The successor to Terry Eagleton's and Piers Chalmers's 'Injun' label (q.v.). As was the case with Injun, Spade's speciality was reissuing obscure Rockabilly records. Its first records were licensed from Bennie Hess, who had been responsible for the original Spade label - a Rockabilly concern from Texas which issued records from c.1956-57. The original label design was licensed and used, and the records were pressed in America, giving them an authentic appearance (1). Numbering was originally in an S-XYYYY series, where 'X' appears to have been the the number of records so far released and YYYY was the year - S101977, for example, seems to have been the tenth record released and 1977 the year it came out. The system changed in 1978, with the year coming first and the record number coming last, as in S-19782. In or around 1978 Spade started issuing British-pressed records with a different label design (2, 3). Most of its products were EPs, but it put out at least two singles, the first of which was split between Joe Poovey ('Ten Long Fingers') and Bill Reeder ('Till I Waltz Again With You'). Singles were numbered in an SP-500 series, EPs in the EP-100s; the highest number I have seen listed was EP-107. Some tracks which had appeared on Injun were reissued: EP-101 also has 'INJUN EP 200' in the run-off, suggesting that it was a straight reissue of an Injun release. The company's telephone number appeared on the label; it was shared by another Rockabilly label of American origin, Thunder (q.v.). Thunder was active in 1978, so it is not unreasonable to assume that the white-labelled Spade records date from about that time - the labels don't seem to have had any dates on them. Marketing of EP-101 (and the others?) was by Plastic Fantastic, which also points to 1978-80; distribution was by Pye. Manufacture of the only two records that I have seen in the vinyl has been by Orlake. The gaps in the first part of the discography below suggest that there ought to be other American-pressed Spade Records out there. Records that I have not seen pictured are marked with an asterisk; these may or may not have the reference to Sussex on them - if they don't they may be American only. Thanks to Robert Bowes for the first scan, and to Boursin of the 45cat site for the leasing information.
Copyright 2007 Robert Lyons.