Fervor Records

Fervor Records was founded in 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona by entrepreneurs David Hilker, Ted Bulger, Ron Pick and Michael Charlesworth as a subsidiary to Wild Whirled Music Group which also included Mount Pilot Music Publishing Company, BMI.[1][2] The company was first headquartered in an office/warehouse space on Gelding Drive in the Scottsdale Airpark in Scottsdale, Arizona.

From their offices in Scottsdale, the fledgling company produced the first charity Christmas compilation in Arizona, which sold over 4,000 copies in six weeks. The disc, Southwest Holiday benefited Central Arizona Shelter Services, a homeless shelter in Phoenix. "Our goal," said Hilker, "was to unite the music community and do something positive."[3][4][5]

In 1991, Hilker and his songwriting/production partner, John Costello, opened a recording studio, Wild Whirled Recording, at 600 West Dunlap Avenue in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix. It was in a strip mall next to a laundromat. This address also served as Fervor's new headquarters. The studio serviced many client recording sessions.[6] Hilker and Costello also produced a variety of singers and rappers focused primarily on hip-hop and R&B.[5]

Fervor achieved local success with three additional compilation releases: Arizona Unplugged, Blue Saguaro, and Musicians for St. Mary's (a second charity release, this one for St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix).[7] Artists appearing on these albums include Jeff Dayton, The Phoenix Boys Choir, Hans Olson, Brian Page & The Next, Cliff Sarde, genepool, Sonya Jason, J. David Sloan and Billy Williams, Bob Corritore, Chico Chism, Big Pete Pearson, The Rocket 88's, Sam Taylor, Scotty Spenner, Chief Gillame, Rena Haus, Buddy Reed and the Rip It Ups, The Hoodoo Kings, London Thompson, Pete Pancrazi and Diana Lee.[1]

By the mid 1990s, Bulger, Pick and Charlesworth had left the company, leaving Hilker in charge. In 2001, Fervor Records moved its headquarters and recording studios to its current location in Sunnyslope, Arizona.[8]

In 2002, Hilker and Costello teamed with New York City native, Jeff Freundlich, and formed Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. to expand further into music publishing and licensing. By 2006, Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. had acquired Fervor Records and affiliated brands.[9] In 2016, John Costello left the company. Hilker serves as the company's CEO and Freundlich as COO.

In 2007, the label began acquiring the rights to vintage songs and recordings from the 1920s through the 2000s, spanning numerous styles and sub-genres of pop, country, soul, blues, Americana, gospel, electronic, jazz, hip hop, rock and R&B.

Fervor Records controls rights to music from historical labels including Morrison Records (Seattle, Washington)[9] MCI, Liberty Bell, REV, Ramco, ARA,[10] Raina, and Mascot Records (Phoenix, Arizona) Royal Audio Music aka RAM Records, K, and Clif Records (Shreveport, Louisiana)[11] Comstock Records (Shawnee, Kansas), Trend Records (Canada) Up With People Records (Tucson, Arizona), Trend Records (Hollywood, California), Trod Nossel Studios (Wallingford, Connecticut), WSJ Records (New York), and Triplett Records (Chicago, Illinois).[12]

Songs in the Fervor catalog that have charted on Billboard include "Cookin" by the Al Casey Combo,[13] "Reconsider Me" by Margaret Lewis and Mira Ann Smith,[14][15][16] and "A Teenager Feels it Too" by Denny Reed[17]

Several of the artists in the Fervor catalog have received Grammy awards including Bill Champlin,[18] Waylon Jennings[19]Steve Vaus (aka Buck Howdy),[20] Donna Fargo,[21] and Jack Miller.[22][23]

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Fervor Records has a special interest in finding and promoting artists from Arizona. A large part of the Fervor catalog is the work of Arizona artists. In 2007, Fervor secured a significant catalog of recordings from Audio Recorders of Arizona, a music studio owned and managed by Floyd Ramsey. Ramsey had bequeathed the catalog to Arizona music historian John P. Dixon. Ramsey's studio recorded produced, and released music from notable musicians such as Sanford Clark, Duane Eddy, Donnie Owens, Lee Hazlewood, Al Casey, Waylon Jennings, Wayne Newton, Donna Fargo, and many others. In 2017, Fervor released the double LP Mid-Century Sounds: Deep Cuts from the Desert, which features many rare songs from the Audio Recorder's catalog.[24][25][26]

Fervor also has other Arizona artists on their roster including Bruce Connole (The Jetzons, The Strand, The Cryptics, Suicide Kings/The Revenants), Hans Olson, Francine Reed, Big Pete Pearson, Chuck Hall, The Pistoleros, Loosely Tight, Connie Conway, Phil & the Frantics, Brian Page & The Next, Blue Shoes, Patti LaSalle, Jimmy Spellman, The Pills, Gentlemen Afterdark, The Sugar Thieves, Fayuca, Super Stereo, CooBee Coo, Noonday Devils, Christopher Blue, Andy Gonzales Y Sus Amigos, Charity Lockhart, Paris James, Diana Lee, and We the People.[1]

Fervor controls the back catalog of British bassist and songwriter Tony Stevens. Stevens is well known as a founding member of Savoy Brown and co-founder of Foghat. The label also owns several songs featuring vocalist Bill Champlin of the band, Chicago.