Satellite Records (2)

1960s soul label from Chicago, Illinois, founded by Dick Simon in 1965. For the Memphis-based soul label that was a precursor to Stax, see Satellite (2). The principal labels were Satellite and St. Lawrence Records, both distributed by Chess. The Impressions old manager, Eddie Thomas, was hired to run subsidiary label Thomas Records, and Earl Glicken hired to do promotion. Simon hired Don Clay as general manager and made Monk Higgins his principal producer and A&R director. St. Louis hard-soul singer Chuck Bernard was hired not only to record, but to produce and provide A&R services as well. Higgins and Burgess Gardner handled the arranging for the label. Simon folded his record company in early 1967, and Chess picked up most of the company's assets, including the recording equipment and most of the recording artists signed to the label. Meanwhile Eddie Thomas joined Curtis Mayfield and reestablished his Thomas label as a subsidiary of Curtom Records.