An account of the formation of the company and of its history up to 1977, written by co-founder and director George Parks.
Background and Events leading up to the formation of the Company.
Look Records Limited was incorporated as a Limited Company on the 14th March, 1974, but before that time a great deal of work and planning had been carried on towards the inception of the Company, and it is for this reason that we have chosen to start the Report and History of the Company, starting with the year 1958.
In 1958, a local tape recording enthusiast, George Parks, advertised in a Tape Recording Magazine for anyone interested in forming a Club to contact him. This advertisement was answered by a 17 year old enthusiast, David Whiteley. With others who later contacted them, viz., Jack Shaw and Stanley Blackstone, they formed a Society known as the Huddersfield Tape Recording Society.
David Whiteley was at this time employed by the Central Electricity Generating Board at the Huddersfield Power Station, whilst George Parks was a serving member of the Huddersfield County Borough Police. Their keen interest in sound recording and associated subjects resulted in their giving talks and demonstrations in connection with high fidelity reproduction, recording and microphone techniques to local Societies, such as the Huddersfield Cine Club, and also to members of their own Society. At this time tape recording was in its infancy, and had not yet reached the domestic market.
By 1960 many domestic machines were available, and four track recording on quarter inch tape was introduced. This though giving a longer playing time was looked upon in some quarters as a deterioration in recording standards as far as domestic use was concerned. It was partly for this reason that David and George set out to study the more professional approach to sound recording. They each bought semi-professional machines, including a Magnetophon and a Ferrograph, and started to record small music groups weddings and the like. At this time both involved themselves in the production and recording of programmes for the Huddersfield Hospital Broadcast Association, this gave them a worthwhile outlet for their efforts.
The early 1960s can be looked upon as an experimental period. Interest grew and in 1964 David took up sound recording as a career, starting as a Junior sound Engineer at Granada Television. George started night classes in Radio theory, and having made connections with certain London Studios tended to spend any available holidays sitting in at sessions at the studios of Pye Records to gain experience.
Accommodation for recording in their respective houses was limited, and an alternative had to be sought for the location of a permanent or at least semi-permanent Studio. George was at this time in charge of the Police Boys Club where he was teaching radio and television repairs in a limited way. There was sufficient room in the Club premises, but funds were very limited and improvisations had to be made, for instance a half single deck motor bus was cadged from Hansons Bus services, this erected inside the Club premises provided a readymade control room. It was here that the first “studio” music was recorded of a local group The Broadways was made, the cellar being used as an echo chamber. David had built a ten channel stereo mixer. An old 78 r.p.m. war time disc recorder was obtained and it was on this machine that records were made and sold to the police and to Burglar Alarm Companies for installation on ‘999’ burglar alarm systems. The whole set up left a great deal to be desired recording wise, but it did give experience in both Studio and disc cutting techniques.
In 1967 George took up a new position in the Scene of Crime Department but continued running the Boys Club, in the same year the new Police Station was completed, accommodation for the Boys Club was included but space was limited , and the Studio facilities were lost.
In 1968, David who had now become Sound Balancer at Granada Television took up a position at Yorkshire Television as a Sound Supervisor. In the same year the first serious attempts to start a Recording Company were made. The company was given the name Northern Broadcast Recordings, George bought an Ampex 350 professional stereo tape recorder, which up to that time had been in use at Decca Records, he also moved from the police house where he had been living, and bought a larger house at Lockwood where it was possible to provide two rooms solely to the use of recording. The house was wired accordingly, and was to operate quite successfully for the next five years as the N.B.R. Studios.
Approach to recording at this time was twofold:
1 - Recording and Radio Production.
2 - Music recording for disc.
In general David did the bulk of the musical recordings for transfer to disc, whilst George took on production of radio programmes mainly for B.B.C. Local Radio. In conjunction with writers and musicians some hundred Radio programmes were produced at Lockwood for the B.B.C. These programmes ranged from comedy shows such as Dave Davis Time, The Only Programme Money Can Buy, through various poetry and music series each running for six or twelve weeks, and included Words and Music, Magic Seasons, Appleshine Glows, Pennine Poets, and numerous individual comedy shows for special occasions such as Christmas. The programmes were produced over a period of seven years, great experience in broadcasting techniques and requirements was gained as a result. Music and record production was paying well, and as there were no overheads everything produced in this field resulted in profit.
Financial Arrangements.
As George was a serving member of the Police force, he was not able to take an official role in the Company. A mutual arrangement existed whereby any monies collected by way of session fees or sale of records would go towards the purchase of equipment, or be paid to Northern Broadcast Recordings funds, the value of the Company to be divided equally upon George’s retirement from the Police service.
During 1970 a group ‘The Rockinghams' visited the studio for a paid session, they brought with them their new Manager, Mr. James Fowley. After a number of visits to the Studio, Mr. Fowley expressed an interest in joining with Northern Broadcast Recordings to form an agency and recording company. David and George refused any partnership with Mr. Fowley, things were going well, albeit on a small scale, and they saw no reason at this stage to involve others in the organization. Mr. Fowley decided to start a Record company of his own using our Studio on payment, but producing the records under his own label. The Group and Mr. Fowley combined, naming themselves ''Rockingham Enterprises''. Unfortunately, friction between the Group and Mr. Fowley resulted in a breakup between them. A mutual friend, Mr. Albert Glendenning, had designed a label, ‘Look’, for the Record Company. The Company of Rockingham Enterprises did continue for a short time and was composed of the three members of the group and Mrs. A. P. Parks who at that time took an active interest in the Company and in fact engineered the first Look Record. Some members of the Rockinghams had made up their differences with Mr. Rowley and Rockingham Enterprises continued in name.
In 1972 it was felt that although sessions were coming in regularly we were working at only a tiny potential of what we felt could be achieved. Time had come for a proper expansion into the professional market. Numerous meetings were held with various people, including Kevin Morgan of Yorkshire Television Music Department, and during this period we also received a visit from Mr . Waugh, who had kindly offered to give advice and possible assistance in finding finance. Certain enquiries were made on these lines, but at that time no outside finance was available.
Some months later, a meeting was held between Mr. & Mrs. Parks, Mr. Fowley, David Whiteley, his brother Robert, and Gifford Rolfe with the intention of forming the Company Look Records limited. Mr. Rolfe shortly afterwards, decided not to become involved with the Company and so dropped out of the picture for the time being. A meeting was held on the 8th December 1973 and in effect an amalgamation of Rockingham Enterprises and Northern Broadcast Recordings was agreed. Directors at this time to be David Whiteley, Robert Whiteley, James Fowley and Ann Patricia Parks, Pat Parks taking the position as Director in lieu of George Parks, due to reasons previously stated. Details of shares at this time are given in the Articles of Association, but financing of equipment for Look Records was based on the following arrangements. Equipment to the value of roughly £500 each was donated by George Parks and David Whiteley, equipment owned by Northern Broadcast Recordings was donated, its market value divided equally between David and George on their respective Directors Loan Accounts. Equipment to the value of £400 was donated by Mr. Fowley and a cash sum of £500 donated by Robert Whiteley. The Registered office of the Company was located at the home of Mr. Fowley at 209, Denby Dale Road, Wakefield. Dennis Gallivan kindly volunteered his services to act as Company Secretary.
In our first year of trading a loan was arranged with Barclays Bank to enable us to purchase a Sound Techniques mixing desk, and within that first year a small profit was made, and the overdraft remained well within the limits fixed by the Bank. During that first year a serious plastic shortage occurred, which resulted in difficulty in obtaining records and as a large quantity of reclaimed plastic was being used by all Companies, the quality of records left a lot to be desired. From time to time equipment was hired to Yorkshire Television which considerably helped finances in the early stages. We did not embark on any advertising, customers finding us through personal contact, and we found that we had as much work as we could reasonably cope with in the private house. Duties at this time were as follows : Engineering - David and George; Maintenance – Robert; all Administrative matters – Jim Fowley.
In January 1974, a recording session was arranged with Mr. R. Johns, which was to result in our Studio becoming known as a Country Music Specialist Studio. This was quite unintentional at the time. As a result of this session a number of country music producers and agencies sent their Artists to record. For the next two years all Westwood and Waterfall productions were recorded by us. At this stage, an important lesson was learned. Because the studio was in a private house, the comfort, ease and relaxing atmosphere resulted in artists re-booking. Obviously there were larger and better equipped Studios, but everyone who came remarked on the homely friendly atmosphere. Americans visiting the Lockwood studio passed the word on of the novelty of recording in a private house when they returned to the United States. This resulted in other American artists booking the Studio on their visits to England. We realized that a homely and friendly atmosphere was to be aimed at in any future studio.
The need for new premises was now becoming desperate. The pressures of holding recording sessions in the House almost daily, was, for the inhabitants becoming unbearable, especially where all night sessions were in progress. In the summer of 1974 premises were found in Deighton Road which had hitherto been used as a Cafe. A price was agreed for those premises – subject to planning permission being granted. Application for this was made in July 1974, but by October of that year application had still not been before the Committee. During this waiting period, Robert Whiteley had found that the Golcar Methodist Sunday School was available for sale. The Sunday School was available at a cost of £5,000 and on the 22nd November 1974 a meeting was held on site, after examination all agreed that the Golcar premises were far more suitable than those at Deighton. Plans for Deighton were stopped, planning permission withdrawn and negotiations were started for the purchase of the Golcar premises. Again there were great delays in obtaining planning permission, but eventually this came through and on June 30th 1975 the equipment was transferred to Golcar.
On taking over at Golcar, alterations had to be done without undue interference to recording sessions, which were of necessity continued throughout the rebuilding programme. A temporary control room was set up at the rear of the building, work was started in the main hall. The stage, gantry and proscenium front, remains of an old balcony, all were removed. All the windows in the main hall were bricked up, sections of floor were removed, and inner walls built from ground level to ceiling to form the present control room, and workshops with store above, etc. The balcony was erected, walls plastered and the whole of the main hall sound proofed. Sections of the floor were removed, the resulting voids filled with dry rubble and concreted over as a prevention against vibration with certain instruments. This work was carried out under great strain, due to the necessity of keeping the Studio in operation. Before each session wood, tools, cement and other building material had to be removed, and the Studio made presentable , all having to be brought out again after the session was completed. This state of affairs resulted in very slow progress towards completion of the building work. All those involved were, of course, in full time employment in other fields, and both recording sessions and construction work had to be done in what spare time they could make available. In addition, the supplementary duties involved in the production of records had to carry on. Journeys had to be made to the Factories and Printing Works in various parts of the Country to deliver and collect tapes, records, masters and record sleeves.
The premises at Lockwood were brought back into use as an office, Workroom and Photographic Studio for the production of sleeves, copyright labels and the remaining administrative work not dealt with by the registered office in Wakefield. In addition we were attempting to create our own distribution system, by visiting shops in all the Northern towns in an effort to sell our products. These factors in late 1975 and early 1976 resulted in a state of apparent stagnation, all were working full out to the best of their ability, but the Studio premises did not seem to be getting any nearer to completion. The cost of building materials was a constant drain on what income was available, and the Bank overdraft increasing. On the 13th April 1976 contact was made with a Promotion Manager with C.B.S. Records, who stated that he would be confident, given the chance to promote Look Records, large sums of money would be forthcoming from albums already in stock – we believed him. On the basis of this he was invited to join the Board, which he did.
In the summer of 1976 Robert Whiteley started engineering albums. Because we had no means of distribution, sales did not increase during that summer, and very little progress was made in the Studio. n the autumn of 1976 Steve Goddard approached Mr. Fowley stating his interest in joining our Company. Agreements were reached with Mr. Goddard who was then elected to the Board. It was at this point in October, 1976 that George Parks suffered a heart attack, and for the next seven months he played little part in the company’s affairs, though he was to some extent able to carry on dealing with the record sleeves and photographic work and did attend all board meetings with the exception of one.
Factors had been operating during 1976 which made severe drains on the finances of the Company.
1) Our mistaken belief that our own productions could bring in substantial returns.
2) Contracts for the recording of artists and production of records at our own expense had been drawn up in the past. These contracts had been passed out like confetti by certain members of the Board and we were now under obligation to honour the contracts before the expiry dates.
3) We embarked on what, on reflection, were wild promotional ideas, such as a Country Festival week in Wakefield, sponsored by Look Records with substantial prizes for the winning group each evening. Participation in the sale of records at Wembley Country Festival resulted in hardly any records being sold.
4) Expensive advertising in musical publications, printing of posters, and car stickers did, on occasions, bring in a little work, but it is doubtful if this form of advertising at that time did us much good.
5) Embarking on our own productions and going to enormous expenses (in relation to our financial state at that time) in the payment of professional session musicians and arrangers at Musicians Union rates in an effort to compete with the major Companies, i.e., engaging Eddie Swann as arranger, and the Halle Orchestra string section for the Stacey Wylde LP. Although all these records pressed have now been sold it has taken two years to do so, and the album still shows a loss.
6) Large numbers of records were given away as promotion copies. Without national distribution, we were fighting a losing battle, simply due to the fact that when anyone wished to buy our records, as a result of our promotional efforts, these records were just not available in the shops to be bought.
In an effort to combat this waste of money decisions were made at Board Meetings, from time to time to stop productions of our own for pre-determined periods, unless the artist was exceptional. This decision, as might well be expected, resulted in artists still being signed up under contract because they were all looked upon as exceptional. In some cases, rash and unrealistic promises were made in an effort to persuade artists to record with us. There was a general lack of communication, especially between Wakefield and Huddersfield. Some members of the Board were acting independently in various ways, the facts of which have only recently come to light. Other deficiencies recently coming to light would indicate that we have been guilty of severe neglect on the administrative side, in fact administration in the normal sense of the word was absent. There is evidence of letters not having been answered, definite orders for records not having been acted upon, bulk orders for the re-pressing of records and requests for information leading to the booking of studio time being ignored. This has mainly come to light since the transfer of the Registered Office from Wakefield to Huddersfield. Examination of the filing cabinets revealed that in the four years in which the administration was dealt with at Wakefield practically NO letters nor replies were filed, nor were any documents, records or returns kept. It is doubtful if any written enquiries were ever answered. The only items found in the filing cabinets upon the transfer were a few odd circulars and out of date price lists.
It is tempting to try to lay the blame for this disgusting state of affairs at the feet of one of our ex-Directors. Our present Board members must nevertheless accept responsibility as a whole inasmuch as not one of us took the trouble to familiarise himself with the administrative situation at Wakefield. In fairness to the ex-Director concerned, it must be pointed out that he had been ill, and had been suffering great pain for some months, but had never made any request for assistance in writing letters. This situation has now we feel been rectified. In general, all letters are now answered with the mini mum of delay and orders received are usually sent by return of post. Leaflets showing facilities and prices and maps showing the location of the studio have been printed and are passed out to potential customers upon request.
By the end of 1976, the situation in which the company found itself, though still serious, had taken a turn for the better. Our first full time employee, Robert Whiteley, had started work on the engineering side on the 1st December. We were beginning to recognise the deficiencies in administration and were starting to put things right - the stage was set for the much greater reforms which were to come in 1977.
1977 has seen many changes for the better, additional finances became available some of which were used to break the deadlock situation in relation to the Studio construction and decoration work. In February of that year Steven Goddard was appointed Managing Director working on a full-time basis. It was now possible to devote time to assessing requirements and co-ordinating work in the Studio. Joiners, plasterers and plumbers were engaged to finish off work which members of the Company had been unable to complete or attempt themselves. The new Control Room was completed and brought into use early in the year. This enabled the rooms at the rear of the building to be partitioned off into Offices which were decorated and carpeted. >Work in the main hall has now been almost completed, all that remains to be done is for a staircase to be erected to the balcony, and the room to be carpeted. Although a suggestion has been put forward that the entire floor could be asphalted before the carpet is laid. Ground surrounding the building has been levelled to form a car park of good size, a fence is yet to be erected between the Studio and adjoining Church property. A drive way is to be laid from Knowle Road to the car park at the rear of the Church, but as road widening is to be done shortly by the Council the Church Authorities are delaying this work rather than open a new gateway in the existing wall and excavate when road widening is carried out. The Church Authorities have, therefore, requested that access to their car park be given over our land until such time as the road widening work is done . It is likely that a new sewer will have to be laid between the gents toilet and an access point, a distance of about 15 yards.
Within the building, space is becoming short, especially for storage purposes. We envisage that very shortly large quantities of records and sleeves will have to be stored on the premises prior to their onward shipment to Nigeria. It is for this reason that plans are in hand for the cellar area to be converted to a store room and dubbing studio at a cost of approximately £1.200. pstairs rooms at present occupied by the Mike and Margaret Storey Entertainment Agency will have to revert to the use of Look Records as soon as this is reasonably practical. No formal agreement was ever entered into by Look Records and the Mike and Margaret Storey Agency in relation to the rent or duration of the lease, but according to Mr. Storey a gentleman’s agreement was made between him and Mr. Fowley in early 1974 at a rent of £5 per week, plus lighting and heating costs.
SEPTEMBER MUSIC (U.K.) LIMITED
In the early part of 1976 it was decided that a supplementary Company to Look Records Limited in the form of a Music Publishing Company would be an advantage for the following reasons:
1) To prevent Look Records paying copyright fees for compositions in which the composer was willing to sign over to us.
2) To recover fees paid by persons recording such works at a later stage.
3) To recover payments made for public performance and for plays on Radio and Television.
4) As a service to composers and an encouragement for them to record with Look Records.
In the first instance it was intended that the Board of September Music should be composed as follows: Nick Strutt – 1 vote; Gifford Rolfe – 1 vote; M. & M. Storey – 1 vote; S. Atkins – 1 vote; J. Fowley – 1 vote; J. Lees – 1 vote; the two latter being Representatives of Look Records. Application was made in April of 1976 to Companies House for the register of this Company.
September Music never became active except on one occasion in July 1977 when Wakefield Theatre Club was booked by them to promote one of their own Board, Gifford Rolfe. A live recording was made at this time, and in this way Look Records became involved. This function was, once again, a fiasco as far as Look Records was concerned. Authority had been given by one of the Directors of September Music (also a Director of Look Records) for the Willie Hirst Orchestra to spend an entire Sunday rehearsing for the show that night at M.U. rates knowing full well that September Music had no funds with which to pay them. The result was a great financial loss once more and the present situation is that the band are looking to Look Records to pay them as Look Records did record them that night. Since that incident a new constitution for September Music has been formed, two members of the Board have resigned. Mr. Keith Morgan of Y.T.V. Music Department has been engaged by Look Records to look into the whole aspect of music publishing and put forward his suggestions.
Thanks to Karen Hatchard for providing the above account.
Copyright 2013 Robert Lyons.