SOLAR Records logo.

S.O.L.A.R. Records (acronym for Sounds of Los Angeles Records) was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, a few years after having created the "Soul Train Records" label with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius. After the success of a few singles on the Soul Train imprint, Griffey and Cornelius decided (amicably) to shut it down as Cornelius wanted to focus his energies on the television show, which was a monster hit and required his full attention to keep it so. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... See also: 1976 in music, other events of 1977, 1978 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Queens Bohemian Rhapsody is named The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years by BPI. In this year, the St. ... Soul Train is a long-running American music-related syndicated television program. ... Don Cornelius (born September 27, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African-American television producer, best known for his role as the host, between 1971 and 1993, of the syndicated television program Soul Train, which he also created and which he still produces. ...

Legalities taken care of, Soul Train Records folded and Griffey reorganized the company to found the SOLAR label in late 1977, which quickly became one of the most important disco, R&B, and dance music imprints of the late 1970s and 1980s. It even spawned a subsidiary label, Constellation Records, which had some success spinning off its parent’s successes. This article is becoming very long. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... It has been suggested that Electronic dance music be merged into this article or section. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ...

Griffey and Cornelius remained good friends, and as a result, SOLAR maintained close ties to the Soul Train show. In 1975, Griffey formed Shalamar—using a host of session singers to record "Uptown Festival," which were disco covers of early Motown hits. After scoring a hit with the recording, he looked to Cornelius to help him put together an actual group to maintain the impact. In 1977, Soul Train dancers Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel and Gerald Brown (who was eventually replaced by Howard Hewett) were recruited to form the new Shalamar, which would become the fledgling label's centerpiece. Shalamar were, in fact, the label's best selling and most influential act; scoring nearly 20 hit singles and classics such as: “Right in the Socket,” “Make that Move,” “A Night to Remember” and “Dead Giveaway.” 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Hewett, Watley, and Daniel Shalamar was an American musical group of the 1970s and 1980s that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Jody Watley (born Chicago, Illinois on January 30, 1959) is an American pop singer/songwriter, producer and label owner. ... Jeffrey Daniel (right) with fellow Shalamar band members, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley Jeffrey Daniel (often misspelt as Jeffrey Daniels) (born Los Angeles, California on August 24, 1955) is an American dancer and singer, most notable for being a member of the soul vocal group Shalamar. ... Howard Hewett (Born: October 1st, 1955 in Akron, Ohio) is the former lead vocalist of the R&B group, Shalamar, from 1979 to 1985. ...

The SOLAR success story was by no means confined to one act, several other artists enjoyed success, including: Dynasty, Klymaxx, the Whispers, Lakeside, Midnight Star, Calloway, Carrie Lucas, and the Deele, which introduced singer/songwriter/producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and future music executive Antonio "L.A." Reid. Griffey had always believed in giving new talents the opportunity to create and develop their craft, and he was the first to recognize songwriters/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Reggie and Vincent Calloway, and Leon Sylvers. The “SOLAR sound” was a collective effort, with artists working on each other's sessions and artists encouraged to be creative. Sylvers was the producer behind the trademark SOLAR sound: funky, progressive dance music infused with soul and disco. Dynasty was a R&B band/group based in Los Angeles, California, created by producer and SOLAR Records label head Dick Griffey and Leon Sylvers III. The band was known for their clever dance/pop numbers during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. ... The original members of Klymaxx. ... The Whispers are a R&B/ dance vocal group from Los Angeles California. ... Lakeside was a notable funk group, best known for their 1980 number one R&B hit, Fantastic Voyage. In October 2004 Fantastic Voyage appeared in popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on Funk radio station Bounce FM. // Stephen Shockley formed what would become Lakeside in Dayton, Ohio as... Midnight Star was a synth-funk group that a string of R&B hits in the 80s. ... The Calloway brothers, Reginald Calloway (born on January 23, 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio) and Vincent Calloway (born on January 5, 1957 in Cincinnati, Ohio) led the synth-funk outfit Midnight Star from its formation to 1988, and then recorded as a duo going just by their last name, scoring one... Kenneth Babyface Edmonds Kenneth Babyface Edmonds (born April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is a successful African American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entreprenuer. ... Kenneth Brian Babyface Edmonds (born April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana), is a successful American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entrepreneur. ... Antonio L.A. Reid is the co-founder of LaFace Records. ... James Jimmy Jam Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... The Calloway brothers, Reginald Calloway (born on January 23, 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio) and Vincent Calloway (born on January 5, 1957 in Cincinnati, Ohio) led the synth-funk outfit Midnight Star from its formation to 1988, and then recorded as a duo going just by their last name, scoring one...

The mid-late 1980s saw the label's fortunes decline the reasons for which are many. Among them were A&R problems with Shalamar, primarily maintaining the group's identity while members Hewett and Watley had departed and were having successful solo careers on other labels; and the shifting musical directions of R&B, dance and popular music in general in the late '80s and early 1990s. In the music industry, artist and repertoire (A&R) refers to the division of a record label that is responsible for scouting and developing talent. ...

Initially SOLAR was distributed through RCA Records, then it entered into a long running relationship with Elektra Records and later Capitol Records throughout the 1980s. During its twilight years, its recordings were being distributed by Epic Records. RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... Epic Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ...

SOLAR closed its doors in the late 1990s. The label's back catalog were eventually purchased by EMI, with many of its releases and compilations being re-issued through EMI's The Right Stuff imprint. The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a music company comprising the major record label, EMI Music, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ...

See also

• List of record labels

Solar records was later transformed into infamous hip-hop/rap/r&b label - DEATH ROW RECORDS by DR.DRE & MARION SUGE KNIGHT. In fact, the first album from DR.DRE, THE CHRONIC, first came out under SOLAR RECORDS. Soon after that, SOLAR RECORDS was renamed into DEATH ROW RECORDS. The rest was history. This is a list of record labels. ...