Milwaukee based Sidetraxx Records inks deal with M2K for worldwide digital distribution. According to Sidetraxx
president Johnnie Gee, Sidetraxx will be using the arrangement with M2K to develop and introduce
new mid-west recording artists. Prior to Sidetraxx Records, Johnnie Gee was one of the founding
members of Step by Step formerly of the famous Brunswick Records R&B and Soul label.
Home of the Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson, Count Basie, Barbra Acklin, Gene Chandler, just to name a few.
Sidetraxx Records & Distribution, is a Milwaukee based record label specializing in Soul, Pop, R&B, Hip Hop,
Gospel and classics. Founded by Johnnie Gee in 1979, with major acts like Bizzy Bone, Jr. Mafia,
Gansta Nip, Apollian, Lala Brown, Lavante, and Harvey Scales just to name a few.
Owner and CEO Johnnie Gee has a lot of plans for his label for the
3rd quarter, in September 2007. Johnnie Gee plans to let artist start submitting their finished
professional material for possible physical and or digital distribution.
Johnnie Gee personal catalog music that
goes along with his 38 years of major status with Brunswick Records, has a 33
year track record of pre-released music products with all major distributors, (universe)/worldwide.
Japan plans to continue a license and distribution agreement with Johnnie Gee and his label,
that dates back some 30 years. The original Album that started Johnnie Gee's career has
just been re-issued by several large distribution companies such as JVC, Victor Ent, BMG, M2kM,
J-Bee-J and other major distributors.
Aya Ohi, deputy director of foreign sales for JVC/Vector in Japan has requested newly
released material from Sidetraxx Records and Johnnie Gee for possible distribution.
At age 13, Johnnie Gee earned his own living as a entertainer (Lead Vocalist), after 30 plus
years Brunswick Records. Paul Tarnopol, Nat Tarnopol's son took over the company an re-issued
the original LP "I Always Wanted To Be In The Band", feat., Johnnie Gee.
This shows that Johnnie Gee has marketed and promoted his career and record label for 30
plus years, and still has a strong presence among his friends and fans. Sidetraxx Records
has a wide range of services that helps artist get professional CD duplication, packaging/Shrink Wrap,
Graphic Design, Web Sites, Song Licensing, Trade Marks, Copyrights and
many other legal services for all artist.
Label: Sidetraxx Records City: Milwaukee U.S. State: Wisconsin Country: United States Description:
The Midwest Classic Recording & Record Label,
with original artist from Brunswick Records.
Who's Spinning What: Johnnie Gee
Posted: Aug. 24, 2006
Milwaukee Journal Sentenal
Hello Music Lover,
You may not know the face, but you know the music I've had on the market over the years.
Let me introduce myself, my name is Johnnie Gee from Milwaukee, Wisconsin born September 29th 1959,
and I would like to use a bit of your time to tell you little about myself, and my long music career from 1972 to 2006.
My song's are soft, sweet, special and very different from the music being played today, but sold to the same audiences that buy hip hop and rap music. Soul music is a one of a kind music, developed from feelings of warmness, commitment, romance and real love. "Time After Time" (1972), "She's Gone" (1972), "My Love" (1972, Lonely Man (1976), and the list goes on, and on.
Please look over my career, and email me if you have any questions about my classic music products, i use the same email address for my mailing list and newsletter campang's. No you will not recieve any more email, unless you subscribe to my mailing list. I hope your experience listening and viewing my BIO and profile is a good one, and good luck.
As frontman for Milwaukee soul band Step By Step, Johnnie Gee recorded for Brunswick Records back in the '70s - the same label that brought soul fans the Chi-Lites and Jackie Wilson. Gee remains active in the business today and has a new EP titled "One More Time" available at www.cdbaby.com.
Although he still enjoys listening to his own old records, Gee says he has also been enjoying young R&B diva Joss Stone and hip-hop artist Paul Wall.
Read the story here, http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=487473
- Dave Tianen
Milwaukee music veteran Johnnie Gee seeks respect
By Tyler Casey
OMC Reporter
E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Tyler Casey
Published Aug. 22, 2006 at 5:06 a.m.
He's one of Milwaukee's true musical legends, and now Johnnie Gee is out for respect.
Gee, who has been playing and performing music since the age of 9 and has been recording since the '70s, has been imparting what he's learned on aspiring musicians.
"The industry is lost. People don't understand that great music is something that can be enjoyed by everyone," he says.
He uses his own music as an example.
"I make music that you can get married to. You can have babies to it, have parties to it and play it for church-going folks. It's music about love, life and experience. My music has no borders."
Gee has recorded with a wide range of artists through the years. From soul groups to pop acts to modern R&B singers to rappers, he's seen them all. And though he admires the drive of current musicians, he's not always thrilled with what he sees.
"There are no more original artists in Milwaukee. Kids aren't learning to play music anymore, they just recreate it."
As a solution, he supports initiatives like VH1's "Save The Music," which provides funding for music programs in public schools, and urges kids to take music classes while in school. He would also like to see more outreach by his alma mater, The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
While he doesn't live a lavish life, Gee says he lives comfortably, with homes in Milwaukee and Cudahy.
"I live very good. Everything's paid for, I don't have any debt and I still get copyright checks from Brunswick Records."
Brunswick Records was a haven for soul artists like The Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson and Barbara Acklin in the '60s and '70s. It was also the first label to give a teenaged Johnnie Gee a chance when it inked The Step By Step Band, a group consisting of Gee and some neighborhood friends and relatives. The band released its first album "We Always Wanted To Be In The Band" in 1976. After finding out that Brunswick was still putting Step By Step songs on compilations, he reached a settlement with the label and was offered a distribution contract.
Now Gee runs his own Sidetraxx Records imprint. He says he controls every aspect of the music he puts out on Sidetraxx, from the playing and producing to the marketing and packaging of albums. This dedication is something Gee thinks is missing from younger artists, who he says just want to get paid as quickly as possible.
"You have to put something in to get something out. This industry isn't free."
The main thing Gee always emphasizes is the need to control publishing. He says that mix tapes, which hip-hop artists have been making and distributing for a long time, are a false path to success in the music business.
"Those mix tapes are a waste of time because you don't own anything. You don't have to get any label clearances (from samples or other artists making guest appearances) but there's no publishing. Owning your publishing is the only way to truly own your music."
For now, he's got a recently released EP titled "It's A Thinline," which features new material as well as older songs and was just released as a follow up to last year's "One More Time." What he's most proud of after 37 years of playing music is the ability to touch fans young and old.
"Older people remember us, and they're telling their kids, 'This is real music.'"
Read the story here, http://onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/johnniegee.html
Also visit Johnnie Gee's homepage@
http://www.gecomgroup.net |
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