Rare Earth was active from 1969 until 1976 and was intended to release psychedelic and underground rock. The Rare Earth label was orange with black printing, a drawing of a tree growing above the center hole with the foilage of the tree "RARE EARTH" in white. On white label promotional issues the bottom of the label was white but the top of the label had the normal label logo, the number of the album had a DJ added. Early commercial copies also had the white-bottom label.

The best sellers for the label was the group Rare Earth, who started in 1969 and had a career spanning many years and many hits.

One of the first groups signed to the label was the Messengers, who had started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1966. They recorded a version of "Midnight Hour" [USA 866] as a favor to a local deejay, and were spotted by Motown scouts at a Dave Clark Five concert, where they were one of the local acts opening the concert. They went to Detroit to sign with Motown, and while there, Chicago-based U.S.A. records was looking at a potentially hot record, but no group. U.S.A. then imported a group from Boston and renamed them "Michael and the Messengers," and reissued "Midnight Hour" as by "Michael and the Messengers." With both a record and a band to play locally, the song went to #5 in Chicago. The fictitious name was a matter of some amusement for the new band, as they were always asked which one of them was "Michael." Since they had no one in the group by that name, they took turns being "Michael" at different playing dates. The new group then recorded a remake of "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" [USA 874], which made #12 in Chicago, but after that, "Michael and the Messengers" was finished.

The original Messengers, meanwhile, minus organ player Jesse Roe (whose parents wouldn't let him sign), got a contract with Motown and eventually recorded one of the first albums for the new label, as well as a national chart hit with "That's the Way a Woman Is" [Rare Earth 5032] in 1971. Roe today teaches music in a Chicago elementary school.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with Rare Earth/Motown Records, which is currently owned by Universal Music Group. Should you want to contact Universal, or should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and Follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1998, 1999 by Mike Callahan.