Beechwood was launched as a production company and record label by recording engineers Gary Lyons, of SARM Studios, and Barry Ainsman. 'Music Week' of the 11th of March 1972 announced the launch and said that Beechwood's first product, an EP by hypnotist Edwin Heath containing advice on how to stop smoking, was available by mail order from 46 Beechwood Avenue, Finchley, at a cost of 75p. The EP had a catalogue number of SARM-101; it has '1971' on the labels, so perhaps the release was delayed for some reason. Pressing was by CBS. A series of children's stories was planned, but within a matter of weeks the company had run into legal difficulties which were to prove terminal. 'MW' of the 29th of April, which referred to Beechwood as part of SARM, reported that EMI was to take legal action to prevent use of the 'Beechwood' name on the grounds that it could cause confusion with their own 'Ardmore and Beechwood' company. SARM had registered 'Beechwood' as a business name rather than a company name; according to EMI had they attempted to register it as a company name they would have been refused permission to do so. The article stated that Ainsworth and Lyons were undecided about the future of the label - changing the name and the trademark and reissuing the EP would have been 'too big an operation'. The apparent lack of other Beechwood records suggests that they decided not to go any further with the project. Both of them individually continued to produce records but they leased them to other companies. Edwin Heath put out another 'stop smoking' self-help record, an LP, on Arnold Records, ARN-101.
Copyright 2014 Robert Lyons.