A Reggae label, in operation during the period 1975-76. Locks was run by Brian Harris and Keith Thornton from their 'Black Wax' record shop in Lozells Road, Newtown, Birmingham, and was a sibling of their main label, Black Wax (q.v.). It issued eighteen singles over the course of two years, using a LOX-0 catalogue series, and used one basic label design in four different colour schemes during that time. Only the first single had brown-on-white labels (1); those on LOX-2 to 9 were red-on-white (2); on LOX-10 to 16 they were grey-on-white (3); while on LOX 17 and 18 they were black-on-red (4). The material on Locks seems to have been generally somewhat rootsier than that on Black Wax. Marketing and distribution were mainly by Black Wax themselves, though 'Music Week' has LOX-5 as being given wider distribution through Creole. The only three singles that I have been able to examine in the vinyl have been Lyntone and (probably) Orlake pressings.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.