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Inventory of the Fantasy Records Publicity Files
008.020
008.020
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Table of contents
Title: Inventory of the Fantasy Records Publicity Files
Identifier/Call Number: 008.020
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
68.0 Linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1949-2006
Abstract: The Fantasy Records Publicity Files include documents and related materials collected and generated by the Fantasy Records
Publicity Department. The materials range from the early days of the company's foundation in the 1950s under the ownership
of the Weiss brothers going up to the mid-2000s when Fantasy Records was sold to Concord Music to form the Concord Music Group,
an active records company at the time of this publication. This collection provides valuable information for the San Francisco
Bay Area-based company and its impact on music on both local and national scales, featuring information about local artists
and those cultivated by the various labels acquired by the company over its almost 55 years of operations out of the San Francisco
and then Berkeley headquarters. The collection has been arranged in the following series:
Administrative Files,
Biographies and Photographs,
Fantasy Press, and
Label Press. The series titles were chosen to match the original arrangement of the materials when they were in active use.
Creator:
Fantasy Records.
Donated by Concord Music Group on March 31, 2008.
[Folder title], Fantasy Records Publicity Files, Museum of Performance + Design.
Museum of Performance + Design holds property rights. All intellectual property rights are held be the individual labels or
by Concord Music Group if the label is no longer active.
This collection is open to research. Documents with personal information for individuals still living may be restricted.
Organizational History of Fantasy Records, Inc.
Fantasy Records was founded in 1949 by brothers Max and Sol Weiss, following their purchase of Jack Sheedy's San Francisco-based
record label, Coronet. The Weiss brothers, already owners of a records pressing company, combined the endeavors under the
name Fantasy Records. Coronet's biggest artist, Dave Brubeck, signed with Fantasy Records promptly thereafter, becoming one
of the label's hottest draws, with the company shipping 40,000 to 50,000 copies of Brubeck's records. Believing he had a 50
percent interest in the company as a whole, Brubeck worked as an unofficial artists and repertoire assistant, leading to the
signing of performers such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Red Norvo, helping to cement the company's status as a leading
label for jazz music. However, when he discovered he only owned 50 percent of his own recordings, Brubeck left Fantasy Records
for Columbia Records.
The company continued to grow, acquiring Galaxy Records in 1951, the company's first subsidiary. In 1955, Saul Zaentz, film
producer, joined the company. As a wedding gift, Charles Mingus gave Zaentz Debut Records' catalog, which became part of Fantasy
Records. Zaentz purchased Fantasy Records from the Weiss brothers in 1968, a year after he took over running the company.
He continued to grow the company, acquiring Prestige Records, Riverside, and Milestone in 1971, 1972, and 1973 respectively.
The company's roster of talent continued to grow, including artists such as the Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), which
would become one of the label's most prominent artists.
In order to accommodate the talent signed to the company and its subsidiaries and in part due to the success of CCR, a new
studio was commissioned in Berkeley, opening in 1971. The new studio also resulted in Fantasy Records relocating their headquarters
from San Francisco to Berkeley, where they would remain. Colloquially known as "The House Creedence Built", CCR, several prominent
artists such as Sylvester, the Blackbyrds, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and others record in one of initially
three, then four studios, with one studio (Studio C) specifically designed for CCR. A fourth studio was added following the
success of the Zaentz-produced film
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. At the time of the publication of this finding aid, this studio remains in use for recording artists, film, and video games.
Ralph Kaffel, vice president of Fantasy since 1971, succeeded Zaentz in 1973 as president, though Zaentz continued to remain
involved as owner. Under Kaffel's leadership, Fantasy Records continued the policy of acquisitions: Stax Records (1977), Good
Time Jazz (1984), Contemporary (1984), Pablo (1986), Specialty (1991), Kicking Mule (1995), and Takoma (1995). Artists during
this era included Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Hayes, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, Gene Ammons, Nat Adderley, among others.
In 2004, Zaentz and his partners sold the building and the Fantasy Records labels to Concord Records, which would form the
Concord Music Group. While some operations remain active in Berkeley, principal operations take place in Concord Music Group's
headquarters in Beverly Hills, California.
The Fantasy Records Publicity Files include documents and related materials collected and generated by the Fantasy Records
Publicity Department. The materials range from the early days of the company's founding in the 1950s under the ownership of
the Weiss brothers going up to the mid-2000s when Fantasy Records was sold to Concord Music to form the Concord Music Group,
an active records company at the time of this publication. The collection has been arranged in the following series:
Administrative Files,
Biographies and Photographs,
Fantasy Press, and
Label Press. The series titles were chosen to match the original arrangement of the materials when they were in active use.
The
Administrative Files series includes items generated by the Publicity department as part of their work for the Fantasy Records organization as
a whole as well as documents that pertained to more than one label and/or subsidiary. This series includes newsletters published
by the company, correspondence, materials regarding sponsored projects, and other related documents. Some aspects of this
series may be restricted if personal information for living individuals is included. All materials are arranged in alphabetical
order by title/subject heading and the further sorted in chronological order as appropriate.
The
Biographies and Photographs series contains files with headshots and biographical sketches written for several artists signed with Fantasy Records and
its subsidiaries. The majority of the artists in this series were primarily active in the 1970s and the 1980s. This series
is arranged in alphabetical order according to individual artist last time and/or group name.
The
Fantasy Press series comprises the bulk of this collection. While there may be some duplication with the Biographies and Photographs series,
for many artists this series includes press releases regarding upcoming appearances, releases, and other news; publicity photographs,
correspondence with the artists, press clippings and interviews, and other related documents. The amount of materials available
will vary as prominent artists will have more materials compared to others. Also included in this series are publicity and
press information for compilation albums and special releases and events. This series is an excellent resource for jazz and
rock artists working with Fantasy Records as well as a resource for what was promoted by the records' companies and critical
reception. This series is arranged in alphabetical order according to individual artist last time and/or group, event, or
compilation album name as appropriate.
The
Label Press series includes materials from specific Fantasy Records subsidiaries and labels. This series is further subdivided into specific
subsidiaries and labels. These subseries include documentation, correspondence, and album information specific to the label
and/or subsidiary in question as part of the Publicity department's work. All materials are arranged in alphabetical order
by topic/subject heading, then arranged in chronological order if appropriate, followed by album codes (if applicable) arranged
in numerical order. This was done to match the original order of these files. Some information, especially clippings pertaining
to specific albums or artists, may be duplicated in the
Fantasy Press series. Some aspects of this series may be restricted if personal information for living individuals is included.
- Administrative Files
- Biographies and Photographs
- Fantasy Press
- Label Press
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Jazz--California--San Francisco.
Jazz--United States--20th century.
Jazz.
Music
Music--20th century--History and criticism.
Music--20th century--Performance.
Music--20th century.
Music--21st century.
Music--California--San Francisco--20th century--History and criticism.
Music--California--San Francisco.
Rock music--California--San Francisco--History and criticism.
Rock music.