Paranoid music industry types may envision a futuristic scenario similar to the #Terminator films where an assassin is hired by the major labels to travel back in time in order to assassinate the one man who has done the most to make the entire concept of an independent music scene possible. Coming up with just one name is as much science fiction as the entire back story, but Philadelphia's Ivin Ballen isn't such a bad choice, especially considering that eliminating him would also rid the world of an entire family dynasty devoted to indie music manufacturing and promotion. In 1946, Ballen founded the Ballen Record Company to record local talent. To later generations that would start record companies simply by establishing a web domain, it should be added that Ballen first built his own recording studio and then began trying to press shellac records, not exactly an easy task since there was no record plant anywhere near Philadelphia. No problem, he built his own and began pressing discs for other labels. The company's name was changed to Disc Makers in 1959, consolidating a vision of Ballen's in which independent artists could have an entire record manufactured in one shop rather than having to sometimes deal with eight different companies. Morris Ballen, the son of Ivin Ballen, took over the company and was just as determined to provide the custom manufacturing service to recording artists in the new compact disc era. Whenever his energy flagged, brother Harry Ballen stepped in. Morris Ballen's daughter, Carolyn Ballen, is both president and founder of the Indie Music Forum, figuring out innovative ways to promote the music her ancestors have been manufacturing. Anyone who spent so much time recording and pressing records would inevitably be remembered by record junkies for particular masterpieces, and this is certainly the case with Ivin Ballen. Since the Disk Makers enterprise has surely pressed enough worthless music to bury the city of Philadelphia, it is almost a public service to chronicle the man's positive contributions to music history, much of which hit the record bins courtesy of his Gotham label. First and foremost would be guitar virtuoso Roy Smeck's recording of Steel Guitar Rag, a brilliant and incredibly influential side. The Bill Doggett mega-hit Honky Tonk is another obvious choice, while lovers of the obscure might bring up the mysterious Charlie Gonzales, alias Bobby Prince, who cut both nervous jump blues and sleepy ballads in the '50s. The Ballen enterprise contributed to rockabilly history as well as rhythm blues. Lou Graham was an earlier rockabilly man who recorded for Gotham, while other releases were simply the result of wise licensing deals, such as early Faron Young material that had originally been cut for Webb Pierce's Pacemaker label in the early '50s. The doo wop Don't Cry Little Darlin' was credited to a group called the Ballenaires, no doubt some kind of tribute to the boss and his family, although not featuring any real Ballen vocals. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi