London firm Charmdale was basically an importer and distributor of other labels, as the design on its label indicates, but 'Music Week' of the 11th of February 1978 broke the news that it was about to make its own venture into the record-making business in the shape of a 12" single by a Disco band called The Love Machine, which was due for release 'next month'. There must have been a slight delay, perhaps due to a change of mind, as a later 'MW' (29th of April) gave a new release date of the 6th of May for the single, 'Desperately' b/w 'Sex-O-Sonic' (CS-10000; 5/78), and it only came out in 7" form. There was also an album, 'Feel The Love' (CSL-50000); the original issue was in the Japanese Top 10 at the time, according to the article, under its alternative title of 'The Love Machine'. The '1977' on the label shown above presumably refers to the record's Italian release; the material was licensed from Italian company Ducale. The single isn't too hard to find, nearly thirty years on; presumably, therefore, it must have sold a few copies, though apparently not enough to tempt Charmdale into having another go. Distribution was, of course, by Charmdale itself. Late in the decade the company ran into trouble with the majors over its imports - it seems to have been accused of selling imported copies of releases at lower prices than those charged by the companies for their own UK versions - and 'MW' of the 12th of January 1980 reported that it had ceased trading. Charmdale's final mention in 'MW' (18th of October 1980) was that it had been wound up in the high court.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.