History Creator / ImpulseRecords

[[http://www.impulserecords.com/ Impulse! Records]] ([[ExcitedShowTitle the exclamation point]] is optional, but recommended) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it has outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades and continues to release new recordings today.

* Music/AlbertAyler

* Music/AliceColtrane

* Music/PharoahSanders

!!Impulse! performers, past and present, with Wiki/TVTropes pages:

By the beginning of TheSeventies, change was in the air. In 1969, Thiele (who had been [[CreativeDifferences clashing]] with ABC Records head Larry Newton) left to start his own Flying Dutchman label. His successors (Ed Michel, Steve Backer and Esmond Edwards) signed some significant performers, including Gato Barbieri, John Handy (whose single "Hard Work" made the top 50), Keith Jarrett, Dewey Redman, and one of the wildest free jazz musicians of all, Music/SunRa. Impulse! also became one of the first jazz-only labels to sign a rock act when it licensed ''Music/{{Trespass|Genesis Album}}'', the second album by the then-unknown Music/{{Genesis}}, for its original American release.

* Music/{{Genesis}}

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that had released several jazz albums, then decided to start a new sublabel devoted to the genre. In late 1960, they put producer and arranger Creed Taylor (who had been ABC's jazz specialist from almost the beginning) in charge of their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was the best-selling ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.) Impulse! soon became noted not only for its music, but also its eye-catching, colorful gatefold covers [[note]]which were rare for popular music before ''[[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand Sgt. Pepper]]'' and PsychedelicRock made them commonplace. In this environment, the DeliberatelyMonochrome cover of ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' stood out even more.[[/note]]; it also had an unique orange-and-black color scheme, which was used on album spines as well as the labels, which made for a distinctive look if you bought several Impulse! albums and shelved them all together. Taylor left after only a few months to run another major label jazz imprint (Verve, which had recently been purchased by Creator/MGMRecords), but he'd already signed several significant artists, including Oliver Nelson and Music/JohnColtrane.

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that had released several jazz albums, then decided to start a new sublabel devoted to the genre. In late 1960, they put producer and arranger Creed Taylor (who had been ABC's jazz specialist from almost the beginning) in charge of their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was the best-selling ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.) Impulse! soon became noted not only for its music, but also its eye-catching, colorful gatefold covers [[note]]which were rare for popular music before ''[[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand Sgt. Pepper]]'' and PsychedelicRock made them commonplace. In this environment, the DeliberatelyMonochrome cover of ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' stood out even more.[[/note]]; it also had an unique orange-and-black color scheme, which was used on album spines as well as the labels, which made for a distinctive look if you bought several Impulse! albums and shelved them all together. Taylor left after only a few months to run another major label jazz imprint (Creator/{{MGM}}'s Verve), but he'd already signed several significant artists, including Oliver Nelson and Music/JohnColtrane.

By the beginning of TheSeventies, change was in the air. In 1969, Thiele (who had been [[CreativeDifferences clashing]] with ABC Records head Larry Newton) left to start his own Flying Dutchman label. His successors (Ed Michel, Steve Backer and Esmond Edwards) signed some significant performers, including Gato Barbieri, John Handy (whose single "Hard Work" made the top 50), Keith Jarrett, Dewey Redman, and one of the wildest free jazz musicians of all, Music/SunRa. Impulse! also became the first jazz-only label to sign a rock act when it licensed ''Music/{{Trespass|Genesis Album}}'', the second album by the then-unknown Music/{{Genesis}}, for its original American release.

However, ABC Records began running into financial problems, and Impulse! (which had been profitable throughout its existence) began to suffer for it. The decision to rename the label ABC Impulse (no exclamation point) and switch to a new label design in muted blues and greens unintentionally signaled the beginning of the end for the original company. By 1978, Impulse! had released its last original album under ABC's ownership, although the imprint soldiered on by repackaging its catalog until ABC and all its sublabels were absorbed by Creator/{{MCA}} in 1979.

Miraculously, this was ''not'' the end of Impulse!, as the label was too beloved and respected to just vanish. Soon, a new version called MCA Impulse! (with the exclamation point) began both reissuing the original albums and signing new artists, all with a new variation of the classic orange-and-black label. Eventually the name reverted to just Impulse!, and the label continues with both reissues and new recordings. It's now under the management of Creator/UniversalMusicGroup, which inherited the imprint from MCA; [[{{Irony}} ironically]], it's currently part of the Verve Label Group, so it's officially run by the rival firm that snatched Creed Taylor away near the beginning.

* Music/BBKing

Taylor's replacement, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz (although the company recorded all varieties of the genre) and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon nicknamed "The House That Trane Built"[[note]]a riff one of of the label's {{slogan}}s, "The House That Jazz Built"[[/note]], particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Coltrane had a major influence (both direct and indirect) on Impulse!'s output, helping to lead the entire jazz genre into a new era of political and spiritual awareness while suggesting other musicians for Theile to sign. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names; other acts of the era included many of the prominent performers in the index below as well as Mel Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp, Gabor Szabo and Clark Terry.

From 1961 through 1976, Impulse Records wore its signature colors proudly and raised its exclamation point high,producing albums with hinged, brightly hued covers that opened wide, attracting generations of listeners into an exciting and far-ranging world of improvised music. The sound in its grooves bristled with the spirit of TheSixties, swinging with the musical experimentation and political outrage of the day. To many who made it through the era, the label was an inherent part of the velocity, keeping pace with -- and at times predicting -- the sound and politics that lay ahead."''

From 1961 through 1976, Impulse Records wore its signature colors proudly and raised its exclamation point high,producing albums with hinged, brightly hued colors that opened wide, attracting generations of listeners into an exciting and far-ranging world of improvised music. The sound in its grooves bristled with the spirit of TheSixties, swinging with the musical experimentation and political outrage of the day. To many who made it through the era, the label was an inherent part of the velocity, keeping pace with -- and at times predicting -- the sound and politics that lay ahead."''

[[http://www.impulserecords.com/ Impulse! Records]] ([[ExcitedShowTitle the exclamation point]] is optional, but recommended) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades and continues to release new recordings today.

Taylor's replacement, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz (although the company recorded all varieties of the genre) and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon nicknamed "The House That Trane Built"[[note]]a riff one of of the label's {{slogan}}s, "The House That Jazz Built"[[/note]], particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Coltrane had a major influence (both direct and indirect) on Impulse!'s output, helping to lead the entire jazz genre into a new era of political and spiritual awareness while suggesting other musicians for Theile to sign. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names; other acts of the era included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Mel Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp, Gabor Szabo and Clark Terry.

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that wanted to expand into the jazz field. In late 1960, they hired producer and arranger Creed Taylor (who had been working at ABC from almost the beginning) to head their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.) Impulse! soon became noted for its eye-catching, colorful gatefold covers [[note]]which were rare for popular music before ''[[Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand Sgt. Pepper]]'' and PsychedelicRock made them commonplace. In this environment, the DeliberatelyMonochrome cover of ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' stood out even more.[[/note]]; it also haed an unique orange-and-black color scheme, which was used on album spines as well as the labels, which made for a distinctive look if you bought several Impulse! albums and shelved them all together. Taylor left after only a few months to run another major label jazz imprint (Creator/{{MGM}}'s Verve), but he'd already signed several significant artists, including Oliver Nelson and Music/JohnColtrane.

[[http://www.impulserecords.com/ Impulse! Records]] ([[ExcitedShowTitle the exclamation point]] is optional) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades and continues to release new recordings today.

Taylor's replacement, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon nicknamed "The House That Trane Built"[[note]]a riff one of of the label's {{slogan}}s, "The House That Jazz Built"[[/note]], particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Coltrane had a major influence (both direct and indirect) on Impulse!'s output, helping to lead the entire jazz genre into a new era of political and spiritual awareness while suggesting other musicians for Theile to sign. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names; other acts of the era included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Mel Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp, Gabor Szabo and Clark Terry.

Miraculously, this was ''not'' the end of Impulse!, as the label was to beloved and respected to just vanish. Soon, a new version called MCA Impulse! (with the exclamation point) began both reissuing the original albums and signing new artists, all with a new variation of the classic orange-and-black label. Eventually the name reverted to just Impulse!

Impulse! Records ([[ExcitedShowTitle the exclamation point]] is optional) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades and continues to release new recordings today.

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that wanted to expand into the jazz field. In late 1960, they hired producer and arranger Creed Taylor (who had been working at ABC from almost the beginning) to head their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.) Taylor left after only a few months to run another major label jazz imprint (Creator/{{MGM}}'s Verve), but he'd already signed several significant artists, including Oliver Nelson and Music/JohnColtrane.

Taylor's replacement, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon nicknamed "The House That Trane Built", particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names. Other acts included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp and Clark Terry.

By the beginning of TheSeventies, change was in the air. In 1969, Thiele (who had been [[CreativeDifferences clashing]] with ABC Records head Larry Newton) left to start his own Flying Dutchman label. His successors (Ed Michel, Steve Backer and Esmond Edwards) signed some significant performers, including one of the wildest jazz musicians of all, Music/SunRa.

-->--Opening paragraphs of

Impulse! Records (yes, the exclamation point is [[ExcitedShowTitle part of the name]]) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades and continues to release new recordings today.

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that wanted to expand into the jazz field. In late 1960, they hired producer and arranger Creed Taylor producer to head their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.) Taylor left after only a few months to run another major label jazz imprint (Creator/{{MGM}}'s Verve), but he'd already signed several significant artists, including Oliver Nelson and Music/JohnColtrane.

From 1961 through 1976, Impulse Records wore its signature colors proudly and raised its exclamation point high,producing albums with hinged, brightly hued colors that opened wide, attracting generations of listeners into an exciting and far-ranging world of improvised music. The sound in its grooves bristled with the spirit of TheSixties,

Taylor's successor, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon nicknamed "The House That Trane Built", particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names. Other acts included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins, Archie Shepp and Clark Terry.

By the beginning of TheSeventies, change was in the air. In 1969, Thiele (who had been [[CreativeDifferences clashing]] with ABC Records head Larry Newton) left to start his own Flying Dutchman label. His replacement Ed Michel signed some significant performers, including one of the wildest jazz musicians of all, Music/SunRa.

->''"The new wave of jazz is on Impulse!"''
-->--One of the label's {{Tagline}}s

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/impulse_logo.png]]

Taylor's successor, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon called "The House That Trane Built", particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names. Other acts included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Yusef Lateef, Sonny Rollins and Clark Terry.

Taylor's successor, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon called "The House That Trane Built", particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names. Other acts included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Paul Gonsalves, Chico Hamilton, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry

Taylor's successor, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein. One of these artists, John Coltrane, was so popular and prominent that Impulse! was soon called "The House That Trane Built", particularly after ''Music/ALoveSupreme'' became one of the most artistically and commercially successful jazz albums of all time. Trane's sidemen Elvin Jones and [=McCoy=] Tyner went on to release Impulse! albums under their own names. Other acts included many of the prominent names in the index below as well as Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Rollins,

Taylor's successor, Bob Thiele, had previously produced pop acts at [[Creator/DeccaRecords US Decca]]; he'd also dragged the company kicking and screaming into the RockAndRoll era by signing Music/BuddyHolly. During his eight-year tenure at Impulse!, Theile helped define the label as a major outlet for the {{avant garde|music}} sounds of free jazz and gave his artists free rein.

Said parent was ABC-Paramount (later known as Creator/ABCRecords), a pop label that wanted to expand into the jazz field. In late 1960, they hired producer and arranger Creed Taylor producer to head their new subsidiary, which made its first releases in early 1961. (One of those early albums was ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' by Music/RayCharles, who was already signed to ABC; some artists and albums appeared on both labels.)

Impulse! Records (yes, the exclamation point is [[ExcitedShowTitle part of the name]]) is one of the foremost names in {{Jazz}} music. It has earned a reputation as an artist-friendly label that became instrumental in popularizing free jazz. The imprint became so legendary that it continues today, having outlived the death of its corporate parent by several decades.

Said parent was [[Creator/ABCRecords ABC-Paramount]], a pop label that wanted to expand into the jazz field.

Founded in late 1960, the company made its first releases in early 1961.