Ensign began life in early 1977 as a joint venture between Phonogram Records and Nigel Grainge, who had been head of A&R for that company. According to Billboard (18th of December 1976) Ensign was to be funded by Phonogram and was to have a licensing agreement with it. The new label struck gold almost immediately with the Boomtown Rats before going on to explore 'Britfunk' with artists such as Light Of The Word. In the early '80s Ensign forged a successful link with Eddy Grant's 'Ice' label. Around 1981 the company split from its parent and turned to RCA for manufacture and distribution; it lost the Rats but continued to establish its reputation by signing the likes of Sinead O'Connor and the Waterboys. By 1983 Ensign had linked up with Island. Eventually it was sold to Chrysalis; as part of that company it joined the EMI group in 1991. Numbering was in an ENY-0 series; labels in the 1970s were of the injection-moulded type, which came in silver as well as shades of green, paper ones only appearing in the '80s. The logo underwent a change of design in July 1979 (2) and singles gained a new company sleeve (4). The discography below only covers the '70s.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.