Label Guide: Buddah

Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City, born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding. Buddah handled a variety of music genres, including bubblegum pop (the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company), folk-rock (Melanie), progressive rock (Captain Beefheart), and soul (Gladys Knight & the Pips).

In addition to the Buddah imprint, the company distributed many other independent labels, including Kama Sutra Records (after Kama Sutra cut their distribution ties with MGM in 1969), Curtom Records, T-Neck Records, Charisma Records, Sussex Records, Hot Wax Records and others.

Buddah was the idea of Kama Sutra's head, Art Kass who was unhappy with his MGM-distribution deal and brought in several of his Kama Sutra partners to start the new label. Kass hired Neil Bogart - later the founder of Casablanca Records - as head of operations, and Bogart is credited with being a key player in the rise of bubblegum pop music during his time at Buddah.

As bubblegum music's popularity declined at the turn of the decade, Buddah branched out in various musical directions, including gospel, folk-country and R&B. The label produced many hits singles, but also very successful albums by Bill Withers and most notably Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly. But in the late 1970s Buddah was burdened with debt which resulted in a substantial decline in the number of new releases.

Arista Records took over distribution of Buddah in 1978, with several Buddah artists switching to Arista. Art Kass subsequently sold the label to Essex Entertainment, who managed the Buddah catalog until 1993, when they sold it to BMG. And BMG reactivated the imprint as a reissue label in 1998, but this time with a more correct spelling as Buddha Records. The label is now owned by Sony Music Entertainment and managed by Legacy Recordings.