Spectrum was the record label of a firm called 'Colortone', which initially was based in premises in Dawes Road, London; it had moved to New Malden, Surrey, by 1976. 'Music Week' of the 22nd of November 1975 reported that Michael Fletcher, David Brown and Blue Beat producer Siggy Jackson were partners in Spectrum Records, Colourtone Records (actually 'Colortone') and their publishing subsidiary Tone Colour, but by that time the company seems to have already been issuing records for a decade or so. According to the article a single by Helen MacArthur, 'Way Out On The Hill' b/w 'Bonnie Scotland' was due out that week , but the record seems to have been delayed and flipped - 'MW' of the 1st of May 1976 refers to it as having been 'just released' via Clyde Factors and gives 'Bonnie Scotland' as the 'A' side. The latter article gives just Fletcher and Jackson as the owners.
The Spectrum label appears to have been devoted to budget-priced Easy Listening or Scottish LPs in the main, which were numbered in a '5000' series, prefixed either 'SPEC LP' or 'FLP'. It did however put out at least twelve singles, somewhat intermittently, in three numerical series: SP-0, SP / SPEC SP-100 and SPEC-1400. There was also an EP, which was numbered SPEC EP-1001. As for dates of operation, the earliest Spectrum record I've found dates from 1967, and there was also a Colourtone EP from that year, which suggests a start in that year or perhaps 1966. Singles seem to have dried up in 1976 but albums contined to be issued until 1980 and FLP-5023. Some nine years later there was a one-off single by Trini Lopez, 'I Can't Really Feel Feelings' b/w 'Nights Of Love' (SPEC-1401), which appears to have been Spectrum's final fling. The first label design shown is the commonest, lasting from 1967 to 1971; it can be found in black-on-yellow (1967) and in silver-on-green (1968) as well as in orange. Later issues had simpler designs, lacking the decorative 'T'. Needless to say, none of the company's singles ever threatened the Charts, and they are hard to find nowadays. Thanks to Reuben Kay for discographical information; thanks also to Robert Bowes for supplying the second scan, and to Hawkmarty of the 45cat site for the third.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.