Label Guide: Bang

Bang Records was formed in 1965 in New York City by a group of Atlantic Records producers under the leadership of Bert Berns. When Atlantic set out to create a new independent label, Berns, together with his partners Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, and Gerry Wexler, created the label and named it after the initials of their first names. The new label had an immediate string of hit records, including "I Want Candy" by The Strangeloves, "Hang on Sloopy" by The McCoys, and "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.

Bert Berns died young in December 1967 and his widow Irene took over management. Over the years, two subsidiary labels were started: Shout Records and Bullet Records. In 1971, she moved the label to Atlanta, and Bang Records did its own distribution until 1979 when it was sold to CBS Records. Bang kept its identity as part of the CBS Associated unit until it was absorbed in 1982 by CBS's Columbia Records unit.