This is the fourth Images of America series from Arcadia which covers some aspect of Cincinnati music and media history. Others include Stepping Out in Cincinnati: Queen City Entertainment 1900-1960, by Allen J. Singer; Cincinnati Television, by Jim Friedman; and The Cincinnati Sound, by McNutt. McNutt has also authored related titles such as Guitar Towns: A Journey to the Crossroads of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Little Labels—Big Sound: Small Record Companies and the Rise of American Music (co-authored with Rick Kennedy). His experience as an independent producer in the recording industry adds genuine narrative value to the two hundred images in King Records of Cincinnati, some published for the first time. Arcadia’s release is also timely, a year following the sixtyfifth anniversary of the birth of King Records and the placement of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame historical marker at the site of its Cincinnati recording facility . A January 24, 2009, NewYorkTimes story covering the latter event touted that Cincinnati was “Rocking an R&B Cradle,” and rediscovering a landmark of which many were unaware. McNutt’s latest book about the recording industry tilts the spotlight towards the founder of King Records, Sydney Nathan, and his innovative, leading independent recording company . Nathan’s name may be better known by international musicians and American roots record fans than many Cincinnatians due to his successful distribution of country and blues roots music recordings. McNutt calls Nathan the “father of the modern independent record company concept Randy McNutt. King Records of Cincinnati. Charleston , SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2009. 128pp. ISBN 9780738560793 (paper), $21.99. King Records of Cincinnati Randy McNutt BOOK REVIEWS FALL 2009 95 and an able steward of American roots music” (126). Many Cincinnatians were either unaware of, or looked down upon, the activity at the shabby brick record factory at 1540 Brewster Avenue. Yet trade magazine surveys ranked the company sixth in sales (104) in the late 1940s and fifth among labels nationally (8) for its number of charted records by 1961. Perhaps the secret of Nathan’s success was that his company produced everything under one roof, from recording the artists and mastering discs to pressing records and designing album covers. King did everything itself, except for making the record sleeves and shipping cartons (7). Aswithsomanyhistoricalevents,the birth of King Records was partly coincidental . Nathan just happened to own a record shop right around the corner from the powerful “Nation’s Station,” World War II-era WLW of Cincinnati. Country musicians from WLW’s Boone County Jamboree not only purchased records from Nathan, they were looking for a place to make recordings of their own. Hence McNutt’s book also draws attention to the country music facet of King, largely overshadowed by James Brown, its number one star, as well as its many other rhythm and blues recording artists. WLW country music radio stars Merle Travis and Grandpa Jones (billed as the Shepherd Brothers) recorded the first King record, entitled “The Steppin’ Out Kind,” on November 1943 in nearby Dayton, Ohio (19). Soon, other WLW radio talent such as the Delmore Brothers and Lloyd “Cowboy” Copas joined the King roster of talent. The Delmore Brothers’ “expert songwriting and musicianship helped establish the label’s fresh hillbilly sound (10).” Sydney Nathan soon campaigned and promoted the name “country music” for his rural music artists, as he claimed “hillbilly” maligned the music (42). McNutt’s book points out that WCKY’s Jamboree radio show in nearby Covington, Kentucky, also helped promote the King country music sound with programming dedicated to country and bluegrass fans. The blues sound by African American musicians was another overlooked market by the major record labels. Nathan promoted blues, initially adding talent such as saxophone musician and blues singer “Bull Moose” Jackson and blues shouter Wynonie Harris. As country music experienced a temporary decline in the mid-1950s, King depended more on its rhythm and blues talent such as singer Hank Ballard and doo-wop groups like Billy Ward and the Dominoes (8). Sydney Nathan’s family...