Sue Records was also the name of a Louisiana-based record company which owned Jewel Records (Shreveport record label). Sue Records ("The Sound of Soul") was an American record label founded by Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robinson in 1957. Subsidiaries on the label were Symbol Records, Crackerjack Records, Broadway Records and Eastern Records. Sue also financed and distributed A.F.O. Records owned by Harold Battiste in New Orleans.
History In 1957, Juggy Murray partnered with Bobby Robinson to create Sue Records in New York City. The label's first release was "Vengeance (Will Be Mine)" by the Matadors later that year. Sue's first hit record came in 1958 with "Itchy Twitchy Feeling" by Bobby Hendricks which peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Success continued into the sixties with a handful of singles by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner between 1960 and 1962. "Mockingbird" by brother-and-sister duo Inez and Charlie Foxx was a hit on the subsidiary label Symbol in 1963. Sue also had hits on the charts with "Stick Shift" by the Duals, "Hurt by Love" by Inez Foxx and "That's How Heartaches Are Made" by Justine "Baby" Washington. Sue also released early recordings by the soul singer Don Covay and albums by the soul-jazz organist Jimmy McGriff. Guitarist Jimi Hendrix signed his first recording contract with Sue in 1965, but no recordings were released.
Murray initially released his records in the UK through Decca's London Records but switched to a licensing deal with Island Records in 1964. This deal resulted in a split in the ownership of the Sue name. Island used the label to distribute Sue in the UK. Problems began when Island also leased discs from other US labels that interested them and released them on UK Sue too - which was not in the agreement. Murray terminated the agreement and returned to Decca in 1966.
After failing to chart in the U.S., Murray sold the Sue masters to United Artists Records in 1968. A reissue of the "Harlem Shuffle" by Bob & Earl made the Top 10 in Britain in 1969. Murray retained rights to the Sue name and constantly attempted to re-activate the label until his death in 2005. The Sue Records catalog eventually ended up with EMI, and then with Universal Music Group upon EMI's being bought out in 2012.
EMI released a four-CD box-set The Sue Records Story: The Sound of Soul in 1994, while Ace Records later released four volumes of The UK Sue Label Story.
Discography Sue Records were best known for their R&B and Rock 'n' Roll singles but released a number of LPs between 1958 and 1966 featuring popular and jazz artists.Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Both Sides Now: Sue Album Discography, Bsnpubs.com, accessed August 1, 2019Jazzlists: Sue Records 1000 series discography, Jazzlists.com, accessed August 1, 2019
Sue LP-2000 Popular/R&B Series Catalog No. Album Artist DetailsLP-2001The Soul of Ike & Tina TurnerLP-2002Stick ShiftLP-2003Dance with Ike and Tina Turner and Their Kings of Rhythminstrumental album - Tina Turner does not sing on any tracksLP-2004Dynamite!LP-2005Don't Play Me CheapLP-2007It's Gonna Work Out Fine
Sue LP/STLP-1000 Popular/Jazz Series Catalog No. Album Artist DetailsLP-1011Have Mood, Will Call TrioLP-1012/STLP-1012I've Got a WomanLP-1013/STLP-1013One of MineLP-1014/STLP-1014That's How Heartaches Are MadeLP-1015/STLP-1015The New Sound of Ernestine AndersonLP-1016/STLP-1016Groove HouseLP-1017/STLP-1017Jimmy McGriff at the ApolloLP-1018Christmas with McGriffLP-1019Live at Basin Street EastLP-1020/STLP-1020Jimmy McGriff at the OrganLP-1021The Sue StoryVarious ArtistsCompilation of singles - also released as Old GoodiesLP-1022/STLP-1022I Can't Stand ItSoul SistersLP-1023/STLP-1023So Far AwayLP-1024/STLP-1024Like Dixie, But... and His Dixieland KingsLP-1025/STLP-1025Speak Your Piece and Bill ElliottLP-1026Scandal in Montego Bay and His Merry BoysLP-1027MockingbirdReissue of Symbol 4400LP-1028/STLP-1028Jack and Julie and Julius EhrenwerthReissue of Sue LP-8000 Things with StringsLP-1029/STLP-1029Yours Truly Jack and Julie and Julius EhrenwerthLP-1030/STLP-1030"Sweets" for the SweetLP-1031/STLP-1031Joan Shaw in PersonLP-1032/STLP-1032Cold TurkeyLP-1033/STLP-1033TopkapiLP-1034I Have a Dream arranged by Fred NormanLP-1035/STLP-1035Flip Phillips RevisitedLP-1036/STLP-1036SoulLP-1037/STLP-1037Inez & Charlie FoxxLP-1038/STLP-1038The Greatest Hits of Ike & Tina TurnerCompilationLP-1039/STLP-1039Blues for Mister JimmyLP-1040Another Step ForwardSpoken word album documenting civil rights speechesLP-1041/STLP-1041Hits Au-Go-Go and the Soul TwistersLP-1042/STLP-1042Only Those in LoveLP-1043/STLP-1043A Toast to Jimmy McGriff's Greatest HitsCompilationLP-1044In Sweden and Dee Dee Ford
Other Releases LP-3001: Thank You, Lord - National Independent Gospel Singers of Atlanta Georgia (1960) LP-8000: Things with Strings - Julie & Jack (1963) SSLP-8801: Let's Work Together - Wilbert Harrison
Selected singles +Catalog No.Release dateUSUS R&BSingle (A-side, B-side)Artist706Jun 1958255"Itchy Twitchy Feeling" b/w "A Thousand Dreams"Bobby Hendricks730Jul 1960272"A Fool In Love" b/w "The Way You Love Me"Ike & Tina Turner735Nov 1960825"I Idolize You" b/w "Letter from Tina"Ike & Tina Turner745Jun 196125"Stick Shift" b/w "Cruising"The Duals749Jun 1961142"It's Gonna Work Out Fine" b/w "Won't You Forgive Me"Ike & Tina Turner753Nov 1961384"Poor Fool" b/w "You Can't Blame Me"Ike & Tina Turner757Mar 1962509"Tra La La La La" b/w "Puppy Love" Ike & Tina Turner765Jun 196589"You Should'a Treated Me Right" b/w "Sleepless"Ike & Tina Turner767Jul 196211616"A Handful Of Memories" b/w "Careless Hands"Baby Washington766Aug 196296"Send For Me (If You Need Some Lovin)" b/w "Bless You"Barbara George770Oct 1962205"I've Got A Woman (Part I)" b/w "I've Got A Woman (Part II)"Jimmy McGriff777Dec 19625012"All About My Girl" b/w "M.G. Blues"Jimmy McGriff783Mar 19634010"That's How Heartaches Are Made" b/w "There He Is"Baby Washington795Oct 19639119"So Far Away" b/w "Monkey Hips And Rice"Hank Jacobs799Jan 1964468"I Can't Stand It" b/w "Blueberry Hill"Soul Sisters10-001Apr 19647919"Kiko" b/w "Jumpin' At The Woodside"Jimmy McGriff45-129May 19657310"Only Those In Love b/w "The Ballad Of Bobby Dawn"Baby Washington144Jun 196641"I Was Born A Loser" b/w "My Luck Is Bound To Change"Bobby LeeSue 11Jul 196932"Let's Work Together (Part 1)" b/w "Let's Work Together (Part 2)"Wilbert Harrison One Man Band
Subsidiary labels Symbol Records Symbol was launched in 1958 and lasted until 1966. The label issued 47 singles and one album, most which were produced by Murray. Brother-and-sister duo Inez & Charlie Foxx were the label's most successful artist. Their hit single, "Mockingbird" reached No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 7 Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1963. Inez Foxx had a few solo singles reach the charts. It wasn't until 1966, that another artist on the label had a hit record. "She Blew a Good Thing" by The Poets peaked at No. 45 on the pop chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart. Artist who recorded on the label include King Coleman, Art Lassiter, the Hollywood Flames, the Shockettes, and the Parliaments.
Albums 1963: Inez Foxx – Mockingbird
Selected singles +Catalog No.Release dateUSUS R&BUKSingle (A-side, B-side)ArtistNotes900Dec 1958A: "The Chicken Scratch"
B: "June's Blues"The CommandosBillboard review (Feb 9, 1959)901Jan 1959A: "So Loved Am I"
B: "Cute Little Girl"Jesse JohnsonBillboard review (Jan 26, 1959)909Aug 1960A: "Shortnin' Bread"
B: "Let's Shimmy"King Coleman9121962A: "It's Alright" B: "Mr. Loneliness"Art Lassiter919Jun 196372A: "Mockingbird" B: "Jaybirds"Inez & Charlie Foxx922Sep 1963113A: "He's The One You Love" B: "Broken Hearted Fool"Inez FoxxBubbling Under Hot 100 (Nov 2, 1963)924Oct 19639634A: "Hi Diddle Diddle" B: "Talk With Me"Inez Foxx926Dec 19639128A: "Ask Me" B: "I See You My Love"Inez Foxx20001Apr 1964541240A: "Hurt By Love" B: "Confusion"Inez Foxx201Sep 1964124A: "La De Da I Love You" B: "Yankee Doodle Dandy"Inez & Charlie Foxx296Mar 1965A: "I Feel Alright" B: "My Momma Told Me"Inez & Charlie FoxxCash Box review (Mar 12, 1965)214Feb 1966452A: "She Blew A Good Thing" B: "Out To Lunch"The Poets
Crackerjack Records Crackerjack was launched in 1961 and released its last record in 1964. Artist on that label included The Spy Dels, Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm, Eddie Carlton, Linda And The Del Rios, Pearl Woods, The Dramatics, Derek Martin, Chuck Leonard, and Betty Green.
Eastern Records Eastern was launched in 1964 and lasted until 1966. The label produced the singles "The Real Thing" by Tina Britt which reached No. 20 on the R&B chart in 1965, and "Time Waits For No One" by Eddie & Ernie which reached No. 34 on the R&B chart in 1965. Geraldine Jones, Johnny Starr, and Duke Daniels also recorded on the label.
Broadway Records Singles were released on Broadway between 1964 and 1966. Artists on the label included Tommy Andre, Johnson Sisters, Ocie Smith, Sandra Phillips, The Inverts, Johnny Burton, and The Thieves.
See also List of record labels Sue Records artists with Wikipedia pages
References
External links The Sue Records story from BSN Pubs