Led Zeppelin's label, in part at least. Swan Song's first mention in the music press came in 'Music Week' of the 30th of March 1974, which reported that Zep's manager Peter Grant intended to set up a then un-named label for the band and for Maggie Bell, whom he also managed. According to the article other artists would appear on the label; distribution hadn't been arranged at that point but the first release was said to be likely to be a Led Zeppelin LP 'in a few months'. In the event The Pretty Things' 'Silk Torpedo' album was the first Swan Song record to appear; sources online give October 1974 as the month when it was released but 'MW' only refers to Swan Song's 'first UK release' in the issue of the 9th of November. In passing, the 'MW' article said that the label was handled by Atlantic; it was therefore a member of the WEA family by association.
Swan Song effectively ran from 1974 to 1983. As well as topping the album charts with Zeppelin's own releases it enjoyed singles success in Britain with Maggie Bell (solo and in the company of B.A. Robertson) and with Dave Edmunds, who was responsible for thirteen singles on the label. Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980; 'MW' claimed that Swan Song would continue, and it did indeed keep going for at least a couple more years, though it seems to have stopped issuing new product in 1983. Zep's only single on the label, 'Trampled Under Foot' b/w ' Black Country Woman' (DC-1; 5/75) was a bonus disc, supplied to retailers who ordered a package consisting of the band's entire back catalogue - sixteen albums and six tapes ('MW', 10th May 1975).
The label's design remained basically the same throughout its existence, with the only change being one to the perimeter text - a credit to Warner Communications was added from SSK-19408 onwards (2). There were no promo labels or markings: the hollow 'A' on the singles merely denoted the 'A' side. There was however a company sleeve (3). In the UK, manufacture was by CBS until the middle of 1978; after that point WEA seems to have taken over, if the few Swan Song singles I have seen from that period are any guide - it gained its own pressing facilities at the end of 1977. Distribution was initially via the CBS / WEA joint facility until June 1977, when WEA's own warehouse became fully operational. WEA catalogue numbers usually had a 'K' prefix followed by a five-figure number; those of Swan Song, however, were given an 'SS' before the 'K' and came out in an SSK 19400 series - there were a few exceptions in the 1980s. The discography below only covers the 1970s.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.