Sonobeat and the 1970s: a lot and a little

Ironically, Sonobeat Records launched in Austin, Texas, in mid-1967 and between then and the end of the ’60s – a mere two and a half years – released almost five times more singles than it did in the entire six and a half years it was active in the 1970s. But, from 1970 to mid-1976, when its run in Central Texas ended, Sonobeat recorded almost double the number of musical acts than it did in the ’60s. Perhaps it was the collision of the redneck rock (better known as outlaw or progressive country) and progressive rock movements that coalesced in Austin in the early 1970s or perhaps it was because Austin rapidly became known as a laid-back, non-corporate music center, a magnet for all kinds of musical talent, as the ’70s arrived. Whatever the reason, Sonobeat’s recording activity was off the charts from ’70 through mid-’76, but its actual recorded music output on vinyl slowed to a crawl. And, crazy as it seems, the first act to record with Sonobeat in 1970 was The Ohio Express, famous – or perhaps infamous – for its national bubblegum rock hits of the late ’60s.