SAR Records

SAR Records was a record company founded by soul music legend Sam Cooke in 1961. The meaning of "SAR" has been disputed; it has been listed as "Sam & Alex Records" (J.W. Alexander was Cooke's business, song-writing associate, and friend) and also as "Sam, Alex, & Roy Records" (Roy being S. R. Crain, Cooke's mentor from his Soul Stirrers days, as well as his pop road manager).

The label did not feature Cooke, but rather featured all of Cooke's artists such as the latter-day Soul Stirrers with Jimmie Outler and Johnnie Taylor singing lead, The Valentinos (including Bobby Womack), Billy Preston, Mel Carter, The Simms Twins, Johnnie Morisette, L. C. Cooke (Cooke's younger brother), as well as Johnnie Taylor as a pop soloist.

One notable release on SAR was the original version of "It's All Over Now" by The Valentinos which would later be covered by the Rolling Stones.

The label was intended to be a place where Sam Cooke could expand his artistic abilities as a writer/producer and to… More