Capricorn Records Revisited
In the middle 1960's, a Mercer University grad named Phil Walden began his music business career in Macon, GA when he and his brother Alan began booking Rhythm & Blues performers into local high schools and colleges. Within that performing circuit were young and developing new artists such as, Otis Redding, Johnny Jenkins, Percy Sledge, Arthur Conley, Sam & Dave and Clarence Carter. During this omnipotent cycle, several Southern roots artists, such as the R&B acts that Walden was catering towards, were gaining notoriety via the marketing muscle of Atlantic Records. First, there were the hit acts coming from STAX Records which had a extended run of monster hits in the 60's. STAX had developed it's roster and benefited greatly from a key distribution deal with Atlantic. Next came a stable of smashes recorded at Fame Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This new found chart success continued to put major emphasis on Southern musicians. Yet, from these recent developments, it appeared that someone knew the formula of success. But one may ask...who was the proponent that was brokering all these successful deals? Surely there was an individual who provided leadership and quarterbacked this movement of phenomenal growth. Come to find out, there was such a person. Seems that industry figures knew well of the individual who pioneered this consolidation of music sources. And that would be none other than Atlantic's Jerry Wexler. Yet, one might make particular note here as behind the scenes there was still another person involved in the mix. The initial exchange of connections that were developed during these timely events were fostered by the introductions provided by Otis Redding's co-manager, Joe Galkin. Galkin, who in addition to overseeing Redding's affairs, was also a well respected record promoter in the Southern states. Significantly, he was a close associate of Jerry Wexler and Phil Walden. In 1967 at the time of the highly successful STAX-VOLT European Tour which featured a host of Southern musicians including several of the aforementioned artist, another key person surfaced. Supported by these actions, Atlantic Records European Manager, Frank Fenter, would enter the picture and soon relocate to Macon as to team-up with Walden to form Capricorn Records.
Phil Walden (L) and Frank Fenter (R) formed a unique partnership in 1968. Here you had the combination of local Georgia heavyweight who made things happen, and a charismatic South African via London decent. Both were powerful music men with visions committed to success. At that time, the company's name was instituted as Capricorn and coined from Jerry Wexler and Phil Walden's astrological sign. The Capricorn production series would be released on the Atlantic Records subsidiary label, ATCO, and built on the strength of sessions guitarists Duane Allman. As the developments unfolded, Jerry Wexler had convinced Phil Walden to purchase Allman's contract from Fame Recording Studio owner, Rick Hall. Allman's guitar playing had earned him quite the reputation as the session man for the many artists who recorded at Fame Studio such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Boz Skaggs among others. Upon Walden purchasing his contract, Duane Allman then moved from his home in Florida to Macon where he and his brother Greg organized and fine-tuned The Allman Brothers Band. Walden and Fenter went on to built a recording studio with the aspirations of developing musicians and songwriters similar to the successes of Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals and STAX Records in Memphis.
The Capricorn executive staff was formed with the addition of VP Promotion Dick Wooley (center) who also had a background with Atlantic Records. Wooley's duties consisted of the daily engagement with the Atlantic field staff combined with the ever changing radio media. When product was finally ready, The Allman Brothers released their first album in 1969.
The Allman Brothers Band members Barry Oakley and Duane Allman pose back stage for a photograph with a sobering stare of intensity. Remarkably, The Allman Brothers Band's music blended a fusion of gospel, blues, jazz, pop, country and R&B - into a jam session of what was coined as, "Southern Rock."
Capricorn went on to release additional albums by Cowboy, Wet Willie, Jonathan Edwards, Johnny Jenkins and Livingston Taylor. However, after extensive promotion and marketing campaigns, the music directly attributed to the success of Capricorn were albums by The Allman Brothers Band. The company would continue to grow and become it's own record label as they were distributed by ATCO and later marketed by Warner Brothers Records. Yet Capricorn would then endure a eerie cycle of incidents that included the tragic deaths of Duane Allman and Barry Oakley on separate motorcycle accidents. It would take years for Capricorn to overcome the emotional trauma of those events. Several years after those untimely deaths, Capricorn's co-founder Frank Fenter died of a fatal heart attack while at work at the Capricorn offices.But the band would play-on when Greg Allman and Dickie Betts took the reigns and reorganized The Allman Brothers Band. At that time Phil Walden changed Capricorns distribution system to PolyGram Records. That only contributed to small successes for The Allman Brothers Band as their downward spiral continued to collapse when personal and creative differences within the band began to erode their chemistry. In 1976, the Allman Brothers decided to call it quits. Plus, the roller coaster ride for Capricorn persisted when Walden, amidst a slew of lawsuits, filed for bankruptcy in 1979. A short period later several band members resurfaced with solo albums and the band regrouped briefly. Plus, the label resurrected in Nashville in 1990 and experienced moderate success with artists The Freddie Jones Band and Cake. Yet the success was short-lived when Capricorn again relocated to Atlanta and that's when Walden sold it's assets to PolyGram/Mercury which was later acquired by Universal Music in 1998. Perhaps the only good thing derived from those transactions was that now the master tapes of the superb Capricorn catalog were reissued and available to the public.
Sadly Phil Walden died in Atlanta after an illness in April of 2006 leaving behind a music business legacy.
EDITORS NOTE: Because of the successful relationship between Capricorn and Atlantic Records, combined with support from the managers and artists from STAX Records, I am honored to have been associated with the principals who were involved with the development of this monumental label. Please note I take no claim as to the label's direct successes other than the establishment of airplay and placement of product directly involved with Capricorns first three years with Atlantic Records.Pictured above is Capricorn's lone remaining musically active executive Dick Wooley (R) along with Phillip Rauls (L) at the company's annual picnic in Macon in 1976. Nowadays, Dick Wooley has resurfaced with a 21st Century version of a regional record label devoted towards roots music with the development of KingMoJo Music. For more information please visit http://www.kingmojo.com/
Photos of Phil Walden & Frank Fenter from the Rob Fenter collection. All rights reserved.
Photo of Barry Oakley & Duane Allman provided by http://www.messyoptics.com/
Photo of Dick Wooley & Phillip Rauls by http://www.philliprauls.com/
Copyright protection applied. Unlawful duplication prohibited.
posted by phillip rauls at 5:12 PM
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