Bang Records

US label. Label Codes: LC 16309 / LC 16310 Formed by Bert Berns with his friends, Atlantic Records co-founders Ahmet Ertegun, his brother Neshui Ertegun and Jerry Wexler in 1965. The first letters of their names (Bert, Ahmet, Nesuhi, Gerald) formed the label's name. After Berns' death from heart failure two years later at age 38, his widow Ilene Berns took over the label. The label relocated to Atlanta in 1973, where it would be based for most of its existence. Originally pressed and distributed by Atlantic, the label switched to its own independent distribution until 1978 when it signed a distribution deal with CBS Records (whose CBS Special Products unit bought the label in 1980). Berns' estate now controls the label's music publishing arm, Web IV Music, Inc., as Bert Berns Music LLC. Notable artists included The McCoys, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, The Strangeloves, Paul Davis (3), Elton John stalwart Nigel Olsson, shock-jock Don Imus and disco/funk band Brick. It became infamous for endlessly reissuing and repackaging the Neil Diamond (ceased in 1977 when Diamond secured control of his Bang-era masters; he insists that all future reissues of his Bang material be released only in mono) and Van Morrison material (most notoriousy the T.B Sheets album released in 1973, pieced together from six year old session outtakes from the Blowin' Your Mind album) recorded in the 1960's before both moved to other labels (Morrison to Warner Bros. Records in 1967 and Diamond to UNI Records a year later). Bang's output was sporadic even by independent label standards but it often placed hits on the charts throughout its seventeen-year existence.