Having a sense of humor never hurts. 4 Men With Beards is up there with left of center label names like Sympathy for the Record Industry, Barely Breaking Even, and Alternative Tentacles.
4 Men’s name is a nod to the classic record nerd. They put out records “for men with beards”. Specializing in limited deluxe vinyl reissues, they’ve done an awesome job selecting the kind of straight up classics and cult records that nerds (like me) dig through the crates for.
4 Men reissued the first three Velvet Underground Albums
Based out of San Francisco, 4 Men works in almost total obscurity. They don’t have a web site, facebook, or any kind of easily accessible contact information. The only way to get a grip on their catalog is through their distributor’s site or by just spending a lot of time in record stores.
The label launched in 2001 with a reissue of Aretha Franklin’s classic, “I Never Loved A Man (the Way I Love You)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kn9WF4oLRE&feature=related
The label has put out an impressive range of music spanning genres and decades. Check out just a few of the best in the videos below:
De La Soul “Saturdays” from De La Soul is Dead
The Buzzcocks “What Do I Get” from Singles Going Steady
The Shop Assistants “I Don’t Want to Be Friends With You” from The Shop Assistants
The Small Faces “Whatcha Gonna Do About It” & “Sha La La La Lee” from The Small Faces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta5lmw_0gBI
Flying Burrito Brothers “Christine’s Tune” from The Gilded Palace of Sin
Allen Toussaint “Soul Sister”
Eric B. and Rakim “Microphone Fiend” from Follow the Leader
– Submitted by Justin Main, Music Design