Scottish Folk Labels

Battlefield Band - Home is where the van is  TEMPLE TP 005

Battlefield Band  - The story so far .... TEMPLE TP 007

Although my personal collection doesn't include very much folk music, in Scotland over the past 40 years or so there has been a large number of independent record labels (most of which are long gone) scattered around Scotland. One of these is called Temple Records and was founded in Temple, Midlothian in 1978 and signed up artists such as :- The Battlefield Band - Christine Primrose and Brian McNeill (formerly of the Battlefield Band) They released all thier albums on the Temple label and also a US subsiduary was set up in 1980

Christine Primrose - AITE MO GHAOIL TEMPLE TP 006

Battlefield Band - On the Rise - US TEMPLE TP 021

All of the above are currently available via my ebay store

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vinyl-Spurs

There were a vast number of other regional labels in the most unlikely rural towns this web site gives an overview of many of them. Although they have a limited market these days some of my customers are still asking me to look out for them. 

Rare Scottish Independent labels

Here are a few more rare LP's from the Lismor, Thor and Ben Nevis Labels 

Although the music on some of them is a little suspect it is a pleasant change to look some interesting Independent labels instead of the EMI, CBS and the like

THE HOLY GRAIL OF PINK FLOYD VINYL

After nearly 40 years since it's release and nearly 40 years of collecting Floyd memorabilia & music I have finally come across an original copy of the LP which regularly fetch several hundred pounds (listed as £500 mint in Record Collector) Ok this copy of the vinyl is probably only graded as fair and the cover way beyond any grading, and no posters or stickers......but hey that's not the point! It is a rock masterpiece and I have another piece of Floyd history..................so here it is HARVEST SHVL 804 (Matrix A2/B2) solid prism DSOTM

Another piece of my vinyl collection I cherish is an original copy of Black Sabbath self titled LP

on the much sought after original Vertigo Swirl label with Vertigo swirl inner cover. Again it has been well used down the years and has a number of surface marks. But after watching the reunion gig from Birmingham on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImNsBUHACZE I just had to get it out and play it again! the gig at the O2 looked and sounded great (even if Ozzy is way beyond his best) but musically it still really rocks and Tony and Geezer were in fine form (see link above)

So here is my copy of the album VERTIGO - VO 6

RECORD STORE DAY 21ST APRIL 2012

http://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/participating-stores.aspx
The 5th annual record store day in the UK - This year 417 releases on 21/4/12 from a whole range of different artists, visit the above link to get a full listing
Of course I have no physical store so you will have to visit my Amazon or Ebay stores to search for my vinyl. Have a great day!
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vinyl-Spurs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&sellerID=AKF5HH3E2W10N

HARVEST ...............PROGABLY THE BEST RECORD LABEL IN THE WORLD........EVER!

Harvest is a subsiduary of EMI as I am sure most people will be aware, and were mainly active between 1969 & 1984, with PINK FLOYD & DEEP PURPLE being their main acts.
The iconic green and yellow label didn't change much over the years unlike many other major labels, and Harvest issues are still popular with collectors today.

Deep Purple were one of a number of heavy rock groups that surfraced in the late 60's and early 70's, their second LP The Book of Taliesyn was the first to be realeased on Harvest in 1969, Subsequently they released a number of LP's on Harvest before moving to their own Purple Records label in 1976.

Other important artists on Harvest around this time were Kevin Ayres, Barclay James Harvest & Roy Harper, But of course the biggest name on Harvest were The Pink Floyd and they stayed with EMI throughout their career, with their early albums on EMI  - Columbia in the UK
The first Harvest release was Ummagumma cat # SHDW 1 followed by Atom Heart Mother & Meddle.

After Syd Barrett left Pink Floyd he made a couple of solo albums on Harvest - The Madcap Laughs & Barrett, they were never going to be million sellers but they do have an important ploace in the history of the Harvest label. (Pictured below) 

SYD BARRETT

The Electric Light Orchestra also released ELO / ELO 2 / Showdown & The Light Shines on, the 2nd album being particularly good. The Move, Love, Roy Wood & Wizzard were signed to the label in the early 70's and then in 1974 Be-Bop Deluxe and Triumvirat released Axe Victim and Illusions of a double dimple respectively.

In the late 70's & 80's the individual members of Pink Floyd worked on their own projects and released them on Harevst too.These included Rick Wright's Wet Dream, Dave Gilmour's self titled LP and About Face and Roger Water's Pros & Cons of Hitchiking.

Other rock acts signed to the label were German band Scorpions , Wire and Soft Machine

Now go and find some Harvest and enjoy!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_Records_discography

This information is not complete nor meant to be, it is merely a summary of important releases down the years.

 

 

A very rare find indeed! CAPTAIN MARRYAT - THOR 1007 S 1974 PROG ROCK

Occassionally when you are searching through hundreds of old Jim Reeves & Abba LP's you come across a gem ......and here it is!!! The 1974 Self titled LP of the Glasgow Prog Rock band Captain Marryat. Recorded at Private studios on the THOR record label it was produced apparently in very limited numbers and given away at their gigs and therefore only a handful exisit, exactly how many I am not sure, but we are probably talking double figures. This copy is also in Excellent condition with surprsingly small amount of wear to the vinyl. It is currently live on ebay via Vinyl_Spurs and you can follow it by clicking on this link.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250915088266&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
It certainly isn't going to win any awards for it's sleeve artwork but the music is rousing in a nostalgic prog 70's way and why the band were so short lived I don't know.
If you have any more information regarding the pressing or the band I would be interested to know...it is certainly generating a lot of interest at the moment worldwide.
Watch this space.

Picture Discs

Picture discs really came to the fore in the late 70's although they originated long before this in much more limited numbers. In the eaqrly 80's every artist started jumping on the multicoloured band wagon with coloured, shaped and picture vinyl hitting the shelves and becoming collectors items. Probably the most simplistic definition of a picture disc is the incorporation of graphics and music onto a round or shaped disc.

These days of course they are easy to come by on the internet and collectors can fairly easily add to their collection without spending hours trawling the shops, which in a way is not as much fun as coming across a stunning rock picture disc from the 70's.

I have added a few pictures of some of the recent picture discs in my possesion which include Scorpions, Slipknot and The Eurythmics - all of which are currently available via my ebay shop at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/MICKS-MEMORABILIA/7-ROCK-METAL-/_i.html?_fsub=2057564017&_sid=58532857&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Favourite Vinyl Covers

What is your favourite Album artwork, leave me a comment and let me know what it is and why!