Blue Seas/Jac Music -- Hidden Valley Music

[An Enormous BB Fan]

Did Burt and Hal start that publishing company? Or did that company exist already even before Burt and Hal got together? Did Blue Seas/Jac Music publish any other songs besides Burt and Hal songs? Does anyone know the derivation of Blue Seas/Jac? Is "Blue Seas" Burt's company and "Jac" Hal's company? What does "Jac" signify? Does anyone here remember Harold Wald, by any chance? I know he was at Blue Seas/Jac many years ago.

When Burt and Hal split up, I noticed that Burt's songs were published under the "Hidden Valley Music" banner. Is that Burt's company also, and does Hidden Valley Music publish anyone else?

Sorry for all these questions, but I've been interested in getting these questions answered for a long time. Thanks!

[BachtoBacharach]

Know this doesn't answer that question specifically, but is interesting nonetheless. Blue Jac Productions was formed circa 1962 and was comprised of Bacharach/David and the newly contracted Warwick and it was this production company which signed to Florence Greenberg's Scepter Records. A couple of Dionne's last albums for Scepter were essentially compilations of earlier material, such as 1972's "Dionne Warwicke From Within" and 1971's "The Dionne Warwicke Story" A Decade of Gold" and listed the production credit as "A Blue Jac Production." Dionne Warwick's 1969 album "Soulful" , which peaked at # 2 on the Billboard R & B album chart and # 13 on Billboard Hot 100 Album Chart, that she co- produced with Chips Moman was also credited on the album sleeve as "A Blue-Jac Production." The label on the vinyl lp states "A Burt Bacharach-Hal David Production" although Bacharach/David had no role in the production of the album whatsoever, other than a sort of "executive producer" arrangement type of thing. I assume Blue Seas/Jac was a publishing offshoot or subsidiary of Blue Jac and was probably disbanded sometime after Warwick left Scepter for Warner Brothers and Burt and Hal split, this happening around late 1972 or early 1973. In late 1971, Warwick left Scepter and was contracted directly to Warner Brothers for the largest contract ever given a female recording artist at the time and she, in turn, contracted Burt and Hal to produce 5 albums (one per year from 1972 through 1976) for her. Bacharach/David fulfilled the first album under their cotract with Warwick, 1972's "Dionne" but then split, allegedly over friction resulting from "Lost Horizon". Dionne was left to seek other producers to fulfill her contract lest she be sued by Warner Brothers. She filed a $5.5 million breach of contract suit against Bacharach/David in 1975. In addition, Burt and Hal sued Scepter for unpaid royalties in 1975 and received a settlement of about $500,000. In 1979, Warwick received an out of court settlement from Bacharach/David of $5 million from Bacharach/David which included shared rights with Bacharach/David of all Warwick recordings produced by Bacharach/David.

[steveo_1965]

Blue seas was Burts...JAc was Hals
an acronym for Jim Anne and Craig (his then wife and kids...)
New Hidden Valley was Burts based on a branch road and area in Los Angeles Canyon where he lived in the early 70's
and yes, they later sold it to Wb.
Steveo

[An Enormous BB Fan]

Wow! What wonderful responses. My thanks to BachtoBacharach and to steveo_1965. I don't know what it is about me, but even from the time I was a kid, I was always noticing all the credits on an album or sheet music. In fact, that's how I first became aware of Bacharach/David even before the general public had any idea of who they were. But because I really cherished and lived for and lived to get the sheet music to all the new B/D songs, I would always see the Blue Seas/Jac name at the bottom of all my Burt/Hal sheet music -- and I never saw it on any other sheet music. I also found it interesting that they didn't simply name their publishing company "Bacharach/David Publishing" or something like that. (I guess that's why they're creative and I'm not.) And I do find all that "business stuff" you wrote about, BachtoBacharach, very interesting! Thanks again to the both of you.

[steveo_1965]

You're welcome Enormous...To my knowledge, no other artists were published by new hidden valley...I believe it was Burt's firm, just for him.

Steveo

[steveo_1965]

An interesting little anomaly....When I first started getting interested in music, two of my favorite composers had the word "SEA" in them
Brian Wilson:"Sea of Tunes Music"
Burt Bacharach:"BLue Seas Music"
Both dealing with the ocean.....

Steveo

[BachtoBacharach]

You're welcome-sure wish Bette Midler could get her Florence Greenberg bio-pic off the ground but as I understand it, there is a problem with the music rights for some of the Shirelles recordings. It has something to do with the survivors of Addie "Micki" Harris who died in 1982 and her portion of the rights. Florence Greenberg was a brassy, sassy red-haired dame who was larger than life, much like Bette Midler herself and she would be a natural to play Florence. Any bio-pic would have to feature Burt, Hal and Dionne prominently as the trio took Greenberg's Scepter to a whole new level of success beginning in late 1962. After Dionne, Burt and Hal left Scepter in 1971, the label never recovered and filed bankruptcy in 1977 and Florence lost everything. In 1965, Florence had an offer from Gulf-Western to buy Scepter for the then astronomical sum of $6 million, an offer based largely on the success of Dionne Warwick and the Bacharach/David production team. Florence stated in later years that she regretted not selling. She died in November 1995 at 82 years of age. One has to speculate who might be cast as Burt, Hal and Dionne should the film ever be made. With all the great music Scepter turned out in the 1960s, it would have to be a feast for the ears as well as the eyes.

[steveo_1965]

That's sad about Florence losing all....I gues she thought she could
bring everything back up to par...
This would make a great movie...I'd love to see it...Just don't make Brad Pitt or DeCaprio Burt...lol

[BachtoBacharach]

It is sad indeed that Florence lost it all. The settlement of $500,000 that Burt and Hal received for back royalties happened shortly before Scepter folded. It is interesting to note that the Shirelles sued Scepter for unpaid royalties as well in the late 60s. Scepter was known for pretty lax accounting policies as were many indie labels back in the day. Unfortunately, many black artists in the 50s and 60s were victimized and exploited greatly by their record companies and often relatively little made its way into the hands of the talent. Dionne Warwick was pretty shrewed as far as business was concerned as were Bacharach and David and their contractual arrangement with Scepter was pretty unusual for its time. Florence knew better than to screw around with her bread and butter. Florence had something pretty unique and very successful with Warwick/Bacharach/David and there was never a problem with royalty payments until after they departed and Scepter began to head south.

[steveoreno]

What happened to Dionne's label "Sonday Records?"

[ron hertel]

The only SONDAY release I am aware of is the Leslie Uggams LP "Try To See It My Way" with unmistakable Dionne Warwick background vocals. I do not believe it was commercially successful and I never heard any more about SONDAY.......... Dionne's first son David was the inspiration for the label name and his picture appears on the record's actual label.

[steveoreno]

I heard The Constalations, a group that toured with D was on that label too...

[ron hertel]

I recall seeing the Constellations open for Dionne several times "way back when"- I was unaware of them ever releasing a recording - THEY MAY WELL HAVE - I'll do some "googleing"!

[steveo_1965]

Ron
The Constellations made the following records on Sonday:

CONSTELLATIONS: cant get you out of my mind/i'm in love forever
label: SONDAY 6001
this would be about 1970.

and yet another one:
CONSTELLATIONS: I can't turn you loose/special love label: SONDAY 700



Steveo
Frank Lloyd joined a chicago group called the constellations, and later talked with Dionne Warwick about joining her world-touring entourage. After appearing in San Juan, Puerto Rico (El San Juan Hotel) and Las Vegas, Nevada (The Flamingo Hotel) with the Larry Steele Smart Affairs Revue, Frank and the Constellations accompanied Dionne Warwick, opening her show, and touring four years with her from New York City at the World Famous Apollo Theater all across the country.

[ron hertel]

Steveo:

Thanks for the info. A quick "google" identified a record entitled "In Love Forever" (listed as rare) by the Constellations on SONDAY records. http://www.soul-source.co.uk
I believe the first time I saw the Constellations with Dionne was in Chicago at the Auditorium Theater around 1970.

I've always admired Dionne for her entrepreneurial spirit (record label, perfume, skin care line, interior design group), her charitable contributions and loyalty to her friends and family. She's been a little less than gracious from time to time with her audiences and venue staff members ("haughty" was the term used by the media to describe her sometimes uncharacteristic behavior). After witnessing that several times - I know it had an impact on her fan base back in the 60's and 70's. Always attributed it to her breakup with Burt and Hal and general dissatisfaction with her years with Warner Brothers. I observed a major change in attitude after she signed on with Clive Davis at Arista Records in 1979. She remains one of the most enduring, inimitable and hard working vocalists (there are not many out there like Dionne) - I'll always be supportive of her efforts.