J & S Records

J & S Records was a New York record label started in 1956 and continued through to the 1960s. The owner was Zelma “Zell” Sanders (1922-1976) one of the few woman label owners in the record business.

In the early 1950's she was managing a girl group The Hearts She arranged a contract for them on NY’s Baton Records and hired and fired members till she got the mix she wanted. In mid 1956 she decided to start her own label J&S Records. The Hearts finally move over from Baton to J&S in mid 1957. Many of her big selling records were snapped up by Chess Records and distributed nationally but Zell didn’t just use Chess-she leased to many companies who would spread her product better than she was able. Gone Records and ABC-Paramount Records also were involved. Early signings to the label were Johnnie and Joe....(Johnnie Richardson ( Zells daughter ) with Joe Rivers) They recorded many sides for J & S and even started their own label Dice Records. One of their records "Over the mountain,across the sea" sold well enough for Chess to pick it up for national distribution.

Rex Garvin was J&S’s musical back room boy. Originally a pianist and sometimes member of the all-girl Hearts, he arrived at J&S and took over the musical directors duties. He also sang back up vocals when required and his is the third voice on Johnnie and Joe’s “Over the mountain, across the sea.”

Freddie Scott was another early signing in 1956 but the disc didn’t sell too well although his songwriting ability was proven when label-mates Johnnie and Joe recorded his “I’ll be Spinning”. Scotts call to military service that year meant goodbye to his J&S career.

Baby Washington was already one of the members of The Hearts and also recorded under her own name for subsidiary label Neptune Records By the early 60’s J&S was in financial trouble . Luckily the long-standing contacts with Chess managed to keep Zelda afloat. A new label Tuff Records was created with Chess money and Abner Spector was told to keep an eye on it. In 1963 Spector uses The Hearts yet again and renamed them the The Jaynettes and had a hit big with “Sally go round the roses” In all, Zell released music credited to the Hearts, The Jaynetts, The Clickettes, The Poppies ,The Z-Debs, The Endeavours, and The Patty Cakes and all were made by the same girls. Zell Died in 1976,still selling records. and her daughter Johnnie Louise Richardson in 1988

Subsiiary labels Zell's Records,Neptune Records,Dice Records

See also