SOLAR Records
An American soul, funk, disco, and R&B record label founded by Dick Griffey and associated with artists including Shalamar, The Whispers, Lakeside, and Midnight Star.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
SOLAR Records, an acronym for Sound of Los Angeles Records, was an American record label built around the Los Angeles soul, funk, disco, and R&B scene. Its roots were in Soul Train Records, a label established in 1975 by music executive Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius, creator and host of the television program Soul Train. The early label signed the Soul Train Gang, whose recordings included music connected with the television show's themes, but the group dissolved in 1977. Soul Train Records also released a self-titled album by the soul-funk duo Sunbear, whose members later continued working in the wider R&B community. The label's most important early development was the creation of Shalamar. Griffey assembled the project around the successful disco medley "Uptown Festival," then worked with Cornelius to establish a performing group featuring Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel alongside Gerald Brown, later replaced by Howard Hewett. Shalamar became a central act for the emerging company and helped connect the label's recorded output to Soul Train's national television platform. When Cornelius decided to concentrate on the television program, Griffey acquired his interest in the label. Soul Train Records was reorganized as SOLAR in the late 1970s, with the two men retaining a close professional relationship. SOLAR developed a distinctive house style rather than relying on a single genre. Its recordings combined polished vocal-group arrangements, dance-floor rhythms, funk bass lines, disco structures, and contemporary R&B songwriting. Producer and songwriter Leon F. Sylvers III was particularly important in shaping the label's sound during its most successful period. The label encouraged artists, writers, musicians, and producers to collaborate across sessions, creating a recognizable network sometimes described as the SOLAR sound. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the roster expanded to include The Whispers, Lakeside, Dynasty, Midnight Star, Klymaxx, Carrie Lucas, Collage, Calloway, and The Deele. The Deele was especially significant because it introduced the songwriting and production partnership of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid. Other contributors associated with the label included Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Reggie and Vincent Calloway, and numerous writers and session musicians. Distribution arrangements changed over time: RCA handled the label during its early period, followed by Elektra/Asylum, Capitol, and Epic at different stages. Griffey also created Constellation Records as a related imprint for more contemporary and pop-oriented material; that imprint was later distributed by Elektra and MCA, with MCA ultimately acquiring it and absorbing parts of its roster. SOLAR's commercial position weakened from about 1987 onward. Changes in R&B, dance music, and the broader popular market reduced the impact of its established formula, while departures by important Shalamar members Jody Watley and Howard Hewett created challenges for the group's identity and momentum. The label continued issuing releases into the early 1990s, including projects by Richie Havens, Times 3, 3rd Avenue, The Deele, and the soundtrack to the film Deep Cover, but its original operating era then came to an end. The catalog has subsequently been divided among licensing and rights-holding arrangements. Portions were licensed by EMI in the 1990s and reissued through The Right Stuff, while Unidisc Music acquired part of the catalog for Canada, the United States, and South Africa in 2009. BMG has been reported as holding portions of the catalog in the United Kingdom and Europe. The SOLAR trademark and brand, however, have remained associated with the Griffey family. In the United Kingdom, the family relaunched the label in 2018, incorporating the Soul Train Records and Soul Train Club brands. Later activities have included catalog exploitation, radio programming, live entertainment, new music development, audiovisual p…
History
SOLAR Records grew out of Soul Train Records, founded in 1975 by Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius. The first signed act was the Soul Train Gang, a vocal group connected to the Soul Train television program. The label also released a 1977 album by Sunbear, a Los Angeles soul-funk duo influenced by Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, and El Chicano. The Soul Train Gang broke up in 1977, but the label's most consequential project was developing Shalamar from the successful disco medley "Uptown Festival." Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Gerald Brown were recruited for the group, with Howard Hewett later replacing Brown. Cornelius eventually chose to focus on Soul Train television and sold his interest to Griffey. The label was reorganized as SOLAR Records in the late 1970s. Its relationship with Soul Train remained commercially valuable because the television show provided a prominent platform for Black popular music and helped expose SOLAR artists to a national audience. The label's principal period of influence came in the late 1970s and 1980s. SOLAR's roster included Shalamar, The Whispers, Lakeside, Dynasty, Midnight Star, Klymaxx, Carrie Lucas, Collage, Calloway, The Deele, and other acts. Rather than operating as a collection of isolated artist projects, SOLAR fostered a collaborative studio culture. Leon F. Sylvers III served as a major in-house producer from 1978 through 1983, followed by Reggie Calloway and later the production team of L.A. Reid and Babyface. The resulting records combined soul harmonies, funk instrumentation, disco and dance arrangements, and increasingly contemporary R&B production. Griffey also established Constellation Records in 1981 for material aimed more directly at contemporary and Top 40 markets. Constellation was initially distributed by Elektra/Asylum and later by MCA. MCA eventually acquired the imprint and absorbed associated artists, including Klymaxx. Meanwhile, SOLAR's own distribution moved from RCA to Elektra, then briefly to Capitol, and finally to Epic. These changes reflected the label's efforts to maintain national distribution while the recorded-music market was shifting. From roughly 1987, SOLAR's commercial fortunes declined. Shalamar lost key members, including Watley and Hewett, and the label faced difficulties maintaining the group's identity and momentum. Broader changes in R&B, dance music, and pop also weakened the market for the label's established sound. SOLAR nevertheless issued releases into the early 1990s, including Richie Havens's Now, Times 3's debut, the Deep Cover soundtrack, 3rd Avenue's Let's Talk About Love, and The Deele's An Invitation To Love. The label then entered a dormant or substantially inactive phase. The catalog continued to circulate through licensing and reissue programs. EMI licensed portions of the catalog in 1996, with releases appearing through The Right Stuff. Unidisc Music acquired part of the catalog in 2009 for Canada, the United States, and South Africa, while BMG has been associated with portions of the catalog in the United Kingdom and Europe. The rights landscape is therefore fragmented rather than controlled by one universally identified successor. In 2018, the Griffey family relaunched SOLAR in the United Kingdom under the leadership of Carrie Lucas, Carolyn Griffey, and Jessie Tsang, with Sonia Damney identified as vice president. The revived operation incorporated the Soul Train Records and Soul Train Club brands. Solar Legacy Entertainment and Galaxy of Stars have subsequently been associated with brand licensing, live entertainment, historic master recordings, new music, radio, and audiovisual development. The Soul Train Club radio show has broadcast on Solar Radio since 2017. More recent reported projects include television and film publishing activity, new recordings, and a proposed motion picture concerning Dick Griffey and SOLAR Records.
- 2024
A Dick Griffey and SOLAR motion picture project is reported
[1]Solar Legacy Entertainment is reported to have entered a film deal concerning Dick Griffey and the label.
- 2022
SOLAR appears in a TV One UNSUNG special
[1]A TV One episode examines Dick Griffey and SOLAR Records with participation from figures connected to the label.
- 2018
The brand is relaunched in the United Kingdom
[1]The Griffey family relaunches SOLAR Records in the UK and incorporates Soul Train Records and Soul Train Club.
- 2017
Soul Train Club radio continues on Solar Radio
[1]The Soul Train Club radio show begins broadcasting on Solar Radio as part of the brand's continuing legacy activities.
- 2009
Unidisc acquires selected catalog rights
[1]Unidisc Music purchases part of the SOLAR catalog for Canada, the United States, and South Africa.
- 1996
EMI licenses part of the catalog
[1]A portion of SOLAR's catalog is licensed by EMI and reissued through The Right Stuff.
- 1992
Deep Cover soundtrack is released
[1]The label releases the soundtrack associated with the film Deep Cover during its late operating period.
- 1987
Commercial decline begins
[1]SOLAR's commercial performance weakens amid roster changes, Shalamar's personnel departures, and wider changes in popular music.
- 1981
Constellation Records is created
[1]Griffey establishes the related Constellation imprint for more contemporary and Top 40-oriented acts.
- 1978
Leon Sylvers III becomes a central in-house producer
[1]Sylvers begins a major production role that helps define SOLAR's collaborative funk, disco, and R&B sound.
Products and positioning
A Los Angeles-rooted soul, funk, disco, and R&B label recognized for collaborative production, vocal-group music, dance-oriented recordings, and its close historical association with Soul Train.
Artist catalog · 1977
Shalamar catalog
Shalamar was one of SOLAR's defining acts. Developed from the disco medley Uptown Festival, the group combined dance music, soul vocals, and choreographed performance, reinforcing the label's connection with Soul Train and helping establish its national identity.
Artist catalog
The Whispers catalog
The Whispers were among SOLAR's most prominent vocal groups. Their recordings exemplified the label's polished combination of soul harmonies, funk rhythm sections, disco influences, and sophisticated R&B production.
Artist catalog
Lakeside catalog
Lakeside represented SOLAR's funk-oriented side, contributing ensemble-based recordings to a roster that balanced dance music, vocal-group soul, and groove-focused funk.
Film soundtrack · 1992
Deep Cover soundtrack
The soundtrack to the 1992 film Deep Cover was among SOLAR's final releases during its original operating era and remains part of the catalog associated with the label.
Radio and entertainment brand · 2017
Soul Train Club
Soul Train Club is a related brand incorporated into the UK relaunch of SOLAR. Its continuing activities have included a radio program broadcast on Solar Radio and wider live-entertainment and legacy projects.
Brand decisions
2018
United Kingdom relaunchStrategyBackground
The Griffey family sought to reactivate the historic SOLAR identity and extend it beyond the original label era.
Action taken
The family relaunched SOLAR in the UK and incorporated Soul Train Records and Soul Train Club into the revived operation.
Aftermath
The brand expanded into catalog licensing, radio, live entertainment, new music, and audiovisual development.
1981
Creation of Constellation RecordsStrategyBackground
Griffey wanted an imprint aimed at more contemporary and Top 40-oriented material than the main SOLAR label.
Action taken
He created Constellation Records and arranged distribution through Elektra/Asylum, later moving the imprint to MCA.
Aftermath
MCA later acquired the imprint and absorbed its artists, including Klymaxx.
1977
Reorganization from Soul Train Records to SOLAR RecordsStrategyBackground
Don Cornelius wanted to concentrate on the Soul Train television program, while Dick Griffey sought to continue and develop the record-label business.
Action taken
Griffey acquired Cornelius's interest and reorganized the predecessor label under the SOLAR Records name.
Aftermath
The new label retained a close connection to Soul Train while developing an independent roster and production identity.
Reported purchase price for Cornelius's interest. $300,000 (1977)
Sources1 sources
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