There were a lot of talented people in New Orleans who earned a fraction of what the record company executives in New York or Los Angeles were able to take out of their companies. If Battiste could sign a fraction of them to his new label, he would have a chance of success.
Harold Battiste in 2012
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans 2012 (Wikimedia Commons)
Battiste himself was a musician and arranger. One of his early successes was as the studio arranger for Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” in 1957. He was working as an A&R man for Specialty Records, Art Rupe’s company that was based in Los Angeles. Four of the company’s biggest acts were from Louisiana: Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield and Lloyd Price. Imperial Records, also based in California, were also signing major acts from the New Orleans area, thanks to the talent-spotting genius of local band-leader Dave Bartholomew. Their roster included Roy Brown, Smiley Lewis, Chris Kenner, and Fats Domino. Many of their songs were being recorded in New Orleans at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studios, but there was no local record company big enough to sign them. Would the idea of a co-operative, owned and run by black artists and musicians, have a chance of breaking into the market?
One day in 1960 Battiste was returning from Los Angeles to New Orleans by train, thinking over his plan. When the train stopped in El Paso, a friend of his boarded the train. Earl King was an R&B and Blues guitarist from New Orleans, who joined Imperial Records in 1960 (thanks to Dave Bartholomew!). Battiste shared his idea with King and became convinced that he could make it work.
He began speaking to local musicians who he thought would be interested and soon a number of influential session men came on board: Melvin Lastie, Alvin ‘Red’ Tyler, Roy Montrell, Peter ‘Chuck’ Badie, and John Boudreaux. Allen Toussaint was keen to join too, but contractual issues meant that he had to drop out. Nevertheless, the company was set up in May 1961. Soon, Juggy Murray, the owner of Sue Records in New York, agreed to finance the production and distribution of AFO’s records nationally. The dream was about to come true. The company’s office was at 712 N. Claiborne Ave.
AFO Records Office
Photo: Courtesy of Jordan Hirsch at ACloserWalkNola.com
Battiste and Lastie set about hiring some talented local singers and very quickly found two young performers that fitted the bill. Barbara George was a nineteen-year-old singer from New Orleans and Prince La La was a local guitarist. Barbara George recorded “I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More)” and Prince La La recorded “She Put The Hurt On Me”. George’s song hit the charts, rising to number three on the Billboard Pop Chart and number one on the R&B chart, selling over a million copies. One of the song’s key selling points was an excellent cornet solo, written by Battiste and played by Melvin Lastie. Battiste had been in the business long enough to know that one-hit wonders were not uncommon, but he must have ended 1961 very happy.
Further singles by Barbara George and Prince La La were released the following year, with additional songs from new AFO artists The Blenders, Nookie Boys, Willie Tee, Wallace Johnson, and Mac Rebennack (Dr. John). In 1963 Tammy (or Tami) Lynn joined the co-operative, recording a single “Where Can I Go” and an album with the AFO Executives, as the house band now called itself. The final addition to the roster of artists was the Ellis Marsalis Quartet, also in 1963. Between them, this group of artists released around a dozen singles and two albums over a two-year period. None of them came close to reproducing Barbara George’s initial success. To make matters worse, George left AFO. She had travelled to New York to sing at the Apollo and had started a relationship with Juggy Murray. She bought out her AFO contract and joined Sue Records. The production and distribution deal with Sue Records was ended and taken in house. Suddenly Battiste’s operation was under pressure.
With several of the AFO Executives, Battiste decided in 1963 to move to the West Coast. Soon AFO was “frozen”, and he went back to producing records, working on Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” and Dr John’s “Gris Gris” album. AFO Records was revived in the 1990s, after Battiste returned to New Orleans in 1989, releasing some of the old material and some new, mainly Jazz. Much of the old AFO catalogue was leased to Ace Records in the UK, who issued a series of three albums “Gumbo Stew”, “More Gumbo Stew” and “Still Spicy Gumbo Stew”.
Battiste was still committed to helping young musicians, so he set up the AFO Foundation, which is still in operation in New Orleans. He also became a professor of music in the University of New Orleans Jazz Studies Department.
AFO Records may not have been as successful as he had hoped, but Battiste has spent a lifetime working in the music business, helping other people realise some of their dreams. He succeeded!
