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Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.

History[link]

Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes from the 1950s through the 1980s. They were also known for releasing retrospectives of famous comedy performers, including Richard Pryor, Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones. Starting during the late 1980s, Rhino transitioned into a complete entertainment company specializing in home video/DVD re-issues of television programs such as The Transformers, G.I. Joe, Jem, The Lone Ranger, My Favorite Martian, The World of Sid & Marty Krofft collection and Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Compact Disc releases of select artists and movie soundtracks.

Rhino started as a record shop on Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, during 1973, run by Richard Foos. It became a record distributor five years later thanks to the effort of then-store manager Harold Bronson. Their early releases were mostly novelty records (with their first single being Wild Man Fischer's "Go To Rhino Records") and some punk rock singles; the difficulties involved in getting airplay and distribution for such material eventually caused Foos and Bronson to take the label in other directions. One of their earliest reissues was achieved by acquiring the rights to the White Whale label. By the mid-1980s most of their releases were reissues of previously released recordings licensed from other companies. Superior sound quality (remastering of the original tapes was done under the direction of Bill Inglot) and creative packaging made Rhino one of the most respected reissue record labels, receiving rave reviews from music collectors, fans, and historians.^{[citation needed]} Rhino was quick to get into the Compact Disc market, releasing dozens of oldies CDs at the dawn of the CD age in 1984. Their retrospective compact disc releases are often remastered to restore or improve upon the original analog release's audio quality.

The company also continued to produce new music, with releases on subsidiary labels such as RNA (Rhino New Artists) and Forward, as well as the main Rhino label. However, the company's entertainers tended to generate more critical acclaim than public interest. One of Rhino's early artists was The Twisters whose Los Angeles popularity far exceeded their album sales. For the most part, sales totals in the low five figures or less were routine for Rhino-produced albums,^{[citation needed]} and the less costly, less risky reissue business remained the company’s primary revenue stream. One exception was the late-1986 success "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & the Beaters, a 1981 song that unexpectedly made it to the top of the U.S. Billboard charts after being featured in a 1986 episode of the hit NBC series Family Ties.

During 1986, Rhino signed a six-year distribution agreement with Capitol Records. During 1989 Rhino and Capitol’s parent EMI made a deal to jointly acquire Roulette Records; Rhino received the US rights to Roulette's catalog, excluding jazz. When the distribution deal with Capitol ended in 1992, Rhino signed a new distribution deal with Atlantic Records, and in turn Time Warner bought a 50% stake in the record company. In 1998, Time Warner bought the other half of Rhino; thus the company became a wholly owned unit of Time Warner. The Rhino Records retail store, which was not part of the sale, closed in 2005.^[1] In 1999, Rhino started the Rhino Handmade division of limited edition releases available primarily from their website. All of these Handmade reissues are limited to about 3000 copies or less and once sold out are not re-pressed.

It is through this merger that the label has released remastered editions of collections from such musicians as Eric Burdon, Fanny, Dannii Minogue, The Ramones, The Grateful Dead, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Beach Boys, Yes, The Doobie Brothers, The Cars, Chicago, Tom Paxton, Third Eye Blind, The Doors, War, Spirit of the West and most recently The Bee Gees; as well as soundtracks spanning the Turner-owned pre-1986 MGM and pre-1950^[2][3] Warner Bros. periods, in addition to WB's own post-1949 period. Rhino's soundtrack releases include Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Easter Parade, North by Northwest, Casablanca, King Kong, Doctor Zhivago, Superman, and Finian's Rainbow.

Rhino also owns the rights to The Monkees’ master tapes and film footage (which they acquired from Raybert Productions in 1994), and thus has released home videos and CDs from the group.

In 2003, co-founders and longtime executives Richard Foos and Harold Bronson left Rhino, reportedly due to frustration at being unable to release compilation albums in an increasingly competitive market. In fact, Time Warner's final vesting of its 100% ownership of the label, and its subsequent 'reorganization' of label staff, which did not stop at the former owners, were the major factors in their exits. Soon after, Foos inaugurated a new label, Shout! Factory, which began releasing dozens of CDs and videos mirroring the original early-1990s Rhino philosophy.

In 2004, Time Warner spun off its music divisions and today Rhino is part of the newly organized Warner Music Group.

In addition to dealing with archive material, the label also manages the US distribution or worldwide production of compilations for more recent Warner acts, including still-active artists such as Enya, New Order, and Chicago.

In May 2007, Warner Strategic Marketing in the UK was dissolved and Rhino Records UK was formed. The division has two main factions - TV advertised compilations (for example Pure Garage Rewind Back to the Old School) and catalog material from the Warner vaults. Led Zeppelin's 2007 release Mothership and the soundtrack to the film Juno serve as the label's most recent successes.

Similar music companies include Collectables Records, Hip-O Records, One Way Records, Beat Goes On Records, Varèse Sarabande, and Sony Music's Legacy Recordings, as well as Ace Records of Britain and Bear Family of Germany.

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• List of record labels

External links[link]

• Rhino.com official site
• RhinoHandmade official site
• Rhino Records on Myspace
• Rhino U.K. official site
• Rhino.tv official video site
• [1]

Larry Wayne Fischer (November 6, 1944 – June 16, 2011), better known as Wild Man Fischer, was an American songwriter in the outsider genre. He was notable for being responsible for Rhino Records' first release, Go To Rhino Records (1975). Fischer's highly unusual style had developed a cult following.

Early life and career[link]

Born Larry Wayne Fischer in Los Angeles, California, United States, Fischer was institutionalized at age 16 for attacking his mother with a knife. He was later diagnosed with two mental disorders — severe paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression). Following his release from the hospital, Fischer wandered Los Angeles singing his unique brand of songs for 10¢ to passers-by. Discovered by Frank Zappa, with whom he recorded his first album, Fischer became an underground concert favorite, earning him the title "godfather of outsider music." Zappa was responsible for Fischer's initial foray into the business of music, an album called An Evening with Wild Man Fischer, contains 36 tracks of "something not exactly musical." Zappa and Fischer remained close, until Fischer threw a jar at Zappa's daughter Moon Unit Zappa, barely missing her.^[2] Due to this falling out, Zappa's widow Gail Zappa has not yet released An Evening with Wild Man Fischer on CD.

In the 1980s, Fischer worked with Art and Artie Barnes (actually Bill Mumy, of Lost in Space/Babylon 5 fame, and Robert Haimer), to produce two albums, Pronounced Normal (1981) and Nothing Scary (1984).

Fischer appeared on national television (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) and was the subject of a comic book (The Legend Of Wild Man Fischer).^[3]

In 1986, Barnes and Barnes also wrote and produced "It's A Hard Business", a duet featuring Fischer and Rosemary Clooney. The song was the result of a telephone friendship that began after Clooney heard Fischer's song "Oh God, Please Send Me A Kid To Love." In 1987, Fisher performed his only East Coast performances at the Mass College of Art and Design.

Rediscovery[link]

In 1999, Rhino released The Fischer King, a two-CD package comprising 100 tracks and a 20-page booklet, which sold out within weeks. The limited-edition album comprises his entire Rhino catalogue, including the albums with Barnes and Barnes and Wildmania (1977), along with his duet with Clooney. Fischer also appears as guest vocalist with the noise band Smegma on their album Sings Popular Songs.

In 1998 Robert Williams (drummer) (former Captain Beefheart) "Date with the Devils Daughter" album includes Hello Robert, which consists of messages that Larry "Wild Man" Fischer left on Robert Williams phone.

In October 2004, Fischer appeared on ABC-TV's late-night talk/comedy show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He sang "Monkeys vs. Donkeys" while tapping on a backwards acoustic guitar, and also sat for a chat with the host, wherein he explained what it means to have "the pep" (i.e., when the spirit is in him and he's singing happily).

In 2005, Josh Rubin and Jeremy Lubin, collectively known as The Ubin Twinz premiered their documentary about Wild Man Fischer, entitled Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Wild Man Fischer, at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. An Evening With Wild Man Fischer remains unreleased on CD. The awareness brought to Fischer by Derailroaded did, however, bring all three Rhino albums back in print on CD through Collectors' Choice Music.

Fischer made his final appearance on August 16, 2006, at the Trunk Space in Phoenix, Arizona.

He was mentioned in Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel Inherent Vice (pg. 155).

He was mentioned by Eric Clapton in the opening of the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival, "Wild Man Fischer lives...", in reply to Bill Murray's introduction.

Fischer died in Los Angeles, on June 16, 2011 after heart problems.^[4]

Discography[link]

• May 1968 - Laminas (rare 7" 33rpm project of UCLA art students, 3 tracks by Larry, miscredited as "Fisher")
• 1969 - An Evening with Wild Man Fischer, Bizarre Records
• 1975 - "Go To Rhino Records" (single), Rhino Records
• 1977 - Wildmania, Rhino Records
• 1981 - Pronounced Normal, Rhino Records
• 1981 - "Don't Be A Singer"/"I Got A Camera"/"Do The Salvo" (single), Rhino Records
• 1983 - Nothing Scary, Rhino Records
• 1999 - The Fischer King, Rhino Records (compilation of all Rhino recordings)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Wild Man Fischer, Outsider Musician, Dies at 66 Los Angeles Times obituary
• Wild Man Fischer, Outsider Musician, Dies at 66 New York Times obituary
• A discography page.
• Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Wild Man Fischer a documentary.

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Hasil Adkins
Background information
Birth name	Hasil Adkins
Born	(1937-04-29)April 29, 1937 Boone County, West Virginia, United States
Died	April 25, 2005(2005-04-25) (aged 67) Boone County, West Virginia, United States
Genres	Rockabilly Country Rock and roll Blues Psychobilly
Occupations	Musician Singer-Songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, drums, Harmonica, keyboards
Years active	1957–2005
Labels	Dee Jay Jamboree Norton Fat Possum various
Website	www.hasiladkins.com

Hasil Adkins (pronounced "Hassle," not "Haysil") (April 29, 1937 – April 25, 2005) was an Appalachian country, rock and roll, and blues musician, though he was frequently considered rockabilly and sometimes primitive jazz. He generally performed as a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time.

Adkins is one of the pioneers of the psychobilly genre. With his 45 recordings of "Chicken Walk" appearing on Air Records in 1962 and "She Said" on Jody Records in 1966, Hasil's original, frenetic sound meshed with demented lyrics ushered in the genre known as psychobilly.

Early life[link]

Adkins was born in Boone County, West Virginia, where he lived his entire life. Although many sources list 1937 as his year of birth, his official website states that the year of his birth is actually unknown, citing "a missing family Bible" that lists his birth as "April 29, 193?." He was the youngest of 10 children, raised in a tarpaper shack on property rented from a local coal company. Adkins was both severely depressed and hyperactive as a child. Adkins reportedly attended four days of school in total and devoted the vast majority of his energy to becoming a musician. For supplemental income, he occasionally repaired and sold items like cars or washing machines.

Musical career[link]

Nicknamed "The Haze," Adkins claimed a repertoire of over 9,000 songs, including over 7,000 original compositions (though it has been said he has been known to have grossly exaggerated these figures), recorded scores of small, micro-label 45s, and is responsible for the birth of Norton Records, Psychobilly,^[1] and a dance called "The Hunch".

He was well known for shrieking certain catchphrases, such as "hot dogs," "I want your head," "Gimme that commodity meat", and "AaaaaaaaaaaaaHeeeeeeeeeeee-Wooo!!!!"

Recurring themes in Adkins' work include love, heartbreak, police, death, decapitation, hot dogs, aliens, and chicken. Adkins often noted in interviews that his primary heroes and influences were Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rodgers, Little Richard, and Col. Harlan Sanders, the inventor of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Some of his best-known songs are "She Said," "No More Hot Dogs," "My Blue Star," "The Hunch," "Beautiful Hills," "We Got A Date," "Chicken Walk", and "Sally Weedy Waddy Woody Wally."

Adkins recorded an entire album devoted to chicken entitled Poultry in Motion that included such songs as "Chicken Run," "Chicken Hop," "Chicken Flop," "Chicken Wobble," and "Chicken On The Bone."

In addition to making many albums and CDs, Adkins also appeared in several movies and television shows.

Adkins was also the subject of the Julien Nitzberg documentary The Wild World Of Hasil Adkins, distributed by Appalshop.

Later years and death[link]

After the mid-1990s, Adkins began performing less often, though he retained his popularity with music critics and other celebrants of outsider music, such as Joe Coleman and John Zorn. Hasil Adkins had a strong influence on the band The Cramps, as well as the Flat Duo Jets, who have recorded him. All three bands have played various shows together in different combinations. Adkins' cult status is kept alive to the present day by the growing appreciation of, and demand for, outsider music and primitive rock and roll.

Hasil Adkins made an appearance in the cult film Die You Zombie Bastards! as himself.

On April 15, 2005, Adkins was deliberately run over in his front yard by a teenager on an ATV. The perpetrator was apprehended by police (after running over another person a short distance down the road from Adkins' house), and Adkins identified him in a picture the police showed him. Ten days later, on April 25, Adkins was found dead in his home.

Partial discography[link]

CD releases

• Out to Hunch, Norton Records.
• The Wild Man, Norton Records.
• Peanut Butter Rock and Roll, Norton Records.
• Moon Over Madison, Norton Records.
• Chicken Walk, Dee Jay Records (Germany).
• Look at that Caveman Go!, Norton Records.
• Live in Chicago, Pravda Records.
• Achy Breaky Ha Ha Ha, Norton Records.
• Drinkin My Life Away, Shake It Records
• What the Hell was I thinking, Fat Possum Records.
• Poultry in Motion, Norton Records.
• Night Life, Creeps Records.

LP releases

• White Light/White Meat, Norton Records.
• Night Life, Hog Maw Records

References[link]

External links[link]

• [1] Official biography
• [2] CMT biography
• In Memory Of Hasil Adkins
• Hasil Adkins Discography
• Hasil Adkins at FindAGrave.com
• http://www.ionet.net/~tslade/adkins.htm
• http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/hadkins.htm
• http://www.grandrapidsrocks.com/haze/
• http://www.grandrapidsrocks.com/haze/haze2.htm

Danny Howells (born on 24 November 1970) is an English producer and DJ. His music is often described as progressive house, though he prefers to associate more with tech house and is sometimes described simply as "deepsexyfuturistictechfunkouse". At performances, he is well known to interact personally with the audience.^[1] Howells has mixed several albums for Global Underground in addition to his Nocturnal Frequencies series. Howells is also a member of the duo Science Department with Dick Trevor, which has produced the singles "Breathe" and "Persuasion"/"Repercussion" as well as remixes for artists such as BT. From 2008 he has run his own record label, Dig Deeper - named after his long running club night.

Biography[link]

Danny Howells was born in the South East England town of Hastings in 1970.^[2] Howells's first event DJ-ing came in the late 1980s and he began to perform at local clubs.^[2] In 1991, Bedrock founder John Digweed heard one of Howells's mix tapes and invited Howells to join the Bedrock club nights.^[2] Howells traveled with Bedrock until they settled at the club Heaven in London.^[2] He would spend nine years as warm-up DJ for Digweed at Bedrock.^[3]

In 1995, Howells began producing experimental techno tracks with fellow Hastings native, Tim Cross, under the moniker Squelch.^[2] Over the next two years, Squelch produced several singles and attracted the attention of the record label Jackpot, who released what would be Cross's and Howells's final single together.^[2] In 1997, Cross and Howells split, though Howells stayed with Jackpot. Jackpot teamed Danny Howells up with Rob Green to produce a remix of React 2 Rhythm's "Intoxication".^[2] Howells performed for the first time outside of the UK, traveling to Holland for his first gig abroad, which gained him a large fan base there.^[4] Following his international tour, Howells signed with Dutch record label ID&T to create his debut mix album, Nightlife Report 1: Mick Boskamp Presents Danny Howells.^[2] Howells and Green continued to work together, including on a remix of Robbie Williams's "South of the Border.^[2] Howells began to produce solo as well, taking on projects such as Ashtrax's "Kafka" and BT's "Dreaming".^[2]

In 1999, Danny Howells began his Nocturnal Frequencies series of mix albums on the record label Obsessive. He also began remixing with Dick Trevor, and the two soon adopted the name Science Department for their original productions.^[2] Howells continued his live DJ-ing, playing regularly at clubs including Bedrock, Renaissance, Cream, and Ministry of Sound.^[2] After the release of his next Nocturnal Frequencies album, Howells left Bedrock and Ministry of Sound, taking a residency at Twilo in New York City.^[2] After finishing the Science Department track "Breathe", Howells compiled his next mix album Nubreed 002.^[2] The second entry in Global Underground's Nubreed series, Howells's album consisted largely of funky, progressive, tech house.^[5] Howells was voted number ten of the world's top DJs in DJ Magazine's 2001 Top 100 DJs poll.^[6]

Howells continued his relationship with Global Underground, releasing the first album in their 24:7 series in July 2003. The first disc features a primarily downtempo or chill out music, similarly to Nick Warren's Global Underground 024: Reykjavik, while the second is more of a club mix.^[7] In 2005, Global Underground brought in Howells for the 27th entry in their series. Howells entry, Global Underground 027: Miami, is based on his 31 October 2004 performance at Club Space in Miami, Florida.^[8] The first disc is based on his morning set and the second disc on his late night set.^[8] In 2008 he launched his own record label "Dig Deeper", initially as a means of showcasing his own productions, but more recently featuring many new and established artists. In 2011 he released the first compilation on this imprint, entitled "Phase One".

Genre and style[link]

Up until the late 1990s, DJs such as Howells allowed themselves to be categorised under genres like "deep trance".^[9] However, with the commercialisation of trance, Howells and others began to be classified as progressive house, tribal house, or tech house.^[6][9]

Danny Howells is also known for his unique clothing styles, including wearing eye liner and "loud" Paisley shirts, which he buys from vintage stores or thrift shops.^[8][10]

Selected discography[link]

Albums^[11]

• 1998: Nightlife Report 1: Mick Boskamp Presents Danny Howells (ID&T)
• 1999: Nocturnal Frequencies (Obsessive)
• 1999: Danny Howells Presents Jackpot Records (Jackpot)
• 2000: Nocturnal Frequencies 2 (Obsessive)
• 2000: Nubreed 002 (Boxed)
• 2001: Renaissance: Revelation (Renaissance)
• 2002: Nocturnal Frequencies 3 (Obsessive)
• 2003: 24:7 (Boxed) (Billboard Top Electronic Albums #10)
• 2005: Global Underground 027: Miami (Global Underground Ltd.) (Billboard Top Electronic Albums #14)
• 2006: Choice - A Collection Of Classics (Azuli Records)
• 2008: Renaissance: The Mix Collection (Renaissance)
• 2009: Dig Deeper: The New Label

Remixes

• Felix da Housecat - ("We All Wanna Be Prince") (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Danny Howells Official Website
• Danny Howells discography at Discogs
• Danny Howells discography at MusicBrainz
• Danny Howells Tracklisting archive
• Danny Howells's myspace page