
DRUM MAJOR

The Drum Major label was run by the Micon Recording
Company, of Colchester. It appears to have been dedicated to military and
other kinds of band music. Starting in 1968 it issued several albums
in a 'Massed Band Spectacular' series, recorded at Colchester and Suffolk
Military Tattoos. Numbering was generally in the MCN-0s; the highest
number that googling turns up is MCN-7, a record of the 1972 Colchester
Tattoo. In addition to its LPs it put
out at least one EP, 'The Alan Neale Bandshow', which featured the
tracks 'All Or Nothing At All', 'Biberacher' and 'Moonlight Serenade'
(MCNSPE-18). There's no date on the label but the prefix of the catalogue
number looks as though it was a combination of the 'MCN' one and an 'SP' / 'SPE'
one which Micon also used. If that is the case, as SP-12 (a record of the
commentary of the Colchester versus Leeds F.A. Cup tie) is from 1971, MCNSPE-18
could tentatively be placed a year or two later. Micon was responsible for a couple
of other labels: it joined forces with the New Zealand company Viking to put out
several LP on the Viking label over here, and was responsible for a 7"
record on the Union Castle label (q.v.). Thanks to Klepsie of the 45cat
site for bringing Drum Major to my attention, and to Ade Macrow of that site for
the use of his scan here.

Copyright 2016
Robert Lyons.