RAK Records
Encyclopedia
Rak Records was a British
record label
, founded by record producer
Mickie Most
in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits
, Suzi Quatro
, Mud
, Kenny
, Hot Chocolate, Smokie
, Arrows, Span
, Racey
and Kim Wilde
. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI
, which bought the company and its master recordings from Most in 1983. Most kept the company name and his Rak recording studio, which still exists in St. John's Wood along with Rak Publishing. The latter company represents artists such as Joan Jett
, Ben Taylor
and KK (Kevin Kerrigan)
.
" by Hot Chocolate, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll
" by Joan Jett
, and "Kids In America
" recorded by Kim Wilde
. Rak Publishing and Tummy Touch Records
are currently releasing new and archive material from the Rak catalog.
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...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, founded by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
in 1969. Rak was home of artists like Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
, Mud
Mud (band)
Mud were an English glam rock band, formed in February 1968, best remembered for their single "Tiger Feet", which was the UK's best-selling single of 1974...
, Kenny
Kenny (band)
Kenny were a mid-1970s English pop and glam rock band.-Career:Kenny emerged from a North London band called Chufff. Songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter wrote the bulk of the successful songs for them. In the event, stardom was to prove extremely fleeting...
, Hot Chocolate, Smokie
Smokie (band)
Smokie is an English rock band from Bradford, Yorkshire who found success in Europe in the 1970s.-Early years:Originally called The Yen, then The Sphynx and later Essence, the band was formed in 1964 at St. Bede's Grammar School in Heaton, Bradford as The Yen. The Yen's first gig was at Birkenshaw...
, Arrows, Span
Span (band)
SPAN was a Norwegian rock band that formed in 2000 from the ashes of two other outfits; Explicit Lyrics and Squid. Self-proclaimed as "Norwegian Turbo-Rock 'n' Roll Commandos" , the band spent much of the years between 2002 and 2004 touring the UK and Norway as well as spending a brief time in the...
, Racey
Racey
Racey was a British pop group, formed in 1976 in Weston-super-Mare, by singer Phil Fursdon and Clive Wilson. The group was formerly known as Alive 'n' Rockin.-Career:...
and Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
, which bought the company and its master recordings from Most in 1983. Most kept the company name and his Rak recording studio, which still exists in St. John's Wood along with Rak Publishing. The latter company represents artists such as Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor (musician)
Benjamin Taylor is a musician and actor. He is the son of folk rock artists James Taylor and Carly Simon. His sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician. Ben Taylor bears a striking resemblance to his famous father and has a singing voice akin to him as well...
and KK (Kevin Kerrigan)
KK (Kevin Kerrigan)
KK is a British based composer, record producer, and sound designer, best known for his work as a composer and producer in the field of contemporary / pop music. His past work includes with Brian Eno, Björk, Tim Booth, James, Dido, Natalie Imbruglia, James Newton Howard and others...
.
Origin of name
As the name appears on the label written in capitals and is spelt without a C (RAK), many believe it's an acronym, but 'Rak' is short for rackjobbing, or the sale of records in unusual places (i.e. other than record shops or department stores), such as petrol stations and supermarkets. Mickie Most chose to deliberately misspell the label's name as Rak rather than Rack.Rak Publishing
Rak Publishing is currently located in London, in the original Rak recording studios complex in St John's Wood. They manage the publishing rights for songs like "You Sexy ThingYou Sexy Thing
"You Sexy Thing" is a song recorded by the British group, Hot Chocolate. It was written by Hot Chocolate's lead singer Errol Brown, and produced by Mickie Most. It reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975, and number 3 in the US Pop charts a year later...
" by Hot Chocolate, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
"I Love Rock 'n Roll" is a rock song written in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of Arrows, who recorded the first released version. The song was later made famous by the hit version recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in 1981....
" by Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, and "Kids In America
Kids in America (song)
"Kids in America" is a New Wave song by British singer Kim Wilde, released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the US in 1982. It has famously been covered by many artists from different genres.-Background:...
" recorded by Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
. Rak Publishing and Tummy Touch Records
Tummy Touch Records
Tummy Touch Records is an international record label with offices in London, UK and New York City, USA best known for releasing quirky dance and downtempo music. Artists on Tummy Touch include Groove Armada, Patrick & Eugene, Tutto Matto, Tom Vek, and label founder Tim Lee to name a few.-Tummy...
are currently releasing new and archive material from the Rak catalog.