Editing Chess Records (section)

===Chess brothers' company===
[[Image:Chess1491a.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Chess Records logo, as featured on a [[Memphis Slim]] single]]
Leonard Chess bought a stake in [[Aristocrat Records]] in 1947. In 1950, he brought his brother, Phil, into the operation, and they became the sole owners of the company. In that same year, they bought out a third partner, Evelyn Aron, and renamed the company Chess Records.

The first release from Chess was a [[Gramophone record|78 RPM]] [[Single (music)|single]], "My Foolish Heart", backed with "Bless You", by [[Gene Ammons]], issued as Chess 1425 in June 1950, which became the label's biggest hit of the year.<ref name="Label1">{{cite web |url=http://campber.people.clemson.edu/chess1.html |title=The Chess Label Part I (1950–1952) |author=White, George R. |author2=Campbell, Robert L. |author3=Kelly, Tom |publisher=[[Clemson University]] |location=[[Clemson, South Carolina]] |access-date=March 12, 2011}}</ref>

In 1951, the Chess brothers began an association with [[Sam Phillips]], of the [[Sun Studio|Memphis Recording Service]], the forerunner of [[Sun Records]].<ref name="Label1" /> One of the most important recordings that Phillips gave to Chess was "[[Rocket 88]]", by [[Jackie Brenston|Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats]] (the band was actually [[Kings of Rhythm|Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm]]), which topped ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B Records]] chart<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (1942–2004) |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=800}}</ref> and was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame Award|Grammy Hall of Fame]] in 1998 in recognition of its influence on rock and roll.<ref name="Grammy">{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame |title=Grammy Hall of Fame |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=March 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122042616/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame |archive-date=January 22, 2011 }}</ref> One of the most important artists that came out of Memphis was [[Howlin' Wolf]],<ref name=pc4>{{Pop Chronicles|4|2|Leonard Chess and Howlin' Wolf}}</ref> who stayed with the label until his death in 1976. Musical figures created for Chess by Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and others were the basis of much subsequent rock and roll. Many songs created by Chess artists were later covered by many rock artists, including the [[The Beatles|Beatles]], the Rolling Stones, Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After, the [[The Beach Boys|Beach Boys]] and [[Eric Clapton]].

In 1952, the brothers started [[Checker Records]] as an alternative label for radio play (radio stations had a policy of playing only a limited number of records from any one imprint).<ref>Dahl, Bill [http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/chess-records-and-the-ten-7s-that-helped-shape-modern-music/ Chess Records and the Ten 73s That Helped Shape Modern Music] ''Vinyl Factory''. August 5, 2015.</ref> In December 1955, they launched a [[jazz]] and [[pop music|pop]] label, Marterry, a name created from the first names of Leonard and Phil's sons, Marshall and Terry.<ref name="bluestogold"/> This was quickly renamed [[Argo Records]], but the name was changed again in 1965 to [[Cadet Records]] to end confusion with an existing British spoken-word label.

In 1953, Leonard Chess and Gene Goodman set up Arc Music BMI, a publishing company, which published songs by many [[rhythm and blues]] artists.<ref>{{cite magazine
| date        = August 1, 1953
| title       = Chess, Goodman in New Firm
| magazine     = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]
| page        = 16
| access-date  = December 31, 2010
| url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=VwoEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Checker+Records%22+Artists&pg=PA16
}}</ref>

In the mid-1950s, the Chess brothers received two [[doo-wop]] groups by [[Alan Freed]], the Coronets and [[the Moonglows]]; the former group was not very popular but the latter achieved several major [[crossover (music)|crossover]] hits including "[[Sincerely (song)|Sincerely]]", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.<ref name="Grammy" /> Several of Chess's releases gave a writing credit to Alan Freed.

During the 1950s, Leonard and Phil Chess handled most of the recording production themselves. They brought in producer [[Ralph Bass]] in 1960 to handle the gospel output and some of the blues singers. Bassist and songwriter [[Willie Dixon]] was also heavily involved in organizing blues sessions for the label and is now credited retroactively as a producer on some re-releases.<ref name="bluestogold"/> During the 1960s, the company's A&R manager and chief producer for soul and R&B recordings was [[Billy Davis (songwriter)|Roquel "Billy" Davis]], who had previously worked with [[Motown]] founder [[Berry Gordy]] on songs for Jackie Wilson, [[Etta James]], [[Marv Johnson]] and other early Motown releases. 
[[Image:Chess Records Studio.jpg|thumb|right|'''Chess Studios''', 2120 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, later Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation (photo 2009)]]

In May 1957, the Chess brothers moved to a building at 2120 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The studio at 2120 was designed by audio engineer and business partner Jack Weiner. Opened in late 1957,  it originally operated under the moniker of "Sheldon Recording Studios". Weiner moved out in 1959 and the studio was renamed "Ter-Mar Studios". "Ter-Mar" was an anagram of Leonard Chess' 2 sons names, Terry and Marshall. The studio would operate at this location until 1967 when they relocated to 320 East 21st Street.  <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Chess_Records_Office_and_Studio.pdf|format=PDF|title=Chess Records Office and Studio|website=Chicago.gov|access-date=July 30, 2024}}</ref>

In 1958, Chess began producing their first [[LP record]]s<ref name="billboard">{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Howard Mandel |title=The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues |year=2005 |publisher=[[Billboard Books#Billboard Books|Billboard Books]] |isbn=0-8230-8266-0 |pages=176, 182 }}</ref> which included such albums as ''[[After School Session]]'' by Chuck Berry, ''[[The Best of Muddy Waters]]'', ''[[The Best of Little Walter]]'', and ''[[Bo Diddley (1958 album)|Bo Diddley]]''.

Chess Records was also known for its regular band of session musicians who played on most of the company's Chicago soul recordings, including the drummer [[Maurice White]] and the bassist [[Louis Satterfield]], both of whom later shaped the [[funk]] group [[Earth, Wind & Fire]]; the guitarists [[Pete Cosey]], Gerald Sims and [[Phil Upchurch]]; the pianist [[Leonard Caston Jr.|Leonard Caston]], later a producer for Motown; and the organist Sonny Thompson. In 1962, Chess Records was sued by [[Peacock Records]] for recording their artists Reverend Robert Ballinger and the [[Five Blind Boys of Mississippi]].<ref>{{cite magazine
| date        = December 8, 1962
| title       = Accuse Chesses in Court Suit
| magazine     = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]
| page        = 11
| access-date  = December 31, 2010
| url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=OBgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Checker+Records%22+Artists&pg=PA11
}}</ref>

In 1969, Chess Records established a subsidiary label in the U.K., Middle Earth Records, which was distributed by [[Pye Records]]. The subsidiary specialized in [[Psychedelic rock]] and was a joint venture with the [[Middle Earth (club)|Middle Earth Club]] in London. The Middle Earth label released only four albums and about a dozen singles before it closed in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/label/middle_earth/|title=Middle Earth Records Discography|website=Rateyourmusic.com|access-date=2012-03-21}}</ref>

Chess moved to a larger building in 1968,  located at 320 East 21st Street in Chicago. The facility housed a pressing plant & new home for Ter-Mar Studios. The company was briefly run by [[Marshall Chess]], Leonard's son, in his position as vice president between January and October 1969 and then as president following its acquisition by GRT, before he went on to found [[Rolling Stones Records]].