Fenton Records Studio and Label

[tom kirby]

Hi all,

I have read an article which was covering the re-opening of the Fenton Records Studio in Sparta Michigan and the revitalization of the Fenton Record Label from March of this year 2015. I have been asked for an interview by the articles author who writes for MLive. The interview is suppised to start this week, but I hope to learn more about the new owners and other re-opening information in the process. Tom

 

[Frantic]

If they're gonna record rap guys, I want them to stay closed!!!

 

[paul messis]

If they're gonna record rap guys, I want them to stay closed!!!

So do I.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

It's that word "revitalization" which makes me feel uneasy.

 

[tom kirby]

It's that word "revitalization" which makes me feel uneasy.

verb (used with object), revitalized, revitalizing.
1.
to give new life to.
2.
to give new vitality or vigor to.

What's wrong with the word?

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

Exactly that: It implies the label may start recording and releasing new material rather than releasing or re-releasing its existing archive. Fenton, in my opinion, has the legacy of having issued the highest concentration of 4-5 star (8-10 on the TBM scale) garage songs, and possibly the most outright for any label - although I don't feel inclined to do the calculations right now - but it's certainly head and shoulders above either the Fleetwood or Ikon labels, which puzzlingly have been ranked higher according to the member ranking system on this forum. Fenton is unlikely to manage to enhance that reputation by recording new bands; besides which, all the original owners and staff having moved on, Fenton would bear a resemblance in name only to any enterprise undertaken today.

 

[tom kirby]

Exactly that: It implies the label may start recording and releasing new material rather than releasing or re-releasing its existing archive. Fenton, in my opinion, has the legacy of having issued the highest concentration of 4-5 star (8-10 on the TBM scale) garage songs, and possibly the most outright for any label - although I don't feel inclined to do the calculations right now - but it's certainly head and shoulders above either the Fleetwood or Ikon labels, which puzzlingly have been ranked higher according to the member ranking system on this forum. Fenton is unlikely to manage to enhance that reputation by recording new bands; besides which, all the original owners and staff having moved on, Fenton would bear a resemblance in name only to any enterprise undertaken today.

As I understand the new owners mission, recording and releasing new material is a big part of their plan. They have asked us and other artists who recorded in that studio in the '60s to be present at the ribbon cutting ceremony on July 18th I suppose to let the younger people know that the Fenton Studio and Label is an old, established Label known throughout the music industry. I really don't know what they intend to do with the "old recordings" all of which have been comped at least once. And, my guess is, since they are in business to record, if someone wants wants to pay the fee's, they will record "Rap". Any studio who makes their money by recording people would. But, back to the "word" since the Fenton Label was dead and is being given new life, regardless of what they record and release, is a fitting word.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

Still, I wish them all the best.

 

[Frantic]

Fenton, in my opinion, has the legacy of having issued the highest concentration of 4-5 star (8-10 on the TBM scale) garage songs, and possibly the most outright for any label - although I don't feel inclined to do the calculations right now - but it's certainly head and shoulders above either the Fleetwood or Ikon labels, which puzzlingly have been ranked higher according to the member ranking system on this forum.

Fenton may be cooler and more famous but Ikon was America's best kept secret for decades, at least 90% of the 45s were.

 

[MopTopMike]

Fenton does not have any of the old master tapes or even own them.
Collectibles purchased them from the estate of J. Lubinskas several years ago now, who himself just found them being tossed out during the early 1980s, as the story goes.
The Fenton studio tapes are a complete mess, many not even in boxes, unspooled, etc. Many opportunities to reissue from tapes failed simply because of the poor condition of the tapes.

 

[tom kirby]

I don't know what they meant wnen I first got the phone call from the lady who was in L.A. Part of what she told me was that we would be receiving Royalties in the near future. And, that the music would be licensed. How are they going to do that. Plus, based on what Mike said, they must be talking about the records that have already been comped. I don't know how any of the legal stuff works. I mean, does our music, for example, become their property because of the age of the recordings. Do they get ownership of the music because they bought the right to use the Fenton label. And, would that include subsidary labels such as Sound of the Sceen? One guy suggested we contact a lawyer versed in the music industry. I thought to myself, the attorney would cost more than any possible Royalties.

 

[MopTopMike]

The Collectibles label would be paying the royalties. The owner is a lawyer and is naturally quite savvy in regards to legalities.
I cannot understand how the studio would retain ownership when the original owner tossed the tapes out or did not concern himself with them (and they were discarded by another party).
It would not be worth the effort to hire an attorney, unless the music gets licensed to a TV show or some other mass media outlet, for example.

 

[MopTopMike]

Sound of the Sceen is not a subsidiary of Fenton records, in a technical sense...The songs were recorded at the studio, but the label was a in fact a custom vanity pressing created by the guy who put up the money (I forgot his name, Tom - the guy who who ran the teen club of the same name).

To be considered a subsidiary, the label would have to be established and set up by law to be owned and operated under the main imprint. Any publications and notices would have to identify Sound Of The Sceen as a subsidiary. Since Fenton did absolutely zero promotion (bands, etc did their own promoting) there would be no need for a subsidiary. Fenton as an entity were simply operating as a recording studio that had an in-house label which, if selected, would be available to manufacture recorded product for more money in addition to recording costs. Setting up the business this way allowed for ease of recording profit losses when documenting finances.

If Fenton operated as a defacto label (without a connection to their recording studio) the business would have to be set up in a different fashion - in other words, both would have to be created as separate business entities. Unless filed documentation can be found otherwise. I do not know how the tax system was during the 1960s, but given the record industry penchant for cutting corners and illicit activities (rampant bootlegging, overpressing/deleted/cut-out pressings re-sold for retail, etc) I could imagine entrepeneures preferences to be that of all operating under one business model

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

The Fenton studio tapes are a complete mess, many not even in boxes, unspooled, etc. Many opportunities to reissue from tapes failed simply because of the poor condition of the tapes.

Couldn't have been worse than the Fine Records collection!

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

I didn't realise you were in Tonto & the Renegades, Tom. My hat off too you!!

 

[tom kirby]

Thanks for the clarification regarding the susidiary label, Mike. I called it that because thats what I have heard(read) other people call it. We , the guys or more accurately, kids, in the band didn't care what was put on the record. Our agent and owner of The Sceen, Don Trefry, and our manager, Tonto's dad said record and so we did. It wasn't until the second record was doing well on the local Top 10 charts that we heard from "real" labels. You are absolutely right about Fenton Records doing nothing besides making the recording and getting it pressed. It seems that there were many such labels that would put their name on the record label, but do nothing to promote the record and band. It just that a label was a necessary part of the process. But, if "Sound of the Sceen" label is not part of Fenton in any way, why are we on the Fenton Story lp's and cd's? Apparently, we just used the space and equipment in that building to record our music totally independent of Fenton Records. Maybe the Fenton Story should more accurately be titled "The Studio in Sparta Story".

 

[bosshoss]

it's certainly head and shoulders above either the Fleetwood or Ikon labels, which puzzlingly have been ranked higher according to the member ranking system on this forum

The ranking system doesn't reflect the overall quality of the labels. It's more a reflection of the exotic rarity of the labels' output, and is purely for fun, not serious.

 

[Outside_Lookin_in]

I take my labels very seriously

(That's okay, lol)

 

[tom kirby]

Sound of the Sceen is not a subsidiary of Fenton records, in a technical sense...The songs were recorded at the studio, but the label was a in fact a custom vanity pressing created by the guy who put up the money (I forgot his name, Tom - the guy who who ran the teen club of the same name).

To be considered a subsidiary, the label would have to be established and set up by law to be owned and operated under the main imprint. Any publications and notices would have to identify Sound Of The Sceen as a subsidiary. Since Fenton did absolutely zero promotion (bands, etc did their own promoting) there would be no need for a subsidiary. Fenton as an entity were simply operating as a recording studio that had an in-house label which, if selected, would be available to manufacture recorded product for more money in addition to recording costs. Setting up the business this way allowed for ease of recording profit losses when documenting finances.

If Fenton operated as a defacto label (without a connection to their recording studio) the business would have to be set up in a different fashion - in other words, both would have to be created as separate business entities. Unless filed documentation can be found otherwise. I do not know how the tax system was during the 1960s, but given the record industry penchant for cutting corners and illicit activities (rampant bootlegging, overpressing/deleted/cut-out pressings re-sold for retail, etc) I could imagine entrepeneures preferences to be that of all operating under one business model

Mike,

Here is one reason I referred to the "Sound of the Sceen" as a subsidiary label of Fenton. Especially the last sentence.
"Fenton subsidiaries

Fenton Records was what is known as a "vanity" label, meaning bands paid for recording time and some vinyl records. Rumor has it that if Kalmbach thought the song lacked quality, he wouldn't release it on Fenton, instead it would be tagged with a sub-label, such as 4 Count or Buyit Records. Other times band members would be allowed to pick (or create) which label-name they wanted to be under, such as Sound of the Sceen and Vark."[