HILLSIDE

   

A custom-recording concern from Ipswich.  The Hillside Sound Studios and its associated label were run by Richard and David Allison, and were based in Levington Road.  The company made both 7" and 12" records, and it produced a decent number of them over a period of around eight years.  Singles had catalogue numbers in a HIL SP-5000s, while EPs had HIL EP-4000 numbers; there were two series for albums, HIL LP-1000 and HIL LP-3000.  For some reason - a misprint? - an EP by Countryfied was given a HIL LP prefix.  The fare on offer appears to have been the usual Club / Cabaret / Country stuff, though full marks for inventive names must be given to the Pea Green Symphonic Pullover Set, whose EP (HIL EP-4012) was issued in 1979.  The Pea Greens also made a self-financed album, with SRT Records.  Another Hillside band with an adventurous name were the Plimsoll Sandwich, who made an album called 'For Night Starvation'.  Whether the contents of the grooves were as interesting as the names remains a matter for conjecture.  Hillside produced its first records in 1973; the last vinyl one I have been able to find was from 1981.  From that point the company seems to have concentrated on cassettes, which were numbered in the HIL C-6000s; HIL C-6021 was from 1984.  The label came in one basic design but several different colour schemes.  EPs usually had picture covers, but singles sometimes came in a company sleeve (6).  Thanks to Nicholas Hough for that picture, and to John Timmis for the scan of the mid-blue label.

Copyright 2008 Robert Lyons.