Minit Records and Instant Records

Joe Banashak worked in New Orleans. He ran A-1 Record Distributors. In 1959 he decided to set up a record company in the city, in partnership with Larry McKinley, which they named Minit Records. Several local artists were signed to the label, including Matthew Jacobs (known as “Boogie Jake”), Ernest Kador (recording as Ernie K-Doe), Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, Benny Spellman, and Jessie Hill. Harold Battiste was hired as Minit’s A&R man but was later replaced by Allen Toussaint, who was originally employed by the new company as songwriter, arranger, and producer. A distribution deal was signed with Chess Records. All in all, that was a pretty strong team, so it didn’t take long for Minit’s first hit to arrive: Jessie Hill’s “Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Part 2” reached number twenty-eight in the summer of 1960.

In 1961, shortly after Minit agreed a new distribution deal with Lew Chudd of Imperial Records, Minit had its first number one national hit with “Mother-In-Law” by Ernie K-Doe, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B charts. However, Joe Banashak was concerned at the limitations of the tie-in with Imperial and came up with a solution that he thought would offer more scope. He set up a second record company which he called Valiant Records but soon changed to Instant Records, when he discovered that the name had already been used. He then signed a distribution deal with Atlantic. Chris Kenner, another local artist, was signed to the second label and almost immediately broke into the national charts with “I Like It Like That”, followed in 1963 by another hit with “Land Of 1000 Dances”. Chris Kenner continued recording for Instant until 1969, but there were no more national successes.

Back at Minit Records, Allen Toussaint was supporting the artists with a steady flow of releases during the early sixties, including “It Will Stand” from the Showmen, “We Had Love” from Eskew Reeder, “Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)” by Benny Spellman, “Look Up” and “It’s Raining” by Irma Thomas and early Aaron Neville tracks “Reality”, “I’ve Done It Again” and “Over You”. Up to 1963, only four albums were issued by Minit, one by Ernie K-Doe and three compilation albums of so-called “blues” tracks from a variety of artists.

In 1963, when Allen Toussaint was called up to do his military service in the army, work came to halt in the Minit studios. Joe Banashak decided to sell the company to Imperial Records, although he retained the second label Instant Records. In a strange flurry of sales, Imperial was sold to Liberty, which was sold to Avnet, which sold a group of record labels including Minit and Imperial back to Al Bennett, the president of Liberty.

Instant Records continued releasing tracks by Chris Kenner, Ernie K-Doe and others, but without major success. The company closed operations in 1970.

After a gap of three years from the original sale, new songs began to appear on the Minit label, featuring new acts, including the O’Jays, Bobby Womack, Ike & Tina Turner and Junior Parker. The strong link to New Orleans became much weaker and Minit Records was finally wound up in 1969.

Some of the songs recorded by Minit or Instant were later picked up by artists from other cities, the most well-known being “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett. Some have become soul classics. Fortunately, it is still possible to find most of the best on various compilations that have been issued long after Minit’s demise.

EMI Records USA released a remastered compilation in 1994, containing two CDs. A 20-page liner notes booklet contains information and photos. The first CD contains songs from the Allen Toussaint era, with the second showcasing the later releases after the company was sold to Imperial and beyond.