Bobbin Records

Bobbin Records was an independent American record label based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was founded in 1958 by blues musician Little Milton Campbell, commonly known as Little Milton, and Bob Lyons, a disc jockey at KATZ-AM. The label emerged from the active St. Louis blues and rhythm-and-blues scene and provided a local platform for artists who might otherwise have struggled to reach audiences beyond the region. Little Milton was central to Bobbin's artistic and business activity. He served as the label's head of A&R and used that position to recruit and record other important musicians from the St. Louis area, including Albert King, Oliver Sain, and Fontella Bass. In this respect, Bobbin functioned as more than a vehicle for its founders: it documented local talent and helped connect regional performers with the larger American rhythm-and-blues market. The label's first release was Little Milton's "I'm A Lonely Man," issued in 1958. The single reportedly sold approximately 60,000 copies, giving the young label a significant early success. Little Milton ultimately released seven singles on Bobbin, although two appeared after Leonard Chess acquired Lyons's interest and moved Milton and other Bobbin-associated artists to Chess's Checker subsidiary. Bobbin's later distribution relationship with Chess Records also illustrates the label's position between local independent production and the increasingly consolidated national rhythm-and-blues business. Bobbin's most prominent wider-market success came with Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong," released by Bobbin in October 1961. The recording featured Ike Turner on piano. After the record performed strongly in the St. Louis market, King Records leased it from Bobbin and issued it nationally the following month. The single became Albert King's first hit and reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart. This achievement established Bobbin as an important source of blues recordings even though the label itself remained comparatively small. The Bobbin catalog comprised 44 records released between 1958 and 1963. Its recorded output is associated primarily with blues and rhythm and blues, and its historical importance lies in its role as a regional incubator for musicians who later achieved broader recognition. The label was eventually absorbed into the commercial orbit of Chess and Checker, and it ceased operating as an active label after its early-1960s catalog period. In 1996, Ace Records brought renewed attention to the material through the compilation CD "St. Louis Blues Revue: The Classic Bobbin Sessions," preserving a selection of the label's recordings for later listeners and collectors.

Bobbin Records was established in St. Louis in 1958 by blues musician Little Milton and KATZ-AM disc jockey Bob Lyons. Its formation reflected the strength of the city's local blues and rhythm-and-blues community, while also addressing a common problem for regional musicians: the difficulty of obtaining recordings and distribution capable of reaching audiences outside their home market. Little Milton played both an artistic and organizational role. In addition to being a recording artist and co-founder, he served as Bobbin's head of A&R. He recruited several significant musicians to the label, including Albert King, Oliver Sain, and Fontella Bass. Through these activities, Bobbin became a local recording center and helped expose St. Louis performers to a broader commercial audience. The label's debut release was Little Milton's "I'm A Lonely Man," issued in 1958. The single sold about 60,000 copies, providing an unusually strong start for a small independent operation. Little Milton recorded seven singles for Bobbin in total. The label's catalog eventually reached 44 records released between 1958 and 1963, covering primarily blues and rhythm-and-blues material. Bobbin's development was shaped by its relationship with the larger Chess Records organization. Leonard Chess bought out Bob Lyons and subsequently signed Little Milton and other artists associated with Bobbin to Checker Records, Chess's rhythm-and-blues subsidiary. Two of Milton's Bobbin singles were released after this transition, illustrating the overlap between Bobbin's independent identity and the expanding distribution and artist networks of Chess and Checker. Bobbin was also eventually distributed by Chess Records. The label's most consequential recording was Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Bobbin released the single in October 1961, with Ike Turner playing piano. Its strong local performance attracted King Records, which leased the recording from Bobbin and issued it nationally in November. The release became Albert King's first hit and reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart. The result demonstrated how a regional independent label could identify and develop material that larger companies could successfully distribute at national scale. Bobbin's active catalog period ended in the early 1960s, with releases documented through 1963. Although the label did not become a long-lived national company, its recordings retained historical value because of the artists involved and its role in the St. Louis blues scene. Ace Records later revived interest in the catalog with the 1996 compilation CD "St. Louis Blues Revue: The Classic Bobbin Sessions." That release helped preserve and re-present Bobbin material to blues collectors and later audiences.

1. 1996Bobbin recordings are reissued in compilation form

   Ace Records releases "St. Louis Blues Revue: The Classic Bobbin Sessions," compiling material from the label's catalog.

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2. 1963End of the documented catalog period

   Bobbin's documented catalog contains 44 records released between 1958 and 1963.

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3. 1961Albert King's breakthrough recording

   Bobbin releases Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong" in October, with Ike Turner on piano.

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4. 1961King Records leases Albert King's single

   King Records issues the Bobbin recording nationally in November; it reaches number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart and becomes Albert King's first hit.

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5. 1958Bobbin Records is founded

   Little Milton and KATZ-AM disc jockey Bob Lyons establish the independent label in St. Louis.

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6. 1958First release: "I'm A Lonely Man"

   Little Milton's "I'm A Lonely Man" becomes Bobbin's first release and reportedly sells 60,000 copies.

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A St. Louis independent blues label focused on recording and promoting regional artists, with particular importance as an early platform for Little Milton and Albert King.

• Little Milton singlesBlues and rhythm-and-blues singles1958

  Little Milton was Bobbin's central recording artist and released seven singles through the label. The first, "I'm A Lonely Man," served as Bobbin's debut release in 1958 and reportedly sold approximately 60,000 copies. His recordings established the label's initial identity and commercial foothold in the St. Louis blues market.

• Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong"Blues single1961

  Released by Bobbin in October 1961, this Albert King recording featured Ike Turner on piano. After performing well locally, it was leased by King Records for national release. The single became King's first hit and reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart, making it Bobbin's most prominent commercially successful recording.

• St. Louis Blues Revue: The Classic Bobbin SessionsCompilation album1996

  This 1996 Ace Records compilation brought together recordings associated with Bobbin's St. Louis catalog. It served as an archival reissue rather than a new release from the original label and helped make the label's blues recordings available to later collectors and listeners.

• 1961Lease of Albert King's recording to King RecordsStrategy

  Albert King's Bobbin single performed strongly in the St. Louis market, creating an opportunity for a larger company to distribute the recording beyond the label's regional base.

  What changed. King Records leased "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong" from Bobbin and released it nationally in November 1961.

  Aftermath. The recording became Albert King's first hit and reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart, significantly expanding the song's audience.

  • King Records — King Records responded to the song's local performance by leasing and nationally issuing the recording.
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• 1961Leonard Chess buys out Bob LyonsM&A

  Chess Records sought access to Bobbin-associated artists and recordings as the independent label developed a stronger regional profile.

  What changed. Leonard Chess bought out co-founder Bob Lyons and signed Little Milton and other Bobbin-associated artists to Checker Records.

  Aftermath. The transaction shifted important Bobbin talent into Chess's Checker subsidiary and contributed to Bobbin's eventual integration into Chess's distribution network.

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• 1996Ace Records issues a compilation of the Bobbin catalog

  Ace Records released the compilation CD "St. Louis Blues Revue: The Classic Bobbin Sessions," renewing access to recordings from Bobbin's historical catalog.

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• 1961Bobbin Records issues Albert King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong"

  The St. Louis label released Albert King's recording in October 1961. The performance featured Ike Turner on piano and attracted enough local attention for King Records to lease and nationally issue the recording the following month.

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• 1961King Records nationally releases Albert King's Bobbin recording

  King Records leased Albert King's recording from Bobbin and released it as a single, helping it reach number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart and giving King his first hit.

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1. Bobbin Records