An independent label from Cambridge, one of many labels which flourished and died in the Punk era. Raw was started in 1977 by record-shop owner Lee Wood, initially to make a single with local Punk band The Users ('Sick Of You'; RAW-1). The success of that record prompted Wood to put more bands on vinyl: the Hammersmith Gorillas and the Killjoys among others. The Gorillas single pictured above (1) was a reissue, which explains the '1974' on the label. Raw never made money, and it continued only as long as Wood's 'Remember These Oldies' shop could subsidise it: that is, from 1977-c.79. Distribution initially was by that shop and by Lightning; a link-up with Creole Records in late '77 gave Raw major distribution through CBS, who handled Creole's products at that time. According to Billboard magazine (8th October 1977) the licensing deal was supposed to be for three years, but in the event it seems to have lasted for around six months, as mid 1978 saw Raw joining the Plastic Fantastic family of labels, at which point Pye took over manufacture and distribution. A number of back-catalogue singles were reissued, or re-promoted, after each move, and some can be found with several different labels. The pink label (1) was the original one, and the black one (2) belonged to an intermittent Rockabilly 'Fifties' series, while the label with '78' on it (3) appears to have been used on non-Rockabilly issues from 1978 - later issues lost the reference to Creole Records at the bottom (4). The green label featuring a safety razor and the words 'Lee Wood's Raw Records' appeared on only a few records (5). Thanks to Simon Hughes for the 'Razor' and 'non-Creole 78' scans, and to Robert Bowes for the white one (6), which was the last to be used.
(http://punk77.co.uk/groups/leewoodintervie.htm)
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.