PPX Enterprises, Inc.

PPX Enterprises, Inc. is the umbrella organization for various PPX entities which includes P.P.X. and PPX Productions. The label, like its Founder Ed Chalpin is quite likely remembered for its dealings Jimi Hendrix and cover versions.

PPX Enterprises, Inc.
Founder	Ed Chalpin
Defunct	Defunct
Distributor(s)	Various
Genre	Various
Country of origin	United States
Location	New York

Background

PPX Enterprises, Inc. provided cover versions of top hits from the 1950s to the present in various genres. These could be obtained for use by record companies, duplicators, for films use, background music, radio and television.

The company was formed by Ed Chalpin in 1961, who had been in the music business since 1956.

Known for turning out cover-versions of songs, it was estimated in 1975 that PPX had a catalogue of around 5,000 titles. Subsidiaries of PPX Enterprises include Dimensional Sound which was located at 301 W 54 St., New York, NY 10019.

Artists who were signed over the years to PPX include, Jimmy Cliff, Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Knight, Anthony Swete and Ella Moore.

History

1960s

In 1962, Ed Chalpin had signed contracts with RCA Mexicana and Gamma Records to promote his pre-recorded tapes catalogue.

It was reported by Cash Box in the magazine's 18 November 1962 issue that PPX Enterprises were expanding their business into Latin America. Under Ed Chalpin's supervision, Stanley Steinhouse would be covering the development of PPX in all the Latin American markets. Representing PPX Enterprises in Venezuela was Fabrica Venezolana de Discos which Steinhouse was also involved with. Also the Hitsvillve series of records with PPX recordings had been issued.

The 4 November, 1967 issue of RPM Weekly wrote that PPX Enterprises had announced the finalization of their national negotiations for two new Jimi Hendrix LPs. The English Decca and London labels were set up. There were also negotiations in process for release Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

1970s to 1980s

According to Cash Box in the magazine's May 9, 1970 issue, Swete along with Curtis Knight and Ella Moore were to have releases in the near future on the Paramount label. They were to be promoted under the wing of Bill Gallagher of Famous Music. With Knight's album Down in the Village already released, Swete and Moore were to have their recordings released in the near future.

It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's 17 February, 1973 issue that PPX Enterprises, Inc. had taken legal action against the administrator of Jimi Hendrix's estate, Polydor Records; Track Records, Michael Frank Jeffery, of London, and Yameta Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas. The case came about as a result of Hendrix who was making a living as a guitarist and a member of The Squires had made a recording at PPX Studios with a member of the group and on October 15, 1965, had entered into a contract for three years.

As of July 1979, PPX Enterprises, Inc. was located at 301 West 54th St., New York, N.Y. 10019.

1990s to 2020s

According to the 6 July 2021 issue of Fader, PPX Enterprises owner Ed Chalpin had been enlisted by A Tribe Called Quest to oversee their deal with Jive Records. Apparently, founding member Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the rest of the group were unaware that Chalpin had added a clause to the deal that with the next five records, his company PPX Enterprises would be getting a percentage of the royalties. When the band were recording their The Low End Theory album they embarked on a mission to have the clause erased. A court case involving Jive Records ensued. They later discovered that PPX had sold their share of a settlement they made with Jive Records to a party who entered into a partnership with the music royalties portal, Royalty Exchange.

Artists

It was reported in the 12 May 1973 edition of Billboard that Chalpin was now the manager of singer Jimmy Cliff and had signed deals with Warner Brothers, and EMI.

Later years

According the March 10, 2015 article "CURTIS KNIGHT & THE SQUIRES Featuring JIMI HENDRIX – “Station Break” Streaming" by Brave Worlds, the recordings that Jimi Hendrix did for PPX and RSVP are part of his extraordinary legacy.

Ed Chalpin died in Boca Raton, Florida on 1 October, 2019. He was surrounded by family which included his two daughters, a sister and several nieces and nephews. The funeral service was held on 6 October 2019 at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.