Southern City Records

A record label based in Gallatin and owned by Harold and Jean Gilbert.

The Paramount Four release with typical label sticker

History

Harold and Jean Gilbert, married in 1958, performed as "Hal and Jean." The performing duo released two singles in 1963: one on Capitol Records (5041: "Hey You Standing There" / "Don't tell me Lies") and one on Mikl records (1313: "Try me" - a James Brown song- b/w "You Better Change"). They then used money from those releases to set up the music label. Hal wrote much of the music on the label, publishing the songs through his Hitsburg Music Co.

Historian E. Mark Windle remarks that "The Gallatin-based Southern City label may have had limited output, but was one example of how the town’s black community was able to combine local musical talent (singers, producers and song-writers) within a business enterprise."

Releases

Unknown: The Greatest Lover Girl In The World / Till I Get In Someone's Arm's by Leona Wyleese‎ as catalog #280

Unknown: Blue Tears / I'm The World's Gift To Man  by Hal (The Trumpet King) Gilbert* / Jean (The Blues Queen) as catalog #1110

1967: Step By Step/ I Got A Good Thing (When I Got You) by The Poodles as catalog #1111/1112

1968: Search For A New Love (But Take The Key) / I'm In A Trance by James McMurry as catalog #1112

1968: I've Made Up My Mind  by The Paramount Four as catalog #1114

1975: (Got To Get) Back In His Arms  by The Fox Sex as catalog #1116

Address

157 Ford Avenue, Gallatin,TN 37066. USA

External References

E. Mark Windle "House of Broken Hearts." 2017. https://windlefreelance.com/2020/10/29/southern-city-records-hal-and-jean-and-the-paramount-four/

https://www.discogs.com/label/546000-Southern-City-Records

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3298569-Jean-Gilbert-4?anv=Jean+%28The+Blues+Queen%29