An independent label from the Punk / New Wave years, based in London, Tortch appears to have outdone many of its comtemporaries by surviving for long enough to issue seven singles / EPs, which were numbered in the TOR-100s, and one LP. It was owned and run by Steve Budd, manager of The Directions, and it released a single by that band, 'Three Bands Tonite' (TOR-004; 1/80). On the first release, Second Layer's 'Flesh As Property', the name of the company was given as 'Tortch-R'. As can be seen in the scan which Nicholas Hough has provided, the label of that single was of a very basic design, being black with silver printing and having the name at the top in block capitals (1). Pressing was by Lyntone, the matrix numbers being LYN-6650/51. The remaining singles were pressed in France; all were injection moulded and all but the last were coloured silver (2). The third, fourth and fifth of them have '1979' on the label, but according to the 45cat site their release was delayed until January 1980. Robert Bowes, who was kind enough to supply the second scan, says that according to the sleeve the company was based in Hinckley Wood, Surrey.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.