Equestrian Record Label Stories and Discographies

by Jesse Coffey

Rating: everyone
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Length: 2370

Influenced by the approach taken by the great [url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/discog.html]Both Sides Now Publications[/url], one of the world's most reliable of all sites involving record companies, this page covers Equestrian record labels of the p

Influenced by the approach taken by the great Both Sides Now Publications, one of the world's most reliable of all sites involving record companies, this page covers Equestrian record labels of the past.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-08 02:16:50 UTC

Sunworld Label

Sunworld Records was started under Gulf+Western distribution in 1968 by Sunflower Seed, although Seed herself never recorded for the label.

The label had only 10 acts on its own roster; the most successful artists on it were the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms. Each act accounted for roughly 95% of the label's LP output.

The Rainbooms were not your typical overnight success. Its members were music veterans and were highly active in their solo careers. The group's tambourine player Fluttershy was recording for the Academy label in Ponyville, located directly in her cottage, and leased her material outside of Equestria to ABC and its international distributors. Guitarist and initial lead singer Rainbow Dash scored a string of solo hits on CBS' Epic Records in a contract that was upconverted to Columbia by the time the group formed. Twilight Sparkle, who performed lead later on in the group's existence, started her music career in 1958 with many a pop hit on RCA and had her own CBS-and-at-the-point-of-formation-A&M-distributed Twi label where her hits just kept on comin'. Applejack was making huge R&B hits that would quickly cross over to the Country and Pop charts on the American Decca label and was the group's bassist. Keytarist Rarity was a lounge singer in her solo career, and was a part of the Colpix roster for the last years of its existence, and was about to launch her own United Artists-distributed Panther label. Drummer Pinkie Pie signed with the small Jolly Roger label in 1960, and Jolly Roger was absorbed into CBS less than two years later. Pie's solo hits on CBS were first issued in the US on the Epic label, and then Clive Davis brought her and Rainbow Dash to the Columbia label. Henceforth, the Rainbooms' albums were issued on the same day (or later than the same day, depending on member) as their solo work, and the Rainbooms' work would easily outsell the members' solo albums and singles for the next few years of the label's existence.

But this was not immediate chart success. Their first two singles ("Scarborough Fair," SUN-501, and "Stay In My Corner," SUN-502) flopped. But their third single would immediately be SNATCHED UP by the teen community, especially amongst Equestria's teens: "Shake Your Tail!" (SUN-503) which made No. 4 in both the US and the EQ in the Summer of '68, and was hailed a nice break from all the turbulence that went on in the world during this very dangerous year. The next single they had, "Perfect Day for Fun," (SUN-506) did even better, making No. 1 in each country, and the next single, their teeny bop remake of the Paul Mauriat easy listening hit from earlier the next year, "Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)" (SUN-507), would repeat that success. There were 8 more straight top-25 records for the group, numbers in EQ chart positions shown here are same chart positions as US: "Better Than Ever" (SUN-511; 5/70, #18), "Someday We'll Be Together" (SUN-518; 7/70, #10), "Love Is A Cannon" (SUN-519; 7/70, #11), "What Are You Doing Sunday" (SUN-526; 8/71, #19), "Wanted: Your Precious Love" (SUN-533; 3/71, #22), "Break Your Promise" (SUN-535; 5/71, #20), "You're A Big Boy Now" (a Stylistics re-write) (SUN-538; 9/71, #2), and "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" (SUN-546; 6/72, #1). The label's financial decline began in 1972 with the release of their Greatest Hits album (SUS-90013) and the group's subsequent 1973 disbandment. Sales for the individual members' next albums and singles (especially Twilight's legendary 1976 LP "Twilightlicious") skyrocketed after that.

The Dazzlings, Sonata Dusk, Adagio Dazzle, and Aria Blaze, struggled to find their call in the music industry by 1968. They formed in 1965, and had auditioned for Motown, for Dunhill, for Atlantic, for Fantasy, etc., and were rejected by all but one label: Sunworld. As was the case with the Rainbooms, Babs Seed, sister to Sunflower, namesake of the label, showed the group to her, and they were signed immediately. They had scored 19 top 10 hits during the existence of the label, including on a most notable scale "Under Our Spell" (SUN-505; 10/68, #5). The Dazzlings moved to EMI after Sunworld closed.

The other 8 artists with singles and/or at least one album at the label were 6 musicians consisting of Flash Sentry, Zoe Trent (although her contract at the time was with Gulf+Western's co-owned Paramount label, on which a majority of her early 1970s albums were released), Mystery Mint (signed to A&M; in 1971 the label heightened its Equestrian presence by absorbing the Canterlot label), Youngmee Song, Trixie and the Illusions, and Castle White, and two comedy acts consisting of Snips & Snails and Pepper Clark.

The label lasted until approximately 1974, and the masters apparently went with Gulf+Western when it decided to sell all of its record label properties to ABC. The masters in turn went with ABC when it was sold and absorbed into MCA in 1979. That year, Coral Records, an MCA-owned budget reissue label, re-released compilation albums on both the Dazzlings and the Rainbooms. To make things even more confusing, in 2003, Sunworld label masters went with MCA when it was absorbed into Geffen!!

In 1988, the GNP Crescendo Record Co. reissued, in 4 record and 2 CD form, the albums released on the label by the Rainbooms. The company did the same thing, but added an additional disc for album No. 5, for the Dazzlings' LPs on the label in 1993.

The label for Sunworld Records featured black printing on a pink and yellow background. Above the label is a logo consisting of an illustration of founder Sunflower's cutie mark, to the right of which we see the words "SUNWORLD RECORDS." The ring around the bottom of the label read "Sunworld Records, Manehattan, Equestria MN432, is Distributed by Dot Records, a Division of Paramount Pictures Corporation, a Gulf+Western Company, Hollywood, California 90028." From the start of the label until mid-1970, the Paramount print logo was above the text ring. Later, "Dot Records" was replaced by "Paramount Records" and further later in 1970, "Paramount Pictures" was replaced by "Famous Music." About early 1972, the ring was changed to "SUNWORLD RECORDS/DISTRIBUTED BY FAMOUS MUSIC CORP./NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10023/A G+W COMPANY" and around mid-1972, the text "℗(year)" started to appear next to the ring. Promotional labels were white with black printing.

Number - Title - Artist - Release Date Contents

SUS-90001 - Shake Your Tail With Us! - Rainbooms 1968 Shake Your Tail!/1-2-3/Baby Love/The In-Crowd/So Much In Love/Rescue Me//Scarborough Fair/Chapel Of Love/Still Here/Stay In My Corner

SUS-90002 - Under Their Spell - Dazzlings 1968 Under Our Spell/I Want A Man/Gimme Some Lovin'/Voodoo Magic/In The Midnight Hour//Wedding Bell Blues/Good Morning Starshine/Come Go With Me/Little Things/Everyday

SUS-90003 - Have A Midnight Special And A Perfect Day For Fun With Us! - Rainbooms [1969] Midnight Special/Sugar Shack/Shop Around/Stubborn Kind of Fellow/Lonely Teardrops//Back In My Arms Again/Perfect Day for Fun/I Want You/Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)/I Can Sing A Rainbow

SUS-90004 - The Dazzlings Can't Get No Satisfaction! - Dazzlings 1969 I Can't Get No Satisfaction/Battle of the Bands/Two Lovers/Octopus' Garden/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah//Somebody Loves You/All I Have To Do Is Dream/Puppy Love/It's My Party/STOP! In The Name of Love

SUS-90005 - Flash Sentry - Flash Sentry 1969 Debut album for Sentry, whose proceeding contract was with RCA. We Can Share Our Life Together/There Goes My Baby/100 lbs. of Clay/Love Me Do/Cathy's Clown//Ooo Baby Baby/Devil Or Angel/Why Do We Have To Lose Ourselves (When We Can Get Ourselves Together)/Hey Girl/'Till Then

SUS-90006 - Get A Job With Us! - Rainbooms 1970 Get A Job/Love Is A Cannon/Better Than Ever/You Warm My Heart/Return To Sender/My Love//Gentle On My Mind/You're So Sweet/Try The Impossible/Maybe/Someday We'll Be Together

SUS-90007 - Live at Canterlot Palladium - Snips & Snails [1970]

SUS-90008 - The Fidel Castro Children's Show - Pepper Clark 1970 Originally planned for release on United Artists, the album was delayed for 2 years. It was a spoof of children's television shows starring herself as Fidel Castro and "his many friends". The Fidel Castro Children's Show, Pt. 1//The Fidel Castro Children's Show, Pt. 2

SUS-90009 - Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - Dazzlings [1970] Burn! Burn! Burn!/Bridge Over Troubled Water/A Million To One/Boy. Girl, Man, Woman/Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown/Lost It//Satisfying Love/Gentleman/Love Can Make You Happy/El Condor Pasa/Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

SUS-90010 - Turn Back The Hands Of Time With Us! - Rainbooms 1971 Turn Back The Hands Of Time/Bridge Over Troubled Water/You're A Big Boy Now/Cecilia/Break Your Promise/War//Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand/Wanted: Your Precious Love/Leavin' On A Jet Plane/I Think I Love You/The Long & Winding Road

SUS-90011 -

SUS-90012 - What's Going On? - Dazzlings [1971] What's Going On?/I Want You Back/Stand By Me/The Tramp Is A Lady/Get Together/Baby Child/others

SUS-90013 - Here Are Our Greatest Hits! - Rainbooms 1972 Shake Your Tail!/Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)/Perfect Day For Fun/Better Than Ever/Someday We'll Be Together/Love Is A Cannon//What Are You Doing Sunday/Wanted: Your Precious Love/Break Your Promise/You're A Big Boy Now/Me and You and a Dog Named Boo

SUS-90014 - We'll Take You There - Dazzlings 1972 I'll Take You There/Tired Of Being Alone/Church Bells May Ring/Unchained Melody/Want Ads//Stick Up/Boy/They Never Grow Boys Sweeter Than You/Hey There Lonely Boy/End Of Our Road

SUS-90015 - Castle White - Castle White [1973]

SUS-90016 - Here Are Our Greatest Hits! - Dazzlings [1973] Battle Of The Bands/Under Our Spell/In The Midnight Hour/Boy. Girl, Man, Woman/I Can't Get No Satisfaction!//A Million To One/Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown/Puppy Love/Somebody Loves You/End Of Our Road

SUS-90017 -

SUS-90018 -

SUS-90019 -

SUS-90020 -

SUS-90021 - Youngmee Song - Youngmee Song [1974]

RELATED ALBUMS:

GNP-CRESCENDO (US):

GNPS/GNPD 2192 - The Complete Studio Albums - Rainbooms [1988] 4-record/2-CD set. Shake Your Tail!/1-2-3/Baby Love/The In-Crowd/So Much In Love/Rescue Me//Scarborough Fair/Chapel Of Love/Still Here/Stay In My Corner//Midnight Special/Sugar Shack/Shop Around/Stubborn Kind of Fellow/Lonely Teardrops//Back In My Arms Again/Perfect Day for Fun/I Want You/Love Is Blue (L'amour Est Bleu)/I Can Sing A Rainbow//Get A Job/Love Is A Cannon/Better Than Ever/You Warm My Heart/Return To Sender/My Love//Gentle On My Mind/You're So Sweet/Try The Impossible/Maybe/Someday We'll Be Together//Turn Back The Hands Of Time/Bridge Over Troubled Water/You're A Big Boy Now/Cecilia/Break Your Promise/War//Reach Out And Touch Somebody's Hand/Wanted: Your Precious Love/Leavin' On A Jet Plane/I Think I Love You/The Long & Winding Road

GNPC/GNPD 2214 - The Complete Studio Albums - Dazzlings [1993] 3-CD set. Under Our Spell/I Want A Man/Gimme Some Lovin'/Voodoo Magic/In The Midnight Hour/Wedding Bell Blues/Good Morning Starshine/Come Go With Me/Little Things/Everyday/I Can't Get No Satisfaction/Battle of the Bands/Two Lovers/Octopus' Garden/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah/Somebody Loves You/All I Have To Do Is Dream/Puppy Love/It's My Party/STOP! In The Name of Love//Burn! Burn! Burn!/Bridge Over Troubled Water/A Million To One/Boy. Girl, Man, Woman/Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown/Lost It/Satisfying Love/Gentleman/Love Can Make You Happy/El Condor Pasa/Will You Love Me Tomorrow?/What's Going On?/I Want You Back/Stand By Me/The Tramp Is A Lady/Get Together/Baby Child/Sunlight/When The Sun Comes Out/Morning Sun/Hello I Love You/Light My Fire//I'll Take You There/Tired Of Being Alone/Church Bells May Ring/Unchained Melody/Want Ads//Stick Up/Boy/They Never Grow Boys Sweeter Than You/Hey There Lonely Boy/End Of Our Road

MCA CORAL (US):

MCA-37021 - Here Are Our Greatest Hits! - Rainbooms [1979] Reissue of Sunworld SUS-90013. Shake Your Tail!/Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)/Perfect Day For Fun/Better Than Ever/Someday We'll Be Together/Love Is A Cannon//What Are You Doing Sunday/Wanted: Your Precious Love/Break Your Promise/You're A Big Boy Now/Me and You and a Dog Named Boo

MCA-37022 - Here Are Our Greatest Hits! - Dazzlings [1979] Reissue of Sunworld SUS-90016. Battle Of The Bands/Under Our Spell/In The Midnight Hour/Boy. Girl, Man, Woman/I Can't Get No Satisfaction!//A Million To One/Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown/Puppy Love/Somebody Loves You/End Of Our Road.

Hot Wax Label

Hot Wax Records was formed by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland and was operated similarly to their co-formed Invictus label. Hot Wax was distributed by Buddah, which meant that in Equestria, its records were distributed and manufactured by A&M from the time it absorbed the Canterlot label until the time that Holland-Dozier-Holland put Hot Wax out of business. Singles and albums from the Hot Wax and the Invictus label previously appeared on Canterlot Records' GLOBAL label

Out of the vast majority of hits scored by Hot Wax in the US, Honey Cone, amongst the first groups that adopted a liberated stance on record, gave Hot Wax the only major hit the label got in Equestria with "Want Ads" which made No. 4 on the country's charts. However, in America, they proved not to be the one hit wonder they were in Equestria, and returned to the US charts with a vengance with "Stick Up" and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show." The label scored other big hits in America, but not in Equestria; the singles "Somebody's Been Sleeping in My Bed" by 100 Proof (Aged In Soul), "Westbound Number 9" by Flaming Ember; and "Rip Off" by Laura Lee were all big US R&B hits but were met with considerably poor chart showings in Equestria.

By 1973, both Honey Cone and the label were gone.

Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date]

HWX-701 - Sunshine - The Flaming Ember [1971]

HWX-702 - Sweet Replies - Honey Cone [1971]

HWX-703 - Soulful Tapestry - Honey Cone [1972]

HWX-704 - Woman's Love Rights - Laura Lee [1972]

HWX-705 - Deliciously Yours - 100 Proof (Aged in Soul)

HWX-706 - Hot Wax Greatest Hits - Various Artists [1972]

HWX-707 - The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson - The Politicians [1972]

HWX-708 - 100 Proof - 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) [1972]

HWX-709 - Love, Peace & Soul - Honey Cone [1972]

HWX-710 - Two Sides of Laura Lee - Laura Lee [1972]

HWX-711 - Best of Laura Lee - Laura Lee [1972]

HWX-712 - Think of the Children - Satisfaction Unlimited [1973]