Record Labels of the 1970s
I like vinyl records.
All right, so it's an age thing. But it's also a sensory thing.
Granted, Compact Discs offer music which is gloriously free of
clicks, hisses and crackle; but somehow a CD looks and feels less
satisfying than does its vinyl equivalent. Nowadays most CDs
come with their own unique label design, but in the vinyl era
standard record labels and uniform 7" company sleeves helped to
establish a record company's identity. Would early Vertigo records
be so popular with collectors nowadays if it wasn't for
the black and white 'swirl' label, which they have in common?
Of course, not every label was as well known or as successful as
Vertigo. For every company that lasted for years and issued
hundreds of records there were dozens which only managed to put a
handful of singles out before expiring. It is to the people behind
these lesser companies that this site is dedicated. As far as
success is concerned, their high hopes may soon have turned to low
moans, but by their efforts they have provided me with a hugely enjoyable hobby -
trying to track down examples of their product.
That I am not an expert in record company history will soon become
apparent; for goodness' sake don't take anything in these pages as gospel.
My only intention, when I started out, was to try to provide pictures of as many
of the record labels of the 1970s as possible, together with a few scanty scraps of information
about them.
It soon became apparent that even this basic aim was too ambitious.
The number of Reggae, Punk and New Wave labels which put records out
during that decade was astronomical; and, thirty years on, even when examples are
available they are horribly expensive - I don't mind shelling out a
fiver for to get hold of a new label for the site, but spending tens of
pounds for a here-today-gone-tomorrow Punk label? It just wasn't on.
So I had to lower my sights. The revised aim was to give every label that
issued singles in the '70s at least a mention, with a note as to what kind of music
came out on it. Anything more than that - pictures, discographies, the kind
of company history that you could fit onto the back of a stamp - was a bonus.
I have tried to only include labels which appeared on 7" singles in the United Kingdom.
An LP label, or a label from a 7" import, may have occasionally slipped in,
where I have been unable to get hold of a picture of a U.K. 7". On
many occasions I haven't been able to get hold of a picture of a label at all; wherever
possible I have tried to provide links to sites where a picture of it can be found.
There are several outstanding sites for specialist music: Tapir's Reggae Discography
provides both pictures and discographical material for Reggae labels; Dancecrasher
has pictures and short histories for a lot of Ska and Reggae labels; while for Punk
enthusiasts Detour Records has lots of stuff
on obscure labels and on the bands which owned and operated them. A Japanese
site has lists of Punk and New Wave bands: bands starting with A to Q are here;
Rs to Zs are here. For American
enthusiasts the Record Collectors' Guild is well
worth investigating.
Discographies of many independent record labels from the '70s onwards can be found
on Joachim Gartner's Get Happy!! Records site.
Whenever the bulk of my information has been gleaned from one particular site I have mentioned
it at the end of the text. Often the same information has appeared on many different
sites; I haven't given any references in those cases, in order to save space and
to avoid sending the reader off on a needless chase, but both Wikipedia and
Answers were useful on many of those occasions. Details about manufacturers,
distributors and release dates have in the main been taken from various 'Music Master' catalogues,
published by John Humphries - an invaluable source for anybody interested in '70s records.
Chart information comes from the Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles 4, by Jo &
Tim Rice, Paul Gambaccini and Mike Read.
Needless to say, additions and corrections will be welcome; scans of missing labels
especially.
I find that 400 x 440 (in jpeg format) for labels, and 500 x 500 for sleeves, combines ease of
handling with legibility. This site is reachable via 7tt77@tiscali.co.uk.
Finally I'd like to thank the words, 'appears', 'seems' and 'obscure', and the
phrases, 'A Reggae label' and 'A DIY label from the Punk / New Wave era', without which...