Minit Records
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Joe Banashak |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Fate | Sold to Imperial Records; later absorbed into Liberty Records and United Artists Records; catalog now owned by Universal Music Group |
| Headquarters | New Orleans , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Joe Banashak, Allen Toussaint (producer, composer, arranger) |
| Products | Music recordings |
| Parent | Imperial Records (after 1963), Liberty Records (after 1963), United Artists Records (after 1968) |
Minit Records was an independent American record label established in New Orleans by Joe Banashak in 1959. Its initial roster featured artists such as Ernie K-Doe, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, and Benny Spellman, with subsequent signings including Bobby Womack and Ike & Tina Turner.
History
Allen Toussaint significantly contributed to the label's early achievements by composing, producing, arranging, and performing piano on numerous recordings. The label's inaugural hit was Toussaint’s production of Jessie Hill’s "Ooh Poo Pah Doo - Part 2" in 1960. Following a distribution agreement with Imperial Records, Minit achieved its most successful single with Ernie K-Doe’s "Mother-in-Law", which reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts in 1961.
The drafting of Toussaint into the military in 1963 resulted in a downturn of chart-topping releases, leading Banashak to sell Minit to Imperial while maintaining control over Instant Records. In that same year, Liberty Records acquired Minit through its purchase of Imperial. Liberty was subsequently acquired by Transamerica Corporation in 1968 and merged with United Artists Records. By 1970, both Imperial and Minit were discontinued and absorbed into Liberty. In 1971, Liberty along with its associated labels—excluding Soul City Records—were integrated into United Artists. EMI purchased United Artists in 1979, and currently, the Minit catalog is under the ownership of Universal Music Group, the successor to EMI.
Label variations
- 1961-1963: (catalog numbers MR-601 to MR-626) Orange background with black lettering, including the disclaimer "C/O Imperial Records, Hollywood, Calif." Some later pressings adopted the second label design.
- 1961-1963 (catalog numbers 626 to 666): Black label featuring a multi-colored "MINIT RECORDS" logo incorporating a clock; magenta bars indicate publishing information and track duration on the left, catalog number and performance type on the right. The silver text includes the disclaimer "PRODUCED AND MANUFACTURED BY IMPERIAL RECORDS INC. HOLLYWOOD 28, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A."
- 1964-1968: (new series, catalog numbers 32000 to 32076) Black label with silver printing; a multi-colored "MINIT" logo appears on the left side with "A PRODUCT OF LIBERTY RECORDS" underneath. The disclaimer reads "A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS."
- 1969-1970: (catalog numbers 32077 to 32088) Similar black label design but omitting the word "PRODUCT" beneath "MINIT." The bottom disclaimer was updated to "LIBERTY/UA, INC."
Albums
| Catalog No. | Release
date |
US | R&B | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LP-24005 | 1966 | 25 | Turning Point | Jimmy Holiday | |
| LP-40007 | 1967 | Like It 'Tis | Aaron Neville | ||
| LP-24012 | 1968 | Flippin' - The Very Funny Flip Wilson | Flip Wilson | ||
| LP-24014 | Jan 1969 | Fly Me to the Moon | Bobby Womack | ||
| LP-24017 | May 1969 | The Stinger Man | Jimmy McCracklin | ||
| LP-24018 | Jun 1969 | 142 | 19 | In Person | Ike & Tina Turner |
| LP 24023 | 1969 | Blue All The Way | Tina Britt | ||
| LP 24024 | Dec 1969 | Blues Man | Little Jr. Parker | ||
| LP-24027 | Apr 1970 | My Prescription | Bobby Womack |
Singles
| Catalog No. | Release date | US Hot 100 | US R&B | Single (A-side, B-side) | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 607 | February 1960 | 28 | 3 | "Ooh Poo Pah Doo - Part 1"
b/w "Ooh Poo Pah - Part 2" |
Jessie Hill |
| 611 | June 1960 | 91 | "Whip It On Me"
b/w "I Need Your Love" |
Jessie Hill | |
| 623 | January 1961 | 1 | 1 | "Mother-In-Law"
b/w "Wanted, $10,000.00 Reward" |
Ernie K-Doe |
| 627 | May 1961 | 53 | 21 | "Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta"
b/w "Real Man" |
Ernie K-Doe |
| 32002 | May 1966 | 98 | 21 | "Baby, I Love You"
b/w "You Won't Get Away" |
Jimmy Holiday |
| 32016 | January 1967 | 36 | "Everybody Needs Help"
b/w "Give Me Your Love" |
"Jimmy Holiday" |
| Catalog No. | Release date | US Hot 100 | US R&B | Single (A-side, B-side) | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
33 |
"What Is This"
b/w "What You Gonna Do (When Your Love Is Gone)" |
Bobby Womack | |||
| Bobby Womack | |||||
| Bobby Womack | |||||
| 48
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" b/w "Love, the Time Is Now" |
Bobby Womack | ||||
| Ike & Tina Turner |