All Platinum

All Platinum Records was an independent American record company established in 1967 by singer, songwriter and producer Sylvia Robinson and her husband, businessman Joe Robinson. Based in Englewood, New Jersey, the company became an important outlet for soul, R&B and crossover pop during the late 1960s and 1970s. Its name was initially Platinum Records, but the word “All” was added to distinguish the company from another record label based in Miami. The company operated as more than a single imprint. Its associated labels included Stang, Vibration, Turbo and Astroscope, while its recordings were frequently made at Soul Sound Studios, the Robinsons’ in-house facility in Englewood. Sylvia Robinson played a central creative role, producing or co-producing many releases and guiding the label’s artist repertoire. The organization remained comparatively small and independent, but it generated a notable run of regional, national and international successes. The Moments were the company’s principal long-term act. Their late-1968 single “Not on the Outside” became the first major success associated with the Stang label. The group remained with the Robinson operation for approximately a decade, recording more than 25 R&B hits and 15 entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Their best-known recordings included “Love on a Two-Way Street,” which reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart and number three on the pop chart, and “Look at Me (I’m in Love),” another R&B chart-topper. The group later performed as Ray, Goodman & Brown, while members Harry Ray and Al Goodman also developed careers as writers and producers. Other significant All Platinum-associated releases included Sylvia’s “Pillow Talk,” Shirley & Company’s “Shame, Shame, Shame,” Donnie Elbert’s recording of “Where Did Our Love Go,” Brother to Brother’s “In the Bottle,” Linda Jones’s “Your Precious Love” and The Whatnauts’ “I’ll Erase Away Your Pain.” Four releases connected with the company reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, although none topped the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The Moments also achieved substantial success in the United Kingdom, and All Platinum operated a UK label presence for several years in the mid-1970s. The Robinsons expanded the business in 1975 by acquiring Chess Records with assistance from European music company PolyGram after Chess entered bankruptcy. The acquisition did not produce the expected revival, in part because All Platinum was unable to maintain a consistent flow of new releases from Chess’s artist roster. In 1979, the Robinsons founded Sugar Hill Records to pursue the emerging rap and hip-hop market. After the early success of “Rapper’s Delight” and “The Message,” Sylvia Robinson devoted most of her attention to Sugar Hill, and the All Platinum-associated labels became increasingly inactive. The wider Robinson studio operation continued until 2002, when the Englewood facility, by then known as Sugar Hill Studios, was destroyed by fire. Joe Robinson had died two years earlier, and Sylvia Robinson died in 2011. All Platinum is now chiefly remembered for its influential independent-label role in 1970s soul and R&B, its distinctive family-run production infrastructure, the success of The Moments, and its connection to the later development of Sugar Hill Records and recorded hip-hop.

All Platinum Records emerged in 1967 from the partnership of Sylvia Robinson and Joe Robinson. Sylvia brought experience as a singer, songwriter and producer, while Joe handled business responsibilities and had previously worked in the recording industry. The label was first called Platinum Records, but “All” was added to avoid confusion with a Miami company using the same name. From its New Jersey base, the business developed a compact but integrated operation built around record labels, production, studio work and artist management. The company’s musical identity centered on soul and R&B. Its related imprints included Stang, Vibration, Turbo and Astroscope. Many recordings were produced at Soul Sound Studios in Englewood, where the label could use in-house musicians and maintain close control over arrangements and sessions. Sylvia Robinson was the key creative force, producing or co-producing numerous records and shaping a catalog that combined rhythm-and-blues credibility with accessible pop structures. The Moments became the organization’s defining act. Their first important success, “Not on the Outside,” appeared at the end of 1968 and helped establish the Stang label. The group remained associated with the Robinson operation for roughly ten years, surviving early personnel changes and accumulating more than 25 R&B hits and 15 Hot 100 appearances. “Love on a Two-Way Street” became a million-selling success in 1970, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart and number three on the pop chart. “Look at Me (I’m in Love)” later repeated the group’s R&B chart-topping performance. The members Harry Ray and Al Goodman subsequently expanded into songwriting and production, extending the company’s creative influence beyond their own performances. All Platinum’s wider roster included Sylvia herself, Shirley & Company, Donnie Elbert, Brother to Brother, Linda Jones, The Whatnauts, Ponderosa Twins Plus One, Retta Young, Larry Saunders, The Rimshots, Chuck Jackson, Brook Benton, Hank Ballard and other soul, R&B and pop performers. The label’s best-known releases included Sylvia’s “Pillow Talk,” Shirley & Company’s “Shame, Shame, Shame,” Donnie Elbert’s version of “Where Did Our Love Go,” Brother to Brother’s “In the Bottle,” Linda Jones’s “Your Precious Love” and The Whatnauts’ “I’ll Erase Away Your Pain.” Four releases associated with All Platinum reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, while the company also produced numerous pop-chart entries without placing a single at number one on the Hot 100. The company developed an international profile, particularly through The Moments’ United Kingdom success. The group had three UK Top 10 hits, including “Girls,” and All Platinum maintained a UK label presence during part of the mid-1970s. Releases by acts such as Calender and Retta Young also demonstrate the label’s activity in the British market. In the United States, All Platinum handled distribution for Maple Records in 1971 and issued material that reached the Billboard album and soul charts. In 1975, the Robinsons broadened their corporate ambitions by purchasing Chess Records with financial and distribution assistance from PolyGram. Chess possessed a historic catalog and artist identity, but the acquisition proved difficult. All Platinum could not maintain a regular release schedule from the Chess roster, and the deal did not become the revitalizing expansion the owners had hoped for. The next major strategic turn came in 1979, when the Robinsons established Sugar Hill Records for rap and hip-hop. Sugar Hill quickly became the more consequential growth vehicle after the success of “Rapper’s Delight” and, later, “The Message.” Sylvia Robinson shifted her attention almost entirely to the new label. As a result, All Platinum and its other associated imprints gradually became quiet, while the Robinson business became closely identified with Sugar Hill’s role in early commercial hip-hop. The Robinsons nevertheless maintained their recording infrastructure for many years. The Englewood studio continued operating through 2002, by which time it had been renamed Sugar Hill Studios. A fire destroyed the facility that year. Joe Robinson had died in 2000, and Sylvia Robinson died in 2011. All Platinum is therefore a defunct label whose historical importance rests on its 1970s soul and R&B catalog, its independent production model, The Moments’ sustained success, and its place in the business history that led to Sugar Hill Records.

• 2002

  Englewood studio destroyed

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The facility, later called Sugar Hill Studios, is destroyed by fire.

• 1986

  Sugar Hill activity ends after distributor litigation

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Sugar Hill's label activity comes to an end after a disagreement with MCA leads to prolonged litigation.

• 1982

  "The Message" extends the Robinsons' hip-hop strategy

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Sugar Hill's release of "The Message" reinforces the strategic shift away from the older All Platinum labels.

• 1979

  Sugar Hill Records is founded

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Robinsons launch a new imprint aimed at the emerging rap and hip-hop market.

• 1975

  Chess Records is acquired

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  All Platinum purchases Chess Records with assistance from PolyGram following Chess's bankruptcy.

• 1973

  Sylvia's "Pillow Talk" becomes a major hit

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Sylvia's recording reaches number one on the Billboard R&B chart and number three on the pop chart.

• 1971

  Distribution work for Maple Records

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  All Platinum handles distribution for Maple Records and issues an album by Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Youngblood that reaches the Billboard album chart.

• 1970

  "Love on a Two-Way Street" reaches number one R&B

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Moments achieve a major crossover success with a million-selling single that tops the Billboard R&B chart.

• 1968

  The Moments score an early Stang success

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Moments' "Not on the Outside" becomes an important early release for the Stang subsidiary.

• 1967

  All Platinum Records is established

  [1]All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Sylvia and Joe Robinson found the company in the United States; the original Platinum name is expanded to All Platinum to avoid confusion with another label.

A producer-led independent label group specializing in soul, R&B and crossover releases, with an in-house studio and a strong focus on artist development and single production.

• Record-label catalog · 1967

  All Platinum soul and R&B catalog

  The core All Platinum catalog consists of soul, R&B and pop-crossover singles and albums recorded during the late 1960s and 1970s. Releases were often developed through the Robinsons' in-house production and studio system, giving the label a consistent independent sound while allowing individual artists to cross from R&B charts into the broader pop market.

• Subsidiary record label · 1968

  Stang Records

  Stang was an All Platinum-associated imprint strongly identified with The Moments. Its early profile was established by the group's "Not on the Outside," and it subsequently carried a substantial body of the group's recordings and related soul releases.

• Subsidiary record label

  Vibration Records

  Vibration was one of the subsidiary labels operated within the All Platinum network. It formed part of the company's multi-imprint approach to releasing soul, R&B and adjacent popular music.

• Subsidiary record label

  Turbo Records

  Turbo was an associated All Platinum imprint used within the company's broader label portfolio. Available reference material identifies it as part of the network specializing in soul and R&B recordings.

• Subsidiary record label

  Astroscope Records

  Astroscope was another label connected to the All Platinum operation. It belonged to the group of imprints through which the Robinsons organized releases across the soul and R&B market.

• 1979Sugar Hill hip-hop expansion

  United States

  The Robinsons redirected part of their recording-business strategy toward rap and hip-hop by launching Sugar Hill Records.

  Outcome. Early successes including "Rapper's Delight" and "The Message" led Sylvia Robinson to concentrate on Sugar Hill, leaving the older All Platinum labels increasingly inactive.

  Source

• 1979

  Create Sugar Hill RecordsStrategy

  Background

  Rap and hip-hop were emerging as a commercially promising area distinct from All Platinum's established soul and R&B base.

  Action taken

  The Robinsons establish Sugar Hill Records as a dedicated hip-hop imprint.

  Aftermath

  Sugar Hill's early hits receive Sylvia Robinson's primary attention, while All Platinum and its other labels become quieter.

  Source

• 1975

  Acquire Chess RecordsM&A

  Background

  Chess Records had entered bankruptcy, creating an opportunity to acquire its business and catalog with assistance from PolyGram.

  Action taken

  All Platinum purchases Chess Records.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition is not successful because All Platinum cannot sustain regular releases from Chess's artist roster.

  Source

• 1967

  Rename the company All PlatinumStrategy

  Background

  The original Platinum name risked confusion with a Miami-based label.

  Action taken

  The Robinsons add the word “All” and operate under the All Platinum name.

  Aftermath

  The revised name becomes the identity of the independent label group and its associated imprints.

  Source

1. 1All Platinum Recordsen.wikipedia.org