Hit Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Bill Beasley, Alan Bubis |
| Defunct | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Sound-alike cover version records |
Hit Records was a record label headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, known for producing sound-alike cover version renditions of popular songs, frequently categorized under exploito.
Background
Hit Records was established by business partners Bill Beasley and Alan Bubis, who primarily distributed their records through convenience store outlets throughout the United States. Prior to founding Hit Records in 1962, Beasley and Bubis had launched Tennessee Records in 1950 and the Republic label in 1952. By 1959, they leveraged the strategy of acquiring surplus hit records at discounted prices and reselling them affordably via retail racks nationwide. With the introduction of Hit Records, they offered their own double-sided records at a retail price of 39¢—significantly less than half the cost of original hit singles. Operating from Nashville, a central hub for the American country music scene, the label remained active until 1969. Its closure was influenced by growing competition from companies such as K-Tel, which obtained licenses for authentic hit recordings to compile albums. Numerous Hit Records releases have since become sought-after collectibles, with some associated artists developing devoted fan bases.
Separately, a distinct entity named Hit Records Inc., based in Chicago since approximately 1957 and directed by Charles Stephens, sold records through around 600 supermarket and commercial racks—including those at Jewel Food and Osko Drugstores—targeting the local market.
Business history
In 1965, legal proceedings were initiated against director Beasley and Record Service by the Harry Fox Office—represented by Abeles & Clark—concerning royalty payments related to recordings on the Hit album 26 Top Hits. The Harry Fox Office prevailed in the lawsuit and secured a payment of $37,000 from Record Service, which owned Hit Records.
Artists
The label utilized a roster of vocalists and instrumentalists to perform cover versions; several of these artists later attained individual acclaim. Notable names include Sandy Posey, Ray Stevens, Bobby Russell, and Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame.
Herbert Hunter, a prolific contributor to the Hit label's catalog, recorded both under his own name and the pseudonym "Leroy Jones".
External links
- Hit Records tribute site
- The Hit Records Project
- 45 rpm discography from Global Dog Productions
- - Sample music from the "HIT" label.