I suppose it's debatable whether Abbot Sound is an actual label as such, but the products of the Chester-based studios of that name had their own matrix series, AS-0, and at least three of its records, all 7", date from the 1970s, so that's good enough for me to give it a page here. It made records from around 1974 until at least 1987. Two of the only three Abbot Sound records I've ever stumbled upon in the vinyl are shown above. The first, an EP by Noel, was numbered AS-1 and appears to have been pressed by Linguaphone. The second was an EP of highlights from a 1974 Llandudno 'Startime' variety show, starring British Music Hall veteran Alex Munro. For that record a circular label giving the barest of credits has been pasted over the original white label. As with the Noel EP, you have to look at the run-off to find the number, which in this case was AS-4. Abbot Sound Studios is only mentioned on the picture sleeve. The run-off also has 'DER' on it, indicating that the EP was made through Deroy (q.v.). The third Abbot Sound 7", also an EP, was by a band called Idle Hours. It was numbered either AS-12 or AS-2, depending on whether the 'A' or the 'B' side had it correctly, and it can be found on the 'Idle Hours' page.
Abbot Sound was owned by Bob Turner of the Black Abbots band. The studio engineer and session guitarist when needed was Mick John, and a name associated with several of the few Abbot Sound recordings that I have managed to trace was that of producer / engineer John W. Bower. It was a custom recording business - a firm that was paid by the artists to make records, as opposed to the usual sort of record company which pays artists to make records. There should be a lot of Abbot Sound products out there, but the lack of a label identity makes them hard to trace. The few that I have managed to track down are listed below. Googling has failed to dredge up any others - which is hardly surprising, if they were all as self-effacing as the two EPs pictured - but Terry John (Mick's son) writes that some well-known names recorded at the studios, including Roger Whittaker, Freddie Starr and Paper Lace. Thanks to him that and for the other information that he has supplied.
Copyright 2009 Robert Lyons.