Chicago vocal groups tended to feature laid-back sweet harmonies, while solo artists exhibited a highly melodic and somewhat pop approach to their songs.
The company, before it went bankrupt in 1966, produced under A&R director Calvin Carter, many notable soul acts in the Chicago soft soul idiom, notably Butler (best known for "He Will Break Your Heart"), Betty Everett ("The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)"), Dee Clark ("Raindrops"), and Gene Chandler ("Duke of Earl").
Chess Records, under A&R director and producer Roquel Billy Davis, featured such Chicago soul style acts as the vocal harmony groups The Dells ("Stay in My Corner") and the Radiants ("Voice Your Choice"), female singers Jan Bradley ("Mama Didn't Lie"), Fontella Bass ("Rescue Me"), and Jackie Ross ("Selfish One"), and male vocalists such as Bo Diddley's protégé Billy Stewart ("I Do Love You").
Brunswick was eventually acquired by Carl Davis, and the offices moved to the Record Row (South Michigan Avenue).
Chi-Sound, besides recording the Chi-Lites, Dells, and Gene Chandler,[5] had a number of disco-soul acts between 1976 and 1982, including Windy City, Magnum Force, Sidney Joe Qualls (previously signed to the Brunswick Records subsidiary, Dakar, in the early 1970s), Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign and Manchild.
In Chicago, Mercury Records was formed by Irving Green, Berle Adams, Arthur Talmadge and Ray Greenberg in 1945.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, Mercury released records of musicians such as Jerry Butler, Phil Philips, the Platters, Brook Benton, Ohio Players, the Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, Cameo, Kool and the Gang, Kurtis Blow, Heaven & Earth and the Gap Band.
Its most notable artists were Otis Clay ("That's How It Is"), Harold Burrage ("Got to Find A Way"), McKinley Mitchell ("The Town I Live In"), and The Five Du-Tones ("Shake a Tail Feather").
Mayfield became a solo artist while at Curtom, and his Super Fly soundtrack (1972), with its funk style, represents the label's biggest seller.