Atlanta Artists
Atlanta Artists was a label founded by Larry Blackmon of the group Cameo in 1983. The label was originally distributed by PolyGram. It was formed after Blackmon and Cameo relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Atlanta, Georgia. The studio gave Blackmon more creative control over Cameo's sound and allowed him to promote local talent such as Ca$hflow. After Cameo left for Reprise Records, Atlanta Artists was absorbed into Mercury Records.
Origins
After Cameo's seventh album, Knights of the Sound Table, Blackmon reduced the group from ten members to a five-member unit. This change was made due to the economics of the music industry at that time. Blackmon relocated the group from New York to Atlanta, Georgia.With their core of five members, they released the album Alligator Woman, a fusion of funk, new wave and a synthesizer-driven sound.
Atlanta Artists history
The album Style followed in 1983 as the first release for Atlanta Artists. This release continued their new musical direction by adding electronic drums to their production. This new sound was a blueprint for their subsequent albums.In 1986, Atlanta Artists released Cameo's Word Up!, which the Los [Angeles Times] rated as "one of the year's best albums".
The funk group Ca$hflow and solo artist Barbara Mitchell signed and released for the label, along with teenage solo artist Jilliann, while Blackmon produced also artists on other labels:
- Tomi Jenkins - 1989 / Elektra
- Bobby Brown - 1986 / MCA
- The Reddings - 1985 / Polydor
- George Howard - 1990 / GRP
In 1990, Atlanta Artists released Real Men Wear Black, which People magazine called "one of the strongest collections in Cameo's 13-album history", suggesting that "almost every song has grand-slam potential".
In 1991, after Cameo's move to Reprise, Atlanta Artists was absorbed into Mercury Records.