Soma Records (U.S. label)

History

Soma Records got its start in Minnesota in 1954, founded by Amos Heilicher, a record distributor from the Musicland retail chain. The label’s name is an ananym—Heilicher spelled backward. In its early years, Soma put out polka, jazz, country and western, and old time music. Its first hit single came in 1959 with Bobby Vee’s “Suzie Baby,” which was then sold to Liberty Records for national distribution.

Other notable hits included “Mule Skinner Blues” by The Fendermen (licensed from Wisconsin’s Cuca label), “Liar, Liar” by The Castaways, and “Run, Run, Run” by The Gestures. “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen was actually recorded by Garrett Records; its operator, George Garrett, worked as an audio engineer at Kay Bank Studios, which Amos Heilicher partly owned. Throughout the 1960s, Soma recorded many local and regional rock groups at Kay Bank, among them The Accents, Gregory Dee and The Avanties, The Underbeats, and The Del Counts.

The label also distributed smaller imprints like Garrett, Bangar, Golden Ring, and Studio City. Country singer Dave Dudley’s first album, featuring his biggest hit “Six Days on the Road,” came out on Golden Ring Records in 1963 and was distributed by Soma until Mercury Records bought the rights. Soma also distributed Dick Allison and Ron Thompson and his Rowdy Guitar, both members of a Nebraska doo-wop and vocal group known for the rockabilly instrumental “Switchblade.”

Soma kept releasing records until 1967, when its co-owned distributing company merged into Pickwick Records. The Heilicher brothers left the recorded music business in 1977.