The Calla label started in 1965 as an independent New York label, owned by Nathan (Nate)
McCalla. Calla hit big with J.J. Jackson's "But It's Alright" in 1966, a song recorded in England with
British musicians backing Jackson, and then turned this 45 hit into an LP of the same name. Calla
licensed the rights to J.J. Jackson's material to Warner Brothers some time later, and the same song
re-charted in 1969 on WB. Other artists on the label included the Sandpebbles, Jean Wells, Billy
Mitchell, and Betty LaVette, Rudy Love, and the Persuaders.
Early singles and possibly the first album were distributed by Cameo-Parkway, but Cameo-Parkway
soon ran into problems staying in business. With Cameo-Parkway on the rocks, McCalla decided to do
his own distribution. McCalla was a friend of Morris Levy and was part of the Roulette Records group of
labels, but operated independently as far as distribution. This worked well until 1972, when the material
seemed to dry up.
Calla was all but inactive for the 1972-1975 years. But in 1976, Calla issued a handful of albums on the
1230 and 5000 series distributed by a company called Shakat Records. The albums that sold well were
shifted to CBS for distribution later that same year, and CBS eventually reissued several of the Calla
albums on Epic, with a small Calla logo.
Calla shut its doors in 1977, when Nate McCalla decided to go on an extended stay outside the United
States. When he returned in 1980, he was soon murdered. Like many record company execs, Nate
McCalla was less of a studio man and more of an office man, one who knew what he liked, signing a
wide variety of musical genres to his label. He leaves a relatively small but quite interesting musical
legacy.
We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an
information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no
association with Calla Records, which is currently inactive. Should you be interested in acquiring albums
listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the
instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1998, 1999, 2005 by Mike
Callahan.
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Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] (Chart) Contents
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C/SC-1100 Series:
The Calla label for the 1100 series started as red and yellow with black printing. The label is divided into
quarters with alternating red and yellow quarters. "CALLA" is in yellow on a red quarter directly above
the center hole. Later issues in this series also were known to have a red and white label with the same
design. Singles were also known with a red and light blue version of the same design, so it is possible
some of the LP labels may be red and blue, also. Mono albums had the "C" prefix, while stereo versions
had "SC-".
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C/SC-1101 - JJ/But It's All Right - J.J. Jackson [1967] Front cover has a large "JJ" as the
album title, but label gives the title as "But It's Alright." But It's Alright/Try Me/That Ain't
Right/You've Got Me Dizzy/A Change Is Gonna Come/I Dig Girls//Come See Me (I'm Your Man)/The
Stones That I Throw/Give Me Back The Love/Ain't Too Proud To Beg/Love Is A Hurting Thing/Boogaloo
Baby/Let It Out
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SC-1102 - Taking Care Of Business - Larry Page Orchestra [1968]
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SC-1103 - World! Here Comes Jean Wells! - Jean Wells [1968] Have A Little
Mercy/Drown In My Own Tears/Broomstick Horse Cowboy/What Have I Got To Lose/After Loving
You//Our Sweet Love Turned Bitter/Try Me And See/Sit Down And Cry/I Feel Good/Easy Away A Little
Bit At A Time
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SC-1104 - The Magic Touch of the Billy Mitchell Group - Billy Mitchell Group [1969]
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SC-1105 - Taste of Jamaica - Calypso Joe [1970]
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SC-1106 - Calypso Songs Me Mama Never Taught Me - Pepper Pot
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2000 Series:
The label for the 2000 series is orange with black printing.
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SC-2001 - The Fuzz - Fuzz [1971] (10-71, #196) Think I Got The Making Of A True Love
Affair (Prelude) (S)/Think I Got The Making Of A True Love Affair (S)/I'm So Glad (Prelude) (S)/I'm So
Glad (S)/All About Love (Prelude) (S)/All About Love (S)/It's All Over (Prelude) (S)/It's All Over (S)//Like
An Open Door (S)/Search Your Mind (S)/Leave It All Behind Me (S)/Ohh Baby Baby (S)/I Love You For
All Seasons (S)
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SC-2002 - The Next Morning - Next Morning [1972]
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1230 Series:
Some labels were blue with gold print as at left, while others had the red and green label as shown
below for the 5000 series. The catalog prefix changes to "CAS". Both the 1230 series and the 5000
series were distributed by Shakat
Records.
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CAS 1236 - Best of Both Worlds - Both Worlds [1976]
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CAS 1237 - Rudy Love and the Love Family - Rudy Love & Love Family [1976]
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CAS 1238 - It's All About Love - Persuaders [1976] It's Love/Count The Ways/I Need
Love/The Quickest Way Out (Vocal)/Who Will It Be Tonight//Sure Shot (Gamblin' On A Sure Shot)/Hey
Sister I'm Your Brother (She's My Sister)/Tryin' To Love Two Women/The Quickest Way Out
(Instrumental)
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CAS 1239
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2-CAS 1240 - Birth of a Legend - Bob Marley & Wailers [1976] (2-LP set) Made A
Mistake/One Love/Let Him Go/Love And Affection/Simmer Down//Maga Dog/I Am Going
Home/Donna/Nobody Knows/Lonesome Feeling//Wings Of A Dove/It Hurts To Be Alone/I'm Still
Waiting/Do You Feel It/Do You Remember//Dancing Shoes/I Don't Need Your Love/Lonesome Track/Do
You Feel The Same Way/The Ten Commandments Of Love
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5000 Series:
The 5000 series has a red and green label with black printing. "CALLA" in white in a red area above the
center hole. The bottom of the label is green. The following were distributed by Shakat Records.
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CAS 5001 - Truth Is On It's Way - Nikki Giovanni [1976]
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CAS 5002 -
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CAS 5003 - I Want the World to Know - Best of Both Worlds [1975] Anyway The Wind
Blows/Broad Jumping/I Want The World To Know/Invisible Flowers/Greedy Green//50-50/Lost In A
Shuffle Of Love/Momma Bakes Biscuits/Naked Truth/Theme From I Want The World To Know
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Calla/Epic Reissues:
The following were distributed by CBS. These had the regular Epic label with a small "Calla" logo at the
left of the label. Later reissues used the blue Epic script label as was appropriate for the time they were
reissued.
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 ZX-34759 - Birth of a
Legend - Bob Marley & Wailers featuring Peter Tosh [1976] Reissue of disc 1 of Calla
SC-1240. Original cover is tan with a photo of the group. Later reissue has a yellow cover with a
drawing. Made A Mistake/One Love/Let Him Go/Love And Affection/Simmer Down//Maga Dog/I Am
Going Home/Donna/Nobody Knows/Lonesome Feeling
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ZX-34760 - Early Music - Bob Marley & Wailers featuring Peter Tosh [1977] Reissue of
disc 2 of Calla SC-1240. Wings Of A Dove/It Hurts To Be Alone/I'm Still Waiting/Do You Feel It/Do You
Remember//Dancing Shoes/I Don't Need Your Love/Lonesome Track/Do You Feel The Same Way/The
Ten Commandments Of Love
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ZX-34802 - It's All About Love - Persuaders [1977] Reissue of Calla SC-1238. It's
Love/Count The Ways/I Need Love/The Quickest Way Out (Vocal)/Who Will It Be Tonight//Sure Shot
(Gamblin' On A Sure Shot)/Hey Sister I'm Your Brother (She's My Sister)/Tryin' To Love Two
Women/The
Quickest Way Out (Instrumental)
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ZX-35012 - This Song Is For You - Rudy Love & The Love Family [1978] Reissue of
Calla SC-1237.
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CD Compilation:
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AVI CD 5015 - Soul Records of the 60s, Volume 1: Calla Records - Various Artists
[1996] Let Me Down Easy - Betty LaVette/Only Your Love Can Save Me Now - Betty LaVette/Baby
You're My Everything - Little Jerry Williams/Prove It - Mary Wheeler/Spinnin' Top - Orlons/If You Ask Me
- Little Jerry Williams/But It's All Right - J.J. Jackson/I Dig Girls - J.J. Jackson/After Loving You - Jean
Wells/Prayer Of Love - Ernie & Jean Terrell/Four Walls - J.J. Jackson/Forget It - Sandpebbles/I Feel
Good - Jean Wells/Love Power - Sanpebbles/Have A Little Mercy - Jean Wells/Just A Little Bit - Roscoe
Gordon/Do It To It, (I've Got To) - Tony Fox/Sit Down And Cry - Jean Wells/If You Didn't Hear Me The
First Time - Sandpebbles/Try Me And See - Jean Wells/Never My Love - Sandpebbles/Love Won't Wear
Off - J.R. Bailey/Oh Happy Day - Billy Mitchell/Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Billy Mitchell
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Calla Album Discography
