"Vault" label reissues on Good Time

[mjzee]

I find this intriguing.  A label named Good Time has three upcoming releases that were originally on Vault Records.  No idea if they are legit.  The Vault label has been bouncing around for awhile (last issued by Essential Music Group) and really mistreated: they reissued some titles at the wrong speed!  So it'll be interesting to see if these are legit, and if the mastering is done correctly and with respect.  I've always been interested in hearing their Jack Wilson titles.

 

 

[Dub Modal]

These are on streaming platforms. Listening to the Charles Owens Mother Lode record now and it sounds correct. No idea if it’s the same as what’s on Good Time though. 

[felser]

I picked up their CD reissue of the 'Kawaida' session (Tootie Heath, Mtume, Hancock, Cherry, Jimmy Heath, etc.) and it was shameful.  No personnel listings, recording dates, notes, anything.  Just song titles on tray card.  Sound was OK, not great, but that session has never had good sonics (or a quality release that I've come across.  I had the Trip LP back in the day, a sleazy CD listing it as a Herbie Hancock session, and this). There's a 1991 Fresh Sound CD reissue of the Wilson, which is fine.  Go for that. I need to research the Owens, not familiar with it!

[romualdo]

It's actually Reel Music (Good Time Distribution), Nashville, TN

https://www.discogs.com/label/1859947-Reel-2?sort=year&sort_order=desc

read the comments at bottom - I'm still dubious

Interesting range of releases including a reissue (RSD release) of a somewhat rare/collactable Australian Album "Fraternity" from 1971 that included Bon Scott (AC/DC) & Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel)

[felser]

10 hours ago, romualdo said:

It's actually Reel Music (Good Time Distribution), Nashville, TN

https://www.discogs.com/label/1859947-Reel-2?sort=year&sort_order=desc

read the comments at bottom - I'm still dubious

 

That's not mine (wish it was), this is, September 2023 release (no listing in Discogs).  Details as I stated):

[JSngry]

https://goodtimerecords.com/

 

[Bill Nelson]

Andalusia comes to Music City!  "We'll stop when your attorney says, "Cease and desist." 

[felser]

8 minutes ago, Bill Nelson said:

Andalusia comes to Music City!  "We'll stop when your attorney says, "Cease and desist." 

They claim to hold the licensing, though they don't inspire confidence in me.

[JSngry]

Looking (briefly) at their catalogue, they seem to have picked up a fair amount of items that would otherwise have been floundering. Through what means and to what extent, I have no idea. But they seem very eager to lease rights that they claim to have.

 

[felser]

Anyone familiar with that Charles Owens disc.  The Jack Wilson is really good music, and Kawaida is a classic session, seemingly never properly respected.  Have never heard the Hawes, but hard for me to garner excitement about it.  It's also available on a Fresh Sound CD, and they do a great job.

[JSngry]

https://www.discogs.com/release/4080754-Charles-Owens-Mother-Lode-I-Stand-Alone

I can be convinced about it! 

Produced by Richard Bock.

Owens was with Buddy Rich at one point, him and Ernie Watts were the altoists, so Bock knew both and recorded both for Vault!

https://www.discogs.com/release/2187327-The-Ernie-Watts-Encounter-The-Wonder-Bag

Here they both are with Rich on a pretty nutty alto exchange:

 

[mjzee]

I guess once Bock sold Pacific Jazz, he was free to work with other labels?

Here's a Wikipedia entry on Vault: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vault_Records  I'm also curious about the Larry Bunker with Gary Burton (also released on CD by Essential Music Group).

Looking at the Discogs page that romualdo linked to, one title caught my eye: Little Esther - The Warwick Singles.  If Good Time somehow owns the Warwick catalog, maybe we can get good reissues of their jazz titles.

[felser]

The gems of the Vault vault to me are the three Chambers Brothers albums.  Reissued several times on LP and CD, well worth picking up.  Does not have the psychedelic touches of their later Columbia recordings, but exceptional R&B/R&R.  Also interesting material by the Peanut Butter Conspiracy from their vaults, later released on CD.  And a bunch of rock curios I wouldn't mind hearing.

BTW, the Owens sounds good to me, will look to pick it up eventually.  And I have that Rich - all of his Pacific Jazz albums were winners, my favorite period of his!

14 minutes ago, mjzee said:

If Good Time somehow owns the Warwick catalog, maybe we can get good reissues of their jazz titles.

Or another round of sleazy reissues of them.  Fresh Sound did some good reissues of them, as did Collectables to a lesser extent.  But for the most part, that catalog has been poorly served.

Edited January 19 by felser

[JSngry]

Discogs says that Vault is now owned by Rhino, but perhaps that is not current info? 

[mjzee]

It might come down to who owns the masters of individual recordings, rather than the entire label.

[felser]

10 hours ago, JSngry said:

Discogs says that Vault is now owned by Rhino, but perhaps that is not current info? 

I've never seen any of the Vault material on Rhino that I can recall.  The Chambers Bros. CD's came out on One Way and then Collector's Choice (and I do miss both of those labels, they did good work).

[mjzee]

On 1/18/2024 at 9:01 PM, mjzee said:

I'm also curious about the Larry Bunker with Gary Burton

Good Time has now indeed released the Larry Bunker album, which is on it's way to me:

A live Gary Burton show is always a treasure, and this performance, featuring Larry Bunker (known best for drumming with none other than Bill Evans), is no different. Recorded live on location in 1963 and later officially released by Vault Records in Los Angeles in 1965, despite his illustrious career, this would be Bunkers first and only recording taking the lead on a session like this. Showcasing the indelible talents of Gary Burton on vibraphone, Mike Wofford on piano, Bob West on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums - and coming at you live from the eminent west coast jazz club 'Shelly's Manne-Hole', hear an ensemble at the top of their game as they lead you through a host of stellar compositions by Mike Gibbs, Cole Porter, Phil Woods, Jerome Kern and more.

 

[Daniel A]

Only six months ago, the "43 North Holdings company" claimed on their website that they had acquired the rights to the Vault label (as well as the old Blue Note bootlegs on Applause Records!). But that website is now down, as is the Good Times website posted above in this very thread.

 

Quote

About us

Home to one of the largest independent catalogs of vintage audio copyrights, Good Time Records manages nearly 40,000 Sound Recordings and Published Compositions.

Good Time Records is one of the key players in vintage rights management. A growing label group with primary focus on back-catalog acquisition, music distribution and estate royalty provision.

Headquartered in Nashville, New York, London and Portugal, with worldwide distribution of digital and physical product lines.

The Good Time catalog spans six decades of quality music in most genres, including songs and recording copyrights available for all international licensing opportunities.

🤨

FWIW, the Jack Wilson and Larry Bunker albums (as well as other Vault titles) still appear on Spotify as "(c)Vault Records (TM) a division of 43 North Broadway LLC".

Edited March 10 by Daniel A

[Daniel A]

Here's an interesting article which mentions a link between 43 North Broadway LLC, Real Gone and Zev Feldman:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/it-was-the-first-entirely-black-run-jazz-company-in-decades-but-was-black-jazz-records-actually-owned-by-a-white-guy/2020/08/26/a8c764be-e211-11ea-8181-606e603bb1c4_story.html

[mjzee]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:47 PM, felser said:

I picked up their CD reissue of the 'Kawaida' session (Tootie Heath, Mtume, Hancock, Cherry, Jimmy Heath, etc.) and it was shameful.  No personnel listings, recording dates, notes, anything.  Just song titles on tray card.  Sound was OK, not great, but that session has never had good sonics (or a quality release that I've come across.  I had the Trip LP back in the day, a sleazy CD listing it as a Herbie Hancock session, and this). There's a 1991 Fresh Sound CD reissue of the Wilson, which is fine.  Go for that. I need to research the Owens, not familiar with it!

My copy of the Larry Bunker album just arrived, and the packaging is like felser's description of the Kawaida album: Just an album cover and track listing with composers, no personnel, recording date, or any other info.  Haven't played it yet to report on sound quality.

Here's an interesting interview with Burton about the date: https://www.jazzwax.com/2019/08/gary-burton-on-larry-bunker.html

 

Edited March 11 by mjzee