# Chess Records

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 17, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575 "2010-06-17T17:19:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sdejong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sdejong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdejong)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575/1 "2010-06-17T17:19:24Z")

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I was just listening to some Muddy Waters and it got me wondering what ever happened to Chess Records. Like how could such a fantastic collection of artists just dispurse?

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**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575/2 "2010-06-17T17:22:14Z")

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I forget the story, but yes, Chess is a very good label.

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**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575/3 "2010-06-17T17:24:11Z")

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It was a small company and they lost some key people in the late 60s, plus one of the owners died. Things went downhill quickly after that. See:

[http://www.bsnpubs.com/chess/chesscheck.html](http://www.bsnpubs.com/chess/chesscheck.html)

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**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-records/543575/4 "2010-06-28T03:59:56Z")

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I wa just in ChiTown foor the Blues Fest, and stayed at the Chess Lofts (new condo building; formerly Chess’s old warehouse, just a couple of blocks away from 2120 S. Michigan Ave., the label’s original recording studio. It’s now home to the Willie Dixon Foundation. The Chess Lofts are within easy walking distance of the Prairie Ave. Historic District (Glessner House! Yay! Chicago architecture!), the Second Presbyterian Church (which we spotted from the roof of the Chess Lofts) - which has a number of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows and a viable congregation, and also the condo bldg. is practically on top of McCormick Place.

Ya know, even though I don’t live there any more, and haven’t since 1986, I’d make a great tour guide 🙂