The Hits of Harlem, Volume 1

by Various Artists

Zelma "Zell" Sanders was a Bronx-based songwriter and producer who owned and operated J&S, Dice, Scatt, Zell's and other record labels. A powerful matriarch, she controlled her recording artists, sometimes firing them on the spot if they broke her rules. Before entering the record business she was employed as a security guard, while writing songs on the side. She was working for the Police Athletic League in Harlem's 23rd Precinct. She saw the talent; it was there on the street. They all got to know Zell as the lady who went around grabbing groups. "Do you sing?", she'd ask them. "Come on up to my house." Zelma Sanders also had a particular fondness for female singers. These songs cover the years 1955 to 1977, and include R&B and Doo Wop hits such as "Dear I Swear" by The Plants and "I Love You Darling" by the Bell Tones.