An independent label from the mid '70s, run by manager / producer Nigel Thomas. Goodear's launch via Pye was announced in 'Music Week' of the 1st of June 1974, which referred to the label as 'Good Ear'. The issue of the 27th of July filled in a few more details: Thomas was or had been the manager of Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Juicy Lucy and the Grease Band, while his company had studios (one in Nashville) and interests in other areas including equipment hire. According to Thomas, Goodear's philosophy was based on "Respect for the musical ability of artists. I don't believe you can do a job for an artist for whom you have no creative respect." His ambition was "To make the label into an important independent force. We have fine artists and we make fine records." The manufacturing and distribution arrangement with Pye didn't last for very long. The 'Gossip' column of 'MW' for the 26th of October suggested that the contract could be terminated by mutual agreement; then in the issue of the 22nd of February 1975 came the news that CBS was to take over distribution (it appears to have taken over manufacture as well, logically enough). The article stated that the first releases were to be by Carol Grimes and Viola Wills; those two singles were sourced from Goodear's American counterpart, E.A.R. Inc. ('Euro-American Records'), of New York, which had been set up by Thomas late in the previous year ('MW', 23rd November 1974). Sadly the arrangement with CBS appears to have been not much longer-lived than the Pye one. The final Goodear single came out in late 1975, and the next - and last - mention of the company in 'MW' came on the 28th of August 1976, which reported that a promotion and distribution deal with Decca had been signed. The only fruits of the deal seem to have been a couple of LPs by Carol Grimes (SKL R-5258) and Tundra (SKL R-5259), and a reissue of Grimes's 'I Betcha Didn't Know That' b/w 'Dynamite' single (F R-13674), all of which came out in October 1976 and were on the Decca label with a production credit to Goodear.
Nigel Thomas's claims about the ability of the acts on his label are borne out by a look at its catalogue, which featured the likes of Spooky Tooth, the Grease Band, Tundra, Mike Patto and Carol Grimes. Viola Wills added a touch of Soul to the Rock mix, the Rats a hint of Glam; but despite some undoubted quality no Goodear single ever cracked the Charts. Manufacture and distribution were initially (1974) by Pye, and catalogue numbers were in an EAR-100 series (1, 3). After the switch to CBS in 1975 the label design stayed basically the same, though the position of some of the credits changed and the reference to Pye disappeared (2). The catalogue numbers changed with the move: the first two singles bore their original American numbers, EAR-1402 and EAR-1602, but after that a more straightforward EAR-600 series was adopted. For some reason the promos from that era (4, 5) are in the typical RCA style, which is slightly odd - perhaps the black labels didn't suit the usual CBS promo markings. Thanks to Juke Jules of the 45cat site for the use of his Pye promo scan here.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.