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NORTHERN SOUL LABELS
Northern Soul labels are many, because most recordings were created in one of the hundreds of small independent record studios situated throughout the USA. There  is a fantastic variety of labels and OKeh is one of the very best.

OKeh
It's one of the oldest record labels in the World and was responsible for introducing the vinyl record, the LP, for recording the first ever blues record and is a name synonymous with black music and influenced the introduction of the terminology Northern Soul. Many may be surprised to learn however that in its early years Okeh had nothing at all to do with Soul related artists. The OKeh label was first founded in Germany in 1910 by Carl Linstrom, prior to its establishment in the USA in 1916 by Otto Heineman who is believed to have used his initials and a red Indian word from the Choctaw tribe meaning "so be it" or "I am" to create the OKeh name, this is probably why a Red Indian insignia was featured on the very early OKeh & American Record Company (ARC) labels. The OKeh label was then operated by the General Phonograph Corporation and the famous OKeh symbol was even to be found on their well known brand of fishing reels as seen on the box below!! 
OKeh recorded all types of music and in 1920 commenced what was to be a long relationship with blues and jazz when recording "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith and so the label is credited with recording the first ever blues record. This tradition was continued with later recordings from the one and only Louis Armstrong. Encouraged with the success of "Crazy Blues", OKeh continued recording blues and jazz artists and produced records with artists such as Memphis Minnie, Bix Beiderbecke and King Oliver and then in 1925 with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Combo. In 1926 the General Phonograph Corporation was sold to Columbia, which was itself then purchased by ARC (American Radio Corporation). The ARC organisation kept the Columbia and Vocalion labels, but amazingly decided to drop the OKeh label in the mid 1930s due to the massive slump in record sales brought about the American great depression which had started in 1929 and looked like never ending.  

Another takeover had followed in 1938 when ARC was purchased by CBS, which in 1940 relaunched the OKeh label with an emphasis on swing and R&B as Americans were again beginning to live it up eagerly putting the great depression behind them. Not for long though as America would enter the the second World War in late 1941 which came along to spoil the party when President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill together announced the Atlantic Charter and a little later together declared war on Japan. By 1942 the war had brought about a severe shortage of shellac, the material used to make 78 RPM records and so CBS that all OKeh productions would be discontinued and any scarce shellac would be used for the favoured CBS Columbia label. Although RCA-Victor pioneered the 33 RPM long playing record in the early 1930's it was not until after the second world war that the 12" LP was introduced by Columbia (LP was  a Columbia trade mark) using a brand new and versatile recording media known as "Vinylite" and a groove that was only half that of those used on the old shellac 78's and so the recording industry terms "microgroove" and "vinyl" were born. It was November 1948 when as a record giant Columbia decided that for too long they had been relatively unsuccessful selling records by black artists and had been outperformed by much smaller and some independent record labels. To expand the Columbia presence into black music they revived the OKeh label, providing it with  a healthy advertising budget and a fresh approach with an exciting young front man named Danny Kessler who would soon introduce exciting new artists to the OKeh label. These included the Treniers, Joe Williams and Chuck Willis. In 1952 the OKeh artist stable was again expanded, this time to include white artists such as Johnnie Ray. In the mid 1950's the demand for blues and slower music began to wain at the expense of Rock and Roll, Kessler left OKeh and Columbia began to focus on its Epic label productions. The resilient OKeh label would not lie down though and a smash pop hit came in 1957 with "Peanuts" by Little Joe and the Thrillers (aka Little Joe Cook) and then OKeh had it's biggest hit to date in 1958 with "I put a spell on you" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, one of the great characters of R&B who retired from the boxing ring in 1954 to focus his energies on a career in music. 

In the very early 1960's  there came a new and very significant direction for OKeh when it introduced the "soft soul" sound via Carl Davis who was appointed as producer and teamed up with Curtis Mayfield, famous for his work with the Impressions and who  went on to pen a succession of successful singles for them including "Gyspy Woman (1961), "It's All Right (1963), "People Get Ready" (1965), "Were a Winner (1968) and "Choice of Colours" (1969)¹. Mayfield was appointed at OKeh as  a co-producer- writer along with Johnny Pate who was enlisted to help with the  arrangement of mid tempo and faster songs. Major Lance and Walter Jackson became OKeh's most successful performers and from 1963 to 1970 OKeh released around 170 records, Nos 7168 - 7338 featuring great Northern Soul artists such as Major Lance ("The Monkey Time",  "Hey Little Girl", "Um Um Um Um Um Um" and "Investigate"), Major Harris ("Just love me" and "Call me tomorrow"), Sandi Sheldon ("You're gonna' make me love you"), Billy Butler (Gotta getaway", "Nevertheless" and "Right track") , The Charades ("Love of my life"), The Artistics ("This heart of mine"),

                  
                                        One of the very best Northern Soul tracks featuring
                                                                                          Marv Smith (Have more time) as lead vocalists.                                                                   
Otis Williams ("I got loving", "Ain't gonna' walk your dog no more"), and Walter Jackson ("One heart lonely", "It's an uphill climb to the bottom" and "Not You"), The Vibrations (Gonna' get along without you now" and "Soul a go go"), what a collection of brilliant records that help shape the Northern Soul scene and no wonder these records are still popular today. Okeh just got better and better and it was Major Lance who introduced Marvin Smith to Carl Davis who was so impressed he arranged for him to record with the Artistics as lead vocalists on many legendary Northern Soul tracks including "This heart of mine" and "I'm gonna' miss you".

One downside of the popularity of OKeh releases is that there have been many bootlegs and so it pays to be careful when buying records on this label due to the proliferation of non genuine pressings that abound, some of the already discovered boots (not the legitimate second issues) include:

Major Lance - Ain't No Soul in these old Shoes - OKeh 7266
Major Lance - You don't want me no more - OKeh 7284 (also on SOS 3)
Major Lance - Investigate - OKeh 7250
Major Lance -  It's the beat - OKeh 7255
Artistics - Get my hands on some lovin' - OKeh 7193
Autographs - I can do it - OKeh 7293
Billy Butler - My heart is hurtin' - Okeh 7201
Billy Butler - Right Track (Inst) - OKeh 7245
Carstairs - He who picks a Rose - OKeh 7329
Kavettes - I'm not sorry for you - OKeh 7194
Little Richard - Poor Dog - OKeh 7251
Little Richard - A little bit of something - OKeh 7286
Little Richard - I don't want to discuss it - OKeh 7271
Vibrations - Gonna get along without you now - OKeh 7249
Walter Jackson - I'll keep on trying  / Where have all the flowers gone - OKeh 7229


                                                

History has shown that the OKeh label was extremely popular at Manchester's Twisted Wheel and some of the favourite tracks were understandably from Major Lance, including  "Hey Little Girl, OKeh 7181", "The Matador, OKeh 7191" and perhaps the biggest of all was "The Beat" a "monster" there around 1968 and which can still be readily found on Ebay on Okeh 7255. These tracks have to be some of the best Northern Soul value available today at around just  20 quid each, which seems ridiculously low considering the huge sums being paid today for some Northern Soul records. In the true tradition of Northern Soul Major Lance and OKeh together continued with fast stomping tracks that are still embraced by Northern all over the World, non better than the incredible “Investigate” and the unforgettable Northern Soul anthem on OKeh 7266 “Ain’t No Soul (in these old shoes)”.

Then the OKeh sound began to embrace the smoother "Chicago" sound, helping set the stage for the Philly sound which would follow in the 1970s', but  Curtis Mayfield and Johnny Pate parted company with the OKeh label after the Columbia management decided to place it under the control of the Epic organisation and to be led by Len Levy.  Levy was not happy with Carl Davis who whilst "moonlighting" at Atco produced for Mary Wells, who went on to record a series of singles (most written and produced by Smokey Robinson) that came close to defining the parameters of the Motown Sound². Under pressure Davis resigned from OKeh and moved on to Brunswick leaving Mayfield & Pate who then tired of OKeh.  Once the productions left at OKeh by Davis had been consumed the Chicago sound seamed to evaporate, OKeh appeared to run out of ideas and then began desperately signing unsuitable artists who were destined to find little success under the new OKeh regime. Unfortunately matters did not improve and even though Richard Parker was appointed to revive the declining label, it was too late and in 1970 Okeh released just three records, and not surprisingly after which it was once again closed down. 

The label was then revived by Epic-Sony in 1995 with modern blues artists such as Keb Mo and Anders Osborne, yet the label was once again disbanded in 1997 and OKeh appeared to be all but finished and indeed it was for sometime. That was until Sony signed Ebony Alleyne and put "Walk away never look back" bw "Count the days" on OKeh 7339 in 2002 and then followed with Sandi Sheldon's "One minute too late" bw "touch my heart" on OKeh 7340, of which they pressed only 100 copies and none of them were ever released.  OKeh 7341 was to have been by a Group named "Yours", but was scrapped, which according to the well-known producer Ian Levine would have been a fantastic record and the scrapping of which was a tragic waste. 

The last three records ever produced on OKeh all feature Ebony Alleyne and were each produced by Ian Levine.  OKeh 7339 being "Walk away and never look back bw "Count the days". OKeh 7342 is "My Man" bw "Touching the sky" and OKeh 7343 is "Second look" bw "In love with a stranger". 

There were only 100 each of these final three OKeh recordings ever pressed and so perhaps they are destined to become "OKeh" collectors items, although they are easily found on Ebay at the present time. It appears Ebony Alleyne has since departed Sony and the likelihood of any further releases on OKeh from her or any one else appear very remote. A sad end to a label which has recorded many brilliant artists and contributed so much to the Northern Soul scene over many decades. 
RIP OKeh in the memory you will still continue to provide Northern Soul lovers all over the World with much enjoyment for many years to come.

                               and neither is OKeh.............

References:
¹Larkin, C. 1993, The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music, Guinness, Middlesex.
²Gregory, H. 1991, Soul Music A-Z, Blandford, London.
Many thanks to Ian Levine, who kindly provided the information on OKeh in the 2000s'.