DOUG PAYNE AND POLYGON
PHASE 5 RECORDS was born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1980 by Douglas Payne, after returning from the Sister Sledge “We are Family” tour. Similar to Motown, the home, located in the 5600 block of Baynton street, contained a recording studio. The studio was used by artist Eddie Holman, Charlie Brown’s Coasters, Frank Alstin, the Dreamlovers, and many others to rehearse and demo their music for live performances. The label released several records by Doug Payne & Polygon, Stan Arrington, Steve Byrd & U-Turn, and Sam Davis. Each artist controlled the recording and promotion of their music. Douglas felt, eventually, artists would own their own labels and control the sales and promotion of their music. With the rise of technology, that time is finally here.