Lovelane Music Publishing was founded in 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, by Motor City native Sammy Kaplan. Kaplan aspired to capture the essence of Detroit R&B, blues, and funk. His father, Morris Kaplan, had established Danceland Records in the late 1940s.
Lovelane Music’s initial artist and writer roster included iconic names such as John Lee Hooker, Candy Johnson, Tony Blues Lewis, Tommy J. Jefferson, Rose Nelson, Morris Kaplan, Jerry O, Mitch Ryder, The Sea Shells, The Soulmates, Tom & Jerry O, Roy Cohen, Tom Moers, Barbara Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Gerald Alston, Joe Farrell, and Richard “Popcorn” Wylie. Additionally, the renowned Funk Brothers—James Jamison, Bennie Benjamin, Robert White, Eddie Bongo Brown, and Jack Ashford—contributed to the recording process for all Lovelane Music demos and records. From this foundation emerged the distinctive sound of Boogaloo.
Recently, Sammy has ventured into hip-hop by signing writers and artists such as Victor Newman and Nick Speed, and he has also expanded into jazz by publishing compositions by John Fumo and Kenny Hirsch. Most importantly, as Sammy will attest, Lovelane Music Publishing represents a deep commitment to the sounds of both Detroit and Los Angeles.
Lovelane Music Group has since specialized in publishing, licensing, advertising, Internet/FM radio, and film/television placements. After relocating to Los Angeles, California, Sammy successfully featured his catalog in several films, including “Remember The Titans” (Denzel Washington), “The Bachelor” (Chris O’Donnell), “Bones” (Snoop Dogg), “Resurrecting The Champ” (Samuel L. Jackson), and “The Yards” (James Caan, Faye Dunaway). Other notable placements include “Browns Requiem,” “Thick As Thieves,” “Bitter Sweet,” “Keep The Faith Baby,” “Her Minor Thing,” “Semi-Pro” (DVD), “Urban Roots,” “The Wayshower,” “Blaze You Out,” “Sous La Neige” (Under The Snow), “On The Road” (based on the best-selling novel by Jack Kerouac), “Cesar Chavez” (Michael Peña, John Malkovich), “Get On Up: The James Brown Story,” “Death Race: 2050” (Roger Corman), “Moonlight” (Academy Award Winner 2017), and “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot” (Amazon Studios). Lovelane’s catalog also features songs in “Shots Fired” (FOX), including “Gonna Buy Me A Shotgun” and “Lord Have Mercy” by Tony Blues Lewis, as well as “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” which features “Southside Saturday Night” and “Ebony Jump” by Candy Johnson, “Wayne County Ramblin’ Blues” by John Lee Hooker, and “Lazy Daisy Blues” by The Goldtones.