- Oh Boy Records
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Oh Boy Records 
Founded 1984 Founder John Prine, Al Bunetta, Dan Einstein Distributor(s) Ryko Distribution (US), Fusion III (Canada), Proper Music Group (UK), I.R.D. (Italy), Shock Records (Europe), Elite Imports (NZ) Genre American folk, Americana, Country music Country of origin U.S. Location Nashville, Tennessee Official Website OhBoy.com Oh Boy Records is an independent American record label founded in 1984 by singer John Prine, his manager Al Bunetta and their friend Dan Einstein. The label has released more than 40 audio and video recordings by singer-songwriters Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, Dan Reeder and Todd Snider, along with a dozen reissues of classic country music artists. Oh Boy Records also manages two subsidiary labels, Steve Goodman's Red Pajamas Records and speciality label Blue Plate Music. Oh Boy is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Contents
History
Al Bunetta was a talent manager with Paul Anka's management company CMA, working with artists like Bette Midler, Al Green and The Manhattan Transfer. When Anka signed John Prine and Steve Goodman to management contracts in 1971, Bunetta became the manager for both of them.[1] In 1980, Prine finished his recording contract with Asylum and moved to Nashville. Rather than sign with another major label, he decided to start one of his own, and was joined by Bunetta and associate Dan Einstein.[2] The new Oh Boy label's first release was a red vinyl Christmas single with Prine singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" on the A-side and "Silver Bells" on the B-side.[3] The first full-length release was Prine's Aimless Love in 1984. Around 1989, Sony offered to buy Oh Boy Records, but Prine decided to keep the label independent and turned down the offer.[4]
Recent projects
In 2000, the label began reissuing a series of classic country music artists titled Oh Boy Classics Presents... These are remastered versions of the original recordings. The first three artists in this series were Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. In 2007 Oh Boy released Standard Songs for Average People, an album of classic country duets by Prine and bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman. 2010 saw the release of a new Prine live album, In Person & On Stage, followed by Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows, a tribute album of Prine songs performed by artists like Sara Watkins and Old Crow Medicine Show. [5] Both of the 2010 releases debuted at #1 on the Billboard Folk Album charts.
Discography
Year Artist Title Number Comments 1981 John Prine Red Vinyl Christmas 45 OBR-001 "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"/"Silver Bells" 1984 John Prine Aimless Love OBR-002 1986 John Prine German Afternoons OBR-003 1987 John Prine Green Vinyl 45 OBR-004 "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian"/"Kokomo" 1988 John Prine John Prine Live OBR-005 1989 John Prine Bruised Orange OBR-006 Originally released in 1978 as Asylum 139 1990? John Prine Pink Cadillac OBR-007 Originally released in 1979 as Asylum 222 1990? John Prine Storm Windows OBR-008 Originally released in 1980 as Asylum 286 1991 John Prine The Missing Years OBR-009 1993 John Prine A John Prine Christmas OBR-011 The Bis-Quits The Bis-Quits OBR-012 John Prine Great Days: The John Prine Anthology OBR-ANT Originally released as Rhino R2 71400 1995 John Prine Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings OBR-013 Heather Eatman Mascara Falls OBR-014 1997 John Prine Live on Tour OBR-015 RB Morris Take That Ride OBR-016 Donnie Fritts Everybody's Got a Song OBR-017 1998 Various Artists Lucky 13 OBR-018 1999 John Prine In Spite of Ourselves OBR-019 2000 Todd Snider Happy To Be Here OBR-020 John Prine Souvenirs OBR-021 Number may be OBR-010, sources disagree Roger Miller Oh Boy Records Classics Presents Roger Miller OBR-400 Willie Nelson Oh Boy Records Classics Presents Willie Nelson OBR-401 Merle Haggard Oh Boy Classics Presents Merle Haggard OBR-402 2001 Joe Tex Oh Boy Classics Presents Joe Tex OBR-403 Conway Twitty Oh Boy Classics Presents Conway Twitty OBR-404 Bill Anderson Oh Boy Classics Presents Bill Anderson OBR-405 The Kendalls Oh Boy Classics Presents The Kendalls OBR-406 Merle Haggard Oh Boy Classics Presents Merle Haggard...Again OBR-407 John Prine Sessions at West 54th OBR-500DVD DVD 2002 Riders in the Sky A Pair of Kings OBR-022 Todd Snider New Connection OBR-023 Don Gibson Oh Boy Classics Presents Don Gibson OBR-408 Roy Acuff Oh Boy Classics Presents Roy Acuff OBR-409 Rusty & Doug Kershaw Oh Boy Classics Presents Rusty & Doug Kershaw OBR-410 Lorrie Morgan Oh Boy Classics Presents Lorrie Morgan OBR-411 Don Everly Oh Boy Classics Presents Don Everly OBR-412 2003 Todd Snider Near Truths and Hotel Rooms OBR-024 Kris Kristofferson Broken Freedom Song: Live from San Francisco OBR-025 Janis Ian Live: Working Without a Net OBR-026 Double CD 2004 Dan Reeder Dan Reeder OBR-027 Kris Kristofferson Repossessed/Third World Warrior OBR-028 Double reissue of 1986/1990 Mercury albums Janis Ian Billie's Bones OBR-029 Also released as Rude Girl Records RGR0019 Slick Ballinger Mississippi Soul OBR-030 EP Todd Snider East Nashville Skyline OBR-031 Shawn Camp Live at the Station Inn OBR-032 Kris Kristofferson Breakthrough OBR-501 DVD 2005 John Prine Fair & Square OBR-034 John Prine Fair & Square OBR-034-1 Vinyl with 4 Bonus Tracks John Prine Fair & Square OBR-034-EP EP on CD with 4 Bonus Tracks 2006 Slick Ballinger Mississippi Soul OBR-035 Full Length Dan Reeder Sweetheart OBR-036 2007 Todd Snider Peace, Love and Anarchy OBR-037 Rarities, B-Sides and Demos, Vol.1 John Prine with Mac Wiseman Standard Songs for Average People OBR-038 2010 John Prine In Person & On Stage OBR-039 Live. Includes duets with Iris DeMent, Sara Watkins, Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, Kane Welch Kaplin Various Artists Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine OBR-042 Tribute CD. Also vinyl as OBR-042-1 See also
- Shawn Camp (musician)
- Steve Goodman
- Kris Kristofferson
- List of record labels
- Red Pajamas Records
- John Prine
- Todd Snider
References
- ^ Bunetta, Al (2006-08-02). Episode #9. Interview with David Hooper. Music Business Radio. WRLP. Nashville, Tennessee. http://blog.musicbusinessradio.com/2006/08/episode_9_al_bu.html. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ "Question & Answer with John Prine". Oh Boy Records. http://www.jpshrine.org/biography/prine_QnAf.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- ^ Bunetta, Al; Einstein, Dan. "A John Prine Christmas Liner Notes". Oh Boy Records. http://www.jpshrine.org/lyrics/liner/notes_l13.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ^ Baker, Brian (June 2005). "John Prine does it "Fair & Square"". Country Standard Time. Archived from the original on 2006-09-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20060910170926/http://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/article.asp?fn=johnprine2.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ^ "Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine". Oh Boy Records. http://www.brokenheartsanddirtywindows.com/about.html. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
External links
Categories:- American independent record labels
- Old Town School of Folk musicians
- Record labels established in 1984
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