Black Magic Records (2)

Black Magic Records started as Black Cat Records in 1980. It was founded by three friends and blues enthusiasts: Gerard Robs (Gerrit Robs) then living in Rotterdam, Marcel Vos (2) and Kees Van Wijngaarden both living in Gouda. Our business address became Gouda. ** Also shown on the label as: Black Magic (without "Records"). The initial goal was to release material from other labels that was not available at that moment. There were two releases on Black Cat. One by Otis Spann "1944988" with most of his 1964 Decca recordings and a re-issue of the George Smith's Deram "3598550" LP. After those first two releases we were forced to change the labels name because some other Dutch label already claimed the name Black Cat or a similar name. We decided to change the labels name in Black Magic Records. From the beginning Black Magic decided to focus, not only on already existing material, but also on newly recorded material by artists that never had the opportunity to make an album. The first Black Magic release was in 1982. This was the 1982 W.C. Handy award winning album "Big Brown’s Chicago Blues" by Chicago guitarist Andrew Brown, who was just recorded by producer Dick Shurman. To support Andrew’s album release a small tour was organized through Holland and Belgium. Dick also supplied our second release. He went into the studio with Lacy Gibson and recorded the album "Switchy Titchy" for us. The Andrew Brown and Lacy Gibson albums were received well by the blues press and helped to establish the name Black Magic. The next three years a string of new albums were released. New recordings by Fenton Robinson -again made possible by Dick Shurman -and Eddie C. Campbell. We recorded Eddie C. ourselves in the Farmsound studio backed by Dutch musicians. Also a re-issue with Otis Spann Decca and Barnaby leftovers and an album with unreleased live material from the legendary Magic Sam. In 1985 Marcel Vos decided to leave Black Magic Records. He started his own Double Trouble label which was distributed and later purchased by Parsifal Records from Belgium. In 1985 we were just preparing the release of new Andrew Brown album and an album with Earl Hooker material that we purchased from Cuca. As part of the separation deal Vos took the Brown recordings and released it on his Double Trouble label. After the Hooker album on Black Magic there were releases by Lonnie Brooks (live material), James Cotton (Verve recordings), Walter Horton a rare limited edition picture disc (Blind Pig recordings) and Hip Linkchain (new recordings). In 1987 Kees van Wijngaarden moved to Amersfoort and around this time Gerrit Robs moved to Dordrecht. The new business address for Black Magic became Amersfoort and it still is today. In 1988 the CD format more or less took over from the LP. We first re-issued our 1984 Fenton Robinson album "Blues In Progress" on CD and in 1989 we recorded Fenton again during a short stay here in Holland. It was quite an experience to record the "Special Road" album with him. Again we used the Farmsound studio in Heelsum. We also released a Smokey Wilson album with recordings made by harp player William Clarke. Clarke also supplied the material for an anthology of L.A. Blues titles "Hard Times" which was released some time later. Other releases during the first years of the nineties were The Groovetones (a Dutch group....yes back in the Farmsound studio again), a re-issue on CD of the Wild Child Butler "Keep On Doing What You’re Doing" Mercury album and new albums by Lynwood Slim, Big Bad Smitty, T.D. Bell & Erbie Bowser, Long John Hunter and Junior Watson. The Smitty recordings were made by Joel Slotnikoff and the Bell, Bowser, Hunter recordings were done by Tary Owens from Austin. It was great for our label that Smitty as well as Bell & Bowser and Hunter appeared at the Blues Estafette in Utrecht in the Netherlands. Through Terry we also were able to release a CD by country blues artist Snuff Johnson (with Kim Wilson on harmonica) and by Texans Frank Robinson and Guitar Curtis. During the nineties our friend Dick Shurman also did a couple of projects for Black Magic. He recorded Little Smokey Smothers in 1993 ("Bossman" with special guest Elvin Bishop) for us and an album by Lee Shot Williams ("Cold Shot" with Smokey on guitar) in 1995. Both Smokey and Lee Shot visited Holland for a couple of concerts and also played the Dutch national radio. The Lynwood Slim connection was good for two other solid CD’s. Under the band name The Big Rhythm Combo, Slim recorded "Too Small To Dance" with Kid Ramos on guitar. Ramos also had his first own CD on Black Magic in 1995 with basically the same crew as on "Too Small". We also had a couple of re-issues: a Sonny Rhodes album (licensed from the Swedish Amigo label) and an album by New Orleans artist Little Sonny that was formerly on the CSA label from Denmark. Our friend Chris Millar who was a frequent guest on the Blues Estafette brought Texas guitarist Cal Valentine to our attention and recorded "The Texas Rocker" for us. Valentine also appeared at the Blues Estafette and sadly died not too long after. The activities were on a high level for such a small label operated by only two people. New releases by the fine singer Percy Strothers, country blues singer/guitarist Diamond Jim Greene and St.Louis harp player Little Cooper. Also re-issues of our Lacy Gibson and Lonnie Brooks albums on CD. One of the most satisfying recordings we did ourselves in a Dutch studio was with guitarist Johnnie Bassett. We recorded a fine album with him in 1996 at the Farmsound. After Fenton Robinson’s "Blues In Progress" album (which was also licensed to Alligator in the USA and to King in Japan) this became one of the best selling Black Magic CD’s. Another nice new release was by Kansas City singer/bass player King Alex who also played the Utrecht festival. Also several of our albums were licensed to Black Top and Evidence in the U.S. Another regular visitor of the famous Blues Estafette in Utrecht was guitarist/producer Fred James. From 1998 up to now he more or less became our "house producer". He was responsible for recordings by fine artists like Johnny Jones, Al Garner, Charles Walker, Freddie Waters, The Delta Jukes, James Nixon and Larry LaDon. Many of these artists made their "full album" debut on Black Magic. R.J. Spangler, drummer with the Johnnie Bassett band for many years, also did some projects for us. He recorded R&B veteran Joe Weaver for us and helped with the recording of organist/pianist Bill Heid. On both recordings Johnnie Bassett was present on guitar. Through Fred James we were also able to license old Nashville R&B stuff from labels as Calvert, Champion, Cherokee, Delta/MGM, Chane, Poncello, Spar, Ref-O-Ree, Valdot, Todd, Sur-Speed, Bullet, Ref-O-Ree, Hanna-Barbera, October and T-Jay. This resulted in an Earl Gaines CD and a small Nashville R&B series. This series consists of five volumes (Freddie Waters, Herbert & Rufus Hunter, Gene Allison & Roscoe Shelton,