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KAJAC RECORD CORPORATION
16 Track Recording Studio
“The Iowa Sound”
Carlisle, Iowa
(circa) 1969 – 1980
A Midwestern Success Story, The Beginning
It didn’t happen
over night. It took a lot of hard work by a group of very dedicated and
determined people. Harold L. Luick, the founder and motivating
force behind KAJAC Record Corporation believed in the diverse and
creative talent available throughout Iowa/Midwest Area. He was not
put-off by those who claimed that he couldn’t develop a successful
national outlet for quality traditional country, bluegrass, gospel and
western swing music from a small Iowa farm community. Boy, were they
ever wrong.
“I wanted to give
Iowa/Midwest talent an opportunity to be heard, seen, and appreciated by
people all over the world” I wanted to show people that Iowa didn’t just
grow corn,” Luick said. And, he did just that, and much more.
With a cadre of loyal
helpers and supporters such as Tom Reeves, Polly Haerer, Don Laughlin,
Larry Heaberlin, Dennis Smith, Larry Jensen, Shirley Ramus, Gary Audsley,
Bobby Baker, Paul Stover, William Schooler, John Whiting, Jim Phinney,
Dennis Dyer, Loren Gonyea, Jack Selover, Jack Nelson, Robbie Wittkowski,
KAJAC went from an idea, to a concept, and then, it
became a reality.
When Polly and I first
met Harold in 1969, he had already been working on the studio concept
for a few years. Not only did he have financial, backers lined up, he
had identified a cost-effective site for the studio (an old movie
theater in Carlisle) and was converting it into the studio and office
space he needed.
Through contacts with
Iowa musicians, Lenny Hudson, Bill Ober, Bart Goldman, Bob Everhart,
Roger Collier, Rich Richmond, John Krantz, Keven Clemens, Ray Morris,
Bob Parker, Darrell C. Thomas, Neal Herrmuth, Todd Vrban, Larry Andrews,
Charlie Smith, Background Singers: Mary Gordon, Sandy Hammond, Kathy
McCaughey, Cathy Bishop, promoters: Little Richie Johnson, Smoky Smith
and others seeking opportunities in the recording and entertainment
business, Harold built a base for launching a recording studio, that
offered national promotion, distribution, record pressing services, for
recordings made in Iowa and Nashville. He accomplished his
goal.
For Us, It All Began In 1969-70
. . .
In the fall of 1969,
Polly Haerer was teaching music in the Urbandale School District, in
Des Moines, Iowa. I was Director of the Office of School-Community
Relations for the Des Moines Independent Community School District.
Among other challenges, my job brought me into daily contact with the
local, regional, and national print and broadcast media. One of
the TV reporters for the local NBC affiliate station, WHO-TV and Radio,
was a tall, dark (some might have said handsome), and aspiring
songwriter named Gus Horn. I knew that he was trying to get songs
published and he knew that my wife, Polly, an accomplished musician, was
interested in writing and arranging music.
Half jokingly, I
suggested that they get together and see if they couldn’t help each
other achieve their goals. He thought the idea had merit.
A month later, Polly and
I ran into Gus Horn at Merle Hay Shopping Plaza in Des Moines. He told
us that a group of dedicated country and western music lovers were about
to launch a state-of-the-art 16-track commercial recording studio, in
Carlisle, Iowa. The mover and shaker behind the project was Harold
Luick, a businessman, entrepreneur, musician, and long time resident
of the Des Moines area. According to Gus, Harold was looking for
all kinds of talent – people with business experience, musicians,
recording engineers, performing artists, and financial investors. We
set a date for Polly and Gus to get together to see if they could
collaborate on some saleable material.
Shortly thereafter, I
called Harold Luick and scheduled a meeting to discuss the possibility
of Polly and me getting involved in his recording studio venture. That
meeting turned into three more brainstorming sessions.
We were both convinced
that to succeed in the recording business, you had to be able to
produce more than just local voice-over narrations for radio-television
commercials and sound tracks for corporate slide show presentations.
Those, activities and the production of 45 and 33/RPM records, distributed
and promoted regionally and nationwide, were, in our judgment, where
the real money could be made. We were also interested in artist
management and related marketing / promotion services. Shortly
thereafter, Polly joined the firm full-time as administrative
Assistant to the President, Studio Musician/Producer and General Manager
of KAJAC’s music publishing entities --- Tall Corn Music
Publishing (BMI) and Mid-America Music Publishing (ASCAP).
I came on board part-time as National Record Promotions Coordinator and
Executive Vice President, Secretary, and Director.
During the three years
before KAJAC had its official grand opening in May of 1973, we were all
very busy working on various aspects of the organization while promoting
and producing records for local musicians and educational institutions,
commercials, and records for performers traveling through Des Moines.
It was hectic, exciting, fun, and a learning experience we
continue to draw upon. At the same time, Harold and I were busy
soliciting new investors and negotiating Nashville production and
promotion services for a select group of artists, we ultimately released
on the KAJAC label nationally. Those activities continued through
the summer of 1974.
KAJAC’s Scope Of Services And Artists
As our basic list of
services began to develop, the studio was being retrofitted for
new16-track state-of-the-art MCI recording equipment. Harold Luick, Tom
Reeves, vice president production and engineering, Polly Haerer, and
others were busy producing custom record sessions, commercials, and
related services to an ever-increasing list of clients.
Harold and Tom joined
Dennis Worley and me is producing a monthly Midwest Entertainment
Review trade publication promoting artists and activities,
client activities, and Iowa state-wide musical events. At the same
time, Harold and I were busy wheeling and dealing with our National
Record Promoter – Little Richie Johnson, record
producer/distributor Shelby Singleton, and other Nashville, Los Angeles,
New York, and Chicago recording industry luminaries.
KAJAC Services
- KAJAC Records -
Country / Pop / Rock / Gospel - Top Recording Artists
- VEN-JENCE
Records - Custom Records and Tapes
- KTC Productions
– Commercials, Records, Tapes for Business & Industry
- Mid-America
Music (ASCAP) – Complete Music Publishing Services
- Tall Corn
Publishing Co. (BMI) - Complete Music Publishing Services
- Iowa Sound
Promotions – National Advertising / Promotion Services
- Midwest
Entertainment Review – Music Industry Trade Journal
Based on actual and
projected studio revenues, we were able to acquire an SBA Loan to
further secure our financial position, and launch artists on the KAJAC
label nationally, via the KAJAC Studio and Nashville recording sessions.
Some of the early artists released nationally on the KAJAC label
and promoted by Little Richie Johnson included:
Early KAJAC Artists
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Larry Jensen “I’m Movin’
On” P. Haerer
“As Time Goes On” P. Haerer
“Tarnished Angel” R. Miller
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Sharon Stone “Mother
America” M.Smith M. Lewis
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Marvin Rainwater “I Don’t Care About
Tomorrow” M. Rainwater
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Gordon Terry “ Uncle Pen”
Bill Monroe
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Shirley Ramus “It Took A Long
Time” G. Horn
Polly and I are proud
to have played a small part in the KAJAC story. The fact that it helped
Harold Luick’s dream, and the dreams of others (like Rhonda Vincent who
cut her first record in our studio when she was 11 years old, and
release on the Kajac Venjence Lable) to come true, just makes
it that much more enjoyable.
–
Writers: Deane and Polly
Haerer
17 Cypress Ct
Trophy Club, Texas 76262
dhaerer@podigy.net
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