Austin, TX (Top40 Charts/ Sonobeat Historical Archives) Sonobeat Records (1967-1976) was an integral seed of the Austin, Texas, music revolution that began in the mid-'60s. Sonobeat's prodigious output introduced Johnny Winter, Eric Johnson, Rusty Wier, the Afro-Caravan, and dozens of other luminary
Texas musicians to the world, but its commercial singles and albums have been out of print since the mid-'70s. That now changes.
On March 11, 2014, Sonobeat Historical Archives broke open the sonobeat archives with the digital rerelease of the label's first 45 RPM single, A Picture of Me andWithout You by the Sweetarts, one of Austin's most popular '60s rock bands. The Sweetarts' single launched Sonobeat in summer 1967, becoming the first in a series of stereo singles and albums featuring top Central
Texas musicians, singers, and songwriters released by the label during the formative years of Austin's now world-renowned music scene.
Sitting dormant on deteriorating magnetic tape for more than 46 years after its original vinyl release, Sonobeat Historical Archives has digitally restored and remastered the Sweetarts single from the original session masters. The digital rerelease is now available on the iTunes Store and AmazonMP3 Store as individual tracks or as the EP Austin, TX 1967. In coming months, Sonobeat Historical Archives will digitally restore, remaster, and rerelease additional material from the Sonobeat Records vault, including singles by Lavender Hill Express (featuring Austin icon Rusty Wier), Conqueroo, Plymouth Rock, Mariani (featuring another Austin icon, Eric Johnson), Wali and the Afro-Caravan, and Rockabilly legend Ray Campi.
Sonobeat Records was the 1960s and '70s Austin-based independent record label formed by father-son team Bill Josey Sr. and Bill Josey Jr. In its nine years of operation, Sonobeat released 22 singles and two commercial albums and several "white cover" non-commercial demo albums, and recorded hundreds of unreleased tracks by dozens of Central
Texas bands and solo artists. Sonobeat also pioneered mono-compatible stereo 45 RPM singles. In 1968, Sonobeat recorded blues guitar legend Johnny Winter's acclaimed debut album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, which it licensed to
Liberty Records. A year later, Sonobeat licensed its Wali and the Afro-Caravan album, Home: Lost and Found to Liberty/United Artists Records. The relatively few remaining copies of Sonobeat's vinyl singles and albums are prized among
Texas music aficionados and record collectors around the world.
Sonobeat's official website (www.sonobeatrecords.com, mirrored at www.sonobeat.com) recounts the label's story and those of the artists it recorded. The label's historical significance in the development of Austin's now famous music scene is documented by Austin musician and author Ricky Stein in his book, Sonobeat Records: Pioneering the Austin Sound in the '60s (History Press, January 14, 2014).
Sonobeat Historical Archives is the collective of Sonobeat co-founder Bill Josey Sr.'s heirs, who maintain the Sonobeat website and master tape archives.
