Loose Records & Music
Encyclopedia
Loose Records & Music is an independent record label and publishing company. The label was founded in the mid-70s by Bernard S. Vick and Andy Titcombe. Originally based in London
, United Kingdom
, it currently has its headquarters in Cumbria
.
Loose was originally started as a publishing company but developed in to a label in the heyday of UK independent labels in the late 70s. As the label developed it became clear that punk rock
and heavy metal
were breaking through in a big way and thus, an additional label, Brickyard, was formed to allow Loose to run specialist genres. The label was originally distributed in the UK by Pinnacle Entertainment (UK) one of the large UK independent distributors; in addition, Loose linked with Animus Records in a deal signed at Midem
.
The label had its headquarters at 296 Chiswick High Road in West London – sharing the premises with the HQ of independent record store chain Tune In To 269 which was also run by Andy Titcombe. The label had success not only in the UK but internationally as well with artistes like . Demo tapes were regularly received but most artistes were signed because they had close connections to someone working with Loose or else they were customers of the shop. One notable band that failed this simple A&R test was The Housemartins
! As a publishing company Loose had success in the disco
market in the 80s as well.
In the late 1980s, Tune In To 269 closed, and the label and the publishing company went into a period of dormancy. In the mid-90s, the label was relaunched, and a decision was then taken to change direction towards country music
. This was followed by the singing of Lemon Grass, The Wurzels
and Cattle Company as well as country music writers. Distribution was switched to RCA
/ BMG
, and this immediately led to a top 100 entry in 1996 for The Wurzels with "I Want To Be An Eddie Stobart Driver". The label continues to concentrate on country music but true to its name, it reserves the right to delve in to the wonderful world of music in any genre it fancies.
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London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it currently has its headquarters in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
History
Loose Records was formed in the mid-seventies in London. It rose from the ashes of Keswick Music, a joint partnership between Bernard S. Vick and Andy Titcombe. Keswick Music had been responsible for the release of the Carlisle United football team record to celebrate their promotion into the First Division of the English Football League. Although this single “Looking Good” achieved good sales, three subsequent releases by different artistes failed to attract enough sales and the partnership was dissolved.Loose was originally started as a publishing company but developed in to a label in the heyday of UK independent labels in the late 70s. As the label developed it became clear that punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
were breaking through in a big way and thus, an additional label, Brickyard, was formed to allow Loose to run specialist genres. The label was originally distributed in the UK by Pinnacle Entertainment (UK) one of the large UK independent distributors; in addition, Loose linked with Animus Records in a deal signed at Midem
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
.
The label had its headquarters at 296 Chiswick High Road in West London – sharing the premises with the HQ of independent record store chain Tune In To 269 which was also run by Andy Titcombe. The label had success not only in the UK but internationally as well with artistes like . Demo tapes were regularly received but most artistes were signed because they had close connections to someone working with Loose or else they were customers of the shop. One notable band that failed this simple A&R test was The Housemartins
The Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
! As a publishing company Loose had success in the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
market in the 80s as well.
In the late 1980s, Tune In To 269 closed, and the label and the publishing company went into a period of dormancy. In the mid-90s, the label was relaunched, and a decision was then taken to change direction towards country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. This was followed by the singing of Lemon Grass, The Wurzels
The Wurzels
The Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
and Cattle Company as well as country music writers. Distribution was switched to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
/ BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
, and this immediately led to a top 100 entry in 1996 for The Wurzels with "I Want To Be An Eddie Stobart Driver". The label continues to concentrate on country music but true to its name, it reserves the right to delve in to the wonderful world of music in any genre it fancies.
Artists
The Adults, Richard Anderson, Tim Barker, Anne Barrett, Beat The Drum, Geoff Betsworth, Pete Bite, Cacique, The Cameo, Captain Sensible, Cattle Company, Country Joe MacDonald, Steve Davis, Craig Duggan, John Howard, Michael John, Pat Kerry, Trevor Keyes and Rainbow Country Sounds, Lemon Grass, Lyadrive, The Mangledwurzels, Malcolm Mason, Brian Melville, Brendan Monaghan, Nan Tuck Five, Roland Norris, Olympic Smiles, Brendan O'Hagan, Pump Up, John Richardson, Sangria, The Satellites, Waylander, M. J. Williams, Moon Williams, The WurzelsThe Wurzels
The Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
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