ABSTRACT
Atlantic Records and Ray Charles had barely met when Ike took office, but
through the long summer of his peace-and-prosperity years, they had grown apace
with the industry. Atlantic had nearly realized the dream of all indies: becoming a
major label. The label had “an aura,” wrote Charlie Gillett in Making Tracks, “felt as
soon as the outsider puts his foot on the edge of the music business.” Ahmet’s custom-
tailored vicuna coats and Jerry’s gift for schmoozing with reporters contributed to the
aura, but its core was records with “strong content, accurate yet still improvised singing,
and imaginative accompaniments.” Ahmet, Nesuhi, and Jerry recorded pop-rocker
Bobby Darin, the cerebral MJQ, and the clowning Coasters, and Atlantic enjoyed a
label-wide reputation for excellence. Kids and connoisseurs alike respected the discs
with the big black A on the bright red label.
