Back Beat (sometimes Backbeat) Records was a subsidiary of Duke/Peacock Records, run by Don
Robey out of Houston, Texas. The early Back Beat labels gave the address as 2809 Erastus Street in
Houston, while later the address was 5208 Wiley in Houston.
The label was sold to ABC on May 23, 1973. ABC issued albums and singles in 1973 and 1974 using a
white drum head label. ABC had scheduled the album Back Beat BLP-73 for late 1974 [as listed in the
Schwann-1 Catalog as a new release for December, 1974], but decided at the last minute to discontinue
the label.
At that point, late 1974, only O.V. Wright and Carl Carlton remained as artists on the label, and Wright
was temporarily incarcerated for drug use problems. Back Beat BLP-73, Everlasting Love by Carl
Carlton, was issued instead on ABC ABCD-857.
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The first Back Beat album label (far left) was red with black printing, BACKBEAT in black above the center hole. The second label (near left) had a white drum head with red rim, two yellow drum sticks, with BACK BEAT in red above the center hole. |
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Reissues after 1974 used a green ABC/Back Beat label (far left). The promotional label (near left) was white with black print. |
Cover |
Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents |
Back Beat BLP-60 Series:
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BLP-60 - Funny (How The Time Slips Away) - Joe Hinton [1965] Original label was red
and black. Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-60. Pledging My Love/Funny (How The Time
Slips Away)/If You Love Me/I'll Get Along Somehow/If It Ain't One Thing/So
Close//Endlessly/Everything/True Love/A Thousand Clips Of Happiness/Darling Come Talk To
Me/Guess Who
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BLP-61 - (If It Is) Only for Tonight - O.V. Wright [1965] Original label was red and black.
Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-61. If It's Only For Tonight/Why Don't You Believe Me/Can't
Find True Love/Motherless Child/You've Been Crying/I Could Write A Book (About Heartaches)//You're
Gonna Make Me Cry/Wish I Were That Boy/Monkey Dog/Don't Want To Sit Down/Everybody Knows
(The River Song)/I Can't Believe (You've Got The Nerve To Cry)
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BLP-62 | |
BLP-63
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BLP-64
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BLP-65
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BLP-66 - 8 Men And 4 Women - O.V. Wright [5/67] Original label was red and black.
Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-66. Eight Men And Four Women/Why Don't You Believe
Me/Can't Find True Love/Don't Want To Sit Down/Everybody Knows/I Could Write A Book//Bachelor's
Blues/You're Gonna Make Me Cry/Monkey Dog/You've Been Crying/I Can't Believe/Motherless Child
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BLP-67 - Nucleus of Soul - O.V. Wright [1969] Original label was red and black. First
cover. Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-67 with a different cover (see below). Blowing In The
Wind/Gonna Forget About You/I Have None/You're So Good To Me/Why Not Give Me A
Chance//Pledging My Love/This Hurt Is Real/I'll Hate Myself Tomorrow/I'll Take Care Of You/I Want
Everyone To Know
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BLP-67 - Nucleus of Soul - O.V. Wright [1974] Reissued as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-67.
Green label. Blowing In The Wind/Gonna Forget About You/I Have None/You're So Good To Me/Why
Not Give Me A Chance//Pledging My Love/This Hurt Is Real/I'll Hate Myself Tomorrow/I'll Take Care Of
You/I Want Everyone To Know
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BLP-68 - She's Back - Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton [1970] Original label was red
and black. Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-68. Cotton Picking Blues/Willie Mae's Blues/Big
Change/Walking Blues/Just Can't Help Myself//Hound Dog/They Call Me Big Mama/Tarzan And The
Signified Monkey/My Man Called Me/I Smell A Rat
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BLP-69 - Here's "Sunshine" - Larry "Sunshine" Rice [1969] Original label was red and
black. Listen Sister/In Again, Out Again/That's Beautiful/A Sad Thought This Is/I Hear There's A Man//I
Don't Know Nothing At All/Easter Bunny Time/Horny's All 'Tis/Love You Mother Earth/Margie In
Midnight
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BLP-70 - A Nickel And A Nail And The Ace of Spades - O.V. Wright [1971] Original
label was red and black. Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-70. Don't Let My Baby Ride/Born
All Over/Ace Of Spades/Eight Men, Four Women/He Made Woman For Man//I Can't Take
It/Afflicted/When You Took Your Love From Me/A Nickel And A Nail/Don't Take It Away
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BLP-71 - Can't Stop a Man in Love - Carl Carlton [1973] Original label had the white
drum head design. White label promos with the same design but no color were also issued. Reissued in
1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-71. You Can't Stop A Man In Love/Drop By My Place/Competition Ain't
Nothing/I Won't Let That Chump Break You Heart/Did You Mean It//Born Just In Time/Why Don't They
Leave Us Alone/International Playboy/You Make Me Feel Like A Grown Up Man/You Times Me Plus
Love
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BLP-72 - Memphis Unlimited - O.V. Wright [1973] Original label had the white drum
head design. Reissued in 1974 as ABC/Back Beat BBLX-72. I've Been Searching/Nothing Comes To A
Sleeper/The Only Thing That Saved Me/He's My Son (Just The Same)/You Must Believe In
Yourself/Lost In The Shuffle//I'd Rather Be Blind, Cripple, And Crazy/Please Forgive Me/Are You Going
Where I'm Coming From/Ghetto Child/Memory Blues/I'm Going Home (To Live With God)
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BLP-73 - Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton [scheduled 12/74, unissued] Issued as ABC
ABCD-857. Everlasting Love/Morning, Noon And Night/I Wanna Be Your Main Squeeze/Our Day Will
Come/La La Song//Signed, Sealed And Delivered/Hurt So Bad/Smokin' Room/Lonely Teardrops
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