Red Pajamas Records
Red Pajamas Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Oh Boy Records |
Founded | 1982 |
Founder | Steve Goodman, Al Bunetta |
Defunct | 2013 |
Distributor(s) | Ryko Distribution (US), Fusion III (Canada), Proper Music Group (UK), I.R.D. (Italy), Shock Records (Europe), Elite Imports (NZ) |
Genre | Americana, country, folk |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
Red Pajamas Records was an independent American record label founded in 1982 by Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Goodman and his manager Al Bunetta.[1] Between 1983 and his death in 1984, Goodman released two albums on Red Pajamas: Artistic Hair and Affordable Art. Two more, Santa Ana Winds and the Grammy Award-winning Unfinished Business, were released posthumously in 1984 and 1987. Red Pajamas Records operated under the management of Oh Boy Records, which was owned by Goodman's friend John Prine. Red Pajamas released archival live performances by Goodman, compilations, and reissues of his earlier material. The label also released three recordings of tribute performances by Goodman's friends.
Origin
Between 1971 and 1980, singer-songwriter Steve Goodman recorded first on the Buddah label, then on Asylum. During this time he wrote and recorded such enduring songs as "City of New Orleans", a 1972 Top 20 hit for Arlo Guthrie and a 1984 #1 Hot Country Single for Willie Nelson; and "You Never Even Call Me By My Name", which was made famous by David Allan Coe in 1974.[2] Following the release of the album Hot Spot in 1980, his contract with Asylum ended and Goodman moved to Seal Beach, California.[3] Goodman had been suffering from leukemia for more than ten years, and around this time he came out of remission. Performing was difficult and he wanted to record again, but not with a major label. He decided to create his own label, and Red Pajamas Records was born with the assistance of Goodman's long-time manager Al Bunetta.[4]
Early releases
For Goodman's first release on Red Pajamas, Bunetta and Dan Einstein edited down 70 hours of live performance tapes.
Later releases
The next two Red Pajamas releases of Goodman's music were compilations drawn from the earlier Asylum material, followed by a two-disc retrospective with both live and studio cuts (No Big Surprise.) In 1996 The Easter Tapes was released, a live album edited from a series of performances taped by DJ
Tributes
Red Pajamas produced three tributes featuring friends of Goodman, two on audio and one on video. The first was 1986's Tribute To Steve Goodman, with Prine,
Discography
Year | Artist | Title | Number | Comments |
1983 | Goodman | Artistic Hair | RPJ-001 | Live |
Goodman | Affordable Art | RPJ-002 | ||
1984 | Goodman | Santa Ana Winds | RPJ-003 | First posthumous release |
1986 | Various | Tribute to Steve Goodman | RPJ-004 | Live at Arie Crown Theatre |
1987 | Goodman | Unfinished Business | RPJ-005 | Second posthumous release, Grammy award |
1988 | Goodman | The Best of the Asylum Years, Volume One | RPJ-006 | Compilation |
Goodman | The Best of the Asylum Years, Volume Two | RPJ-007 | Compilation | |
1994 | Goodman | No Big Surprise - The Steve Goodman Anthology | RPJ-008 | 2 CD compilation (1 studio/1 live) |
1996 | Goodman | The Easter Tapes | RPJ-009 | 18 live tracks from WNEW-FM 1970's broadcasts, liner notes by Vin Scelsa |
1998 | Goodman | Jessie's Jig and Other Favorites | RPJ-010 | Reissue of 1975 Asylum 7E1037, digitally remastered |
Goodman | Words We Can Dance To | RPJ-011 | Reissue of 1976 Asylum 7E1061, digitally remastered | |
1999 | Goodman | Say It In Private | RPJ-012 | Reissue of 1977 Asylum 7E1118, digitally remastered |
Goodman | High and Outside | RPJ-013 | Reissue of 1979 Asylum 6E174, digitally remastered | |
Goodman | Hot Spot | RPJ-014 | Reissue of 1980 Asylum 6E297, digitally remastered | |
2000 | Goodman | Live Wire | RPJ-015 | Live at Bayou Theater, early 1980s |
2003 | Goodman | Steve Goodman: Live From Austin City Limits | RPJ-500 | VHS/DVD, from 1977 & 1982 shows, with guests Jethro Burns
|
2006 | Various | My Old Man: A Tribute to Steve Goodman | RPJ-016 | Compiled by daughter Rosanna |
Goodman | Live at the Earl of Old Town | RPJ-017 | Live, August 1978 | |
2007 | Various | Larger Than Life: A Celebration of Steve Goodman | RPJ-501 | DVD of fundraiser tribute |
2008 | Goodman | The Baseball Singles | RPJ-018 | Compilation EP with "Go, Cubs, Go", "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request", "When The Cubs Go Marching In", "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" |
2013 | Goodman | Don't Blame Me | RPJ-019 | Live, April 1, 1973, Chicago |
See also
- Oh Boy Records
- Go, Cubs, Go
- Steve Goodman
- List of record labels
- John Prine
References
- ^ a b Al Bunetta interview (2003). Steve Goodman: Live from Austin City Limits (DVD supplementary material). Red Pajamas Records.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ "A Basic Biography of Steve Goodman". The Steve Goodman Scrapbook. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ a b Bunetta, Al (2006-08-02). "Episode #9". Music Business Radio (Interview). Interviewed by David Hooper. Nashville, Tennessee: WRLP. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ISBN 9781550227321.
- ^ Larkin, Colin. "Steve Goodman (Folk) Biography". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Muze. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ "Vin Scelsa & Steve Goodman". The Steve Goodman Scrapbook. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ "WAXED Record Reviews". No Depression. 29: 114–115. September–October 2000.
- ^ Richard, Marcus (2006-09-29). "Music Review: Live At The Earl Of Old Town". Blogcritics Music. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ "My Old Man: A Tribute to Steve Goodman" (PDF) (Press release). Chris Brown Music. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2008-12-07.