Track Records
Encyclopedia
Track Records is an English record label
founded in London in 1966 by Kit Lambert
and Chris Stamp
, then managers of hard rock
band The Who
. The most successful artists whose work appeared on the Track label were The Jimi Hendrix Experience
, The Who
, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Thunderclap Newman
and Golden Earring
. In its early years Track was one of the hippest and most successful record companies in the UK
. The label ceased operations in 1978 but a new incarnation of the company was revived in 1999.
s. It was originally intended to provide more creative freedom for the Who. But Chris Stamp also says that at the end of 1966 he and Kit were spurred to set up Track in order to get involved with new arrival Jimi Hendrix
. Hendrix was not in need of management from Lambert and Stamp as he had already signed an agreement with Chas Chandler
.
Lambert and Stamp had already grappled with the rigid confines of the established record companies. In 1966 they were involved in a court battle to release The Who from an onerous contract with producer Shel Talmy
and the Decca Records
(US
) and Brunswick Records
(UK) labels. At this time Lambert and Stamp started releasing the Who's records in the UK on Robert Stigwood
's Reaction Records
label. Both Track and Reaction were very much reliant upon distribution support in the UK from the large Polydor Records
label based in Germany. Polydor's involvement with these two small labels can be seen as learning process about the Rock music market. Polydor was interested in expanding its base beyond Easy listening
and ballads. Its best known artist at the time was Bert Kaempfert
.
" was intended for release by Track, but since the label was not yet fully in operation it was first released in the UK on Polydor in December 1966. His second single "Purple Haze
", released on 17 March 1967, was the first Track Records single and Are You Experienced
was the first LP. These and other Hendrix recordings released by Track were licensed to Reprise Records
in the US. The first UK Who single on Track was "Pictures of Lily
" released in April 1967. The same year Track also issued the Who singles "The Last Time
" and "I Can See for Miles
" and the LP The Who Sell Out
. The Who stayed with Decca Records in the US until 1972, when Decca was folded into its parent company MCA Records
.
By late 1967 Track faced a lawsuit from Ed Chalpin and his company PPX Enterprises, based in New York City. Chalpin had signed Hendrix to a 3 year exclusive recording contract in October 1965. Chalpin viewed the 1966 Hendrix agreement with Track as a violation of his PPX contract and was later able to claim a large monetary settlement. Track quickly fell into financial trouble. Hendrix released Axis: Bold as Love
in the U.K. in December 1967. The album appeared in the U.S. in January 1968 on Reprise.
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had a 1968 UK #1 hit with "Fire
" which was co-produced by The Who's Pete Townshend
and Kit Lambert. US versions of Arthur Brown's recordings were distributed by Atlantic Records
; initial pressings of these records were branded with the Track Records imprint, and later ones with Atlantic's but retaining the same catalog numbers. "Fire" reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. Brown has claimed that he was never properly compensated by Track. Also in late 1968, Track released Jimi Hendrix's double album
Electric Ladyland
, one of his most successful recordings. Initial U.K. copies of the album featured a picture of 19 nude women which was not authorized by Hendrix.
In 1968 Track began releasing compilations albums such as The Who's Direct Hits
. Some of these, including Electric Jimi Hendrix (1968) and The Who's Who Did It! (1970), are thought to have been sold only on a very limited basis through mail order, making them extremely rare today. A various artists compilation titled The House That Track Built was issued in 1969. In 1970 Track began a 14 album series titled Backtrack 1 through Backtrack 14. These were budget priced re-issues and new compilations of earlier Track recordings, occasionally containing previously unreleased material and rare versions. This series, which was very unusual for its time, included both Hendrix and the Who's first two Track albums along with works by lesser known Track artists. The reissue albums did not feature any of the original cover art. The strategy of producing such a large number of reissues was probably a drastic attempt to boost sales as a direct result of the PPX lawsuit.
Track also distributed the Apple Records
release by John Lennon
and Yoko Ono
titled Two Virgins in the U.K. Original stereo copies of this album from 1968 had a Track Records logo and matrix number (613 012) on the label. These were added to the artwork after EMI
(Apple's distributor) refused to handle the record because of its controversial nude cover photo. Original U.K. Mono copies of the record had no reference to Track, as these were apparently manufactured before Track assumed distribution. US distribution of Two Virgins was initially handled by Warner Bros. Records
affiliated label Tetragrammaton Records
.
The Who released the double album Tommy on Track in 1969, which one of their biggest selling albums. The U.S. version of the album was on Decca.
. This was the last album authorized by Hendrix before his death. As part of a legal settlement with PPX Enterprises U.S. release rights were assigned to Ed Chalpin who arranged to have the album released by Capitol Records
a few months later. The UK cover featured pictures of Hendrix as a doll
. The US version replaced the doll photos with a photograph of Hendrix performing under multicoloured lights.
The Who released the album Live at Leeds
in May 1970. In late 1970 the group Thunderclap Newman
released their only album, Hollywood Dream
on Track (Atlantic in the U.S.) The album was another Pete Townshend production and contained the UK #1 hit "Something in the Air
". The song also reached #25 in the U.S.
Track released a 3 song EP by Jimi Hendrix titled Voodoo Chile
which was Hendrix's only No. 1 UK hit in 1971. After the posthumous Jimi Hendrix album The Cry of Love
Polydor took over Hendrix's catalogue, except for North America, where it remained with Reprise Records.
The Who released the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
and an album of new recordings Who's Next
in late 1971, both of which were very successful. In 1972 the Dutch rock group Golden Earring
had a successful UK tour with The Who and were signed to Track. Their 1973 album Moontan
became their biggest international success. The album was released by Track/MCA in the US. The hit song "Radar Love
" was especially popular in the US where the single reached #13. U.S. versions of Who solo albums such as Pete Townshend's 1972 release Who Came First
were released by Track/Decca.
In 1973 The Who produced Quadrophenia
their last album of new material released by Track (Track/MCA in the U.S.) In 1974 The Who fulfilled their contract with Track by releasing Odds & Sods. This album was compiled by John Entwistle
from a batch of previously unreleased Who recordings made between 1964 and 1972. In 1974 The Who parted ways with Lambert and Stamp amid litigation. In a move initiated by Roger Daltrey
, the band attempted to collect a large sum of unpaid royalties from Track. The Who moved to Polydor, except in North America, where they remained with MCA. Polydor later became a sister label to MCA after Universal Music Group
absorbed PolyGram
in 1999.
By 1975, Track was left with only Golden Earring on its roster, who also soon left. After this, Track only released two more LPs, one by The Heartbreakers
, and one by Shakin' Stevens
. Track ceased business operations in 1978, though Track albums that remained in print in the UK remained on the Track label until the distributor re-issued them on Polydor a few years later. Kit Lambert died in 1981 at age 45.
, Hugh Cornwell
, Big Country
, Noel Redding
, Dennis Locorriere
, Deborah Bonham
and again The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Vampire Suite album) and Thunderclap Newman (Beyond Hollywood) among others. The exact nature of the connection between the new company and the label operated by Lambert and Stamp is unclear.
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 in London in 1966 by Kit Lambert
Kit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
and Chris Stamp
Chris Stamp
Christopher Stamp is a British psychodrama therapist based in the state of New York. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as The Who and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and '70s.-Childhood:Born into a working-class family,...
, then managers of hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. The most successful artists whose work appeared on the Track label were The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
and Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
. In its early years Track was one of the hippest and most successful record companies in the UK
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...
. The label ceased operations in 1978 but a new incarnation of the company was revived in 1999.
Background
Track was among the first British owned independent record labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
s. It was originally intended to provide more creative freedom for the Who. But Chris Stamp also says that at the end of 1966 he and Kit were spurred to set up Track in order to get involved with new arrival Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. Hendrix was not in need of management from Lambert and Stamp as he had already signed an agreement with Chas Chandler
Chas Chandler
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer and manager of several successful music acts....
.
Lambert and Stamp had already grappled with the rigid confines of the established record companies. In 1966 they were involved in a court battle to release The Who from an onerous contract with producer Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy
Shel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s, with a role in many other English bands including Cat Stevens and Pentangle...
and the Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
(US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) and Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
(UK) labels. At this time Lambert and Stamp started releasing the Who's records in the UK on Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
's Reaction Records
Reaction Records
Reaction Records was an independent British record label, run by music executive Robert Stigwood in 1966 and 1967. Although Reaction released only three albums, one EP and eighteen singles in its brief existence, its roster included two of the most popular British bands of the time, The Who and Cream...
label. Both Track and Reaction were very much reliant upon distribution support in the UK from the large Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
label based in Germany. Polydor's involvement with these two small labels can be seen as learning process about the Rock music market. Polydor was interested in expanding its base beyond Easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
and ballads. Its best known artist at the time was Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
.
History: 1966-1969
Hendrix' first single "Hey JoeHey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
" was intended for release by Track, but since the label was not yet fully in operation it was first released in the UK on Polydor in December 1966. His second single "Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
", released on 17 March 1967, was the first Track Records single and Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced is the debut album by English/American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, it was the first LP for Track Records...
was the first LP. These and other Hendrix recordings released by Track were licensed to Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
in the US. The first UK Who single on Track was "Pictures of Lily
Pictures of Lily
"Pictures of Lily" is a single by the British rock band The Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. It was released in 1967 as a single, and made the top five in the UK, but failed to break into the top 50 in the United States....
" released in April 1967. The same year Track also issued the Who singles "The Last Time
The Last Time (song)
In 1967, after the imprisonment of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, on drugs charges, The Who recorded covers of "The Last Time" and "Under My Thumb" as a single. The intention was to help Jagger and Richards make bail, but by the time the single was made available, they had been released. The...
" and "I Can See for Miles
I Can See For Miles
"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967...
" and the LP The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
. The Who stayed with Decca Records in the US until 1972, when Decca was folded into its parent company MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
.
By late 1967 Track faced a lawsuit from Ed Chalpin and his company PPX Enterprises, based in New York City. Chalpin had signed Hendrix to a 3 year exclusive recording contract in October 1965. Chalpin viewed the 1966 Hendrix agreement with Track as a violation of his PPX contract and was later able to claim a large monetary settlement. Track quickly fell into financial trouble. Hendrix released Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love
Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Under pressure from their record company to follow-up the successful debut of their May 1967 album Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love was released on Track Records in the UK in December 1967...
in the U.K. in December 1967. The album appeared in the U.S. in January 1968 on Reprise.
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had a 1968 UK #1 hit with "Fire
Fire (Arthur Brown song)
"Fire" is a 1968 song by Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane, Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker. Performed by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, it was released as a single and on the band's debut album, also called The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The single made #1 in the UK and Canada. In October, it made #2...
" which was co-produced by The Who's Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and Kit Lambert. US versions of Arthur Brown's recordings were distributed by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
; initial pressings of these records were branded with the Track Records imprint, and later ones with Atlantic's but retaining the same catalog numbers. "Fire" reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. Brown has claimed that he was never properly compensated by Track. Also in late 1968, Track released Jimi Hendrix's double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland
Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records, catalogue 2RS 6307. It is the only Hendrix studio album professionally produced under his supervision. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks in...
, one of his most successful recordings. Initial U.K. copies of the album featured a picture of 19 nude women which was not authorized by Hendrix.
In 1968 Track began releasing compilations albums such as The Who's Direct Hits
Direct Hits
Direct Hits is the first U.K. compilation album released by The Who. It collects singles, B-sides, and album tracks originally recorded for Reaction Records and Track Records between 1966 and 1968. Original U.K. issues of this album were released in both stereo and mono versions. The album was...
. Some of these, including Electric Jimi Hendrix (1968) and The Who's Who Did It! (1970), are thought to have been sold only on a very limited basis through mail order, making them extremely rare today. A various artists compilation titled The House That Track Built was issued in 1969. In 1970 Track began a 14 album series titled Backtrack 1 through Backtrack 14. These were budget priced re-issues and new compilations of earlier Track recordings, occasionally containing previously unreleased material and rare versions. This series, which was very unusual for its time, included both Hendrix and the Who's first two Track albums along with works by lesser known Track artists. The reissue albums did not feature any of the original cover art. The strategy of producing such a large number of reissues was probably a drastic attempt to boost sales as a direct result of the PPX lawsuit.
Track also distributed the Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
release by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
titled Two Virgins in the U.K. Original stereo copies of this album from 1968 had a Track Records logo and matrix number (613 012) on the label. These were added to the artwork after EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
(Apple's distributor) refused to handle the record because of its controversial nude cover photo. Original U.K. Mono copies of the record had no reference to Track, as these were apparently manufactured before Track assumed distribution. US distribution of Two Virgins was initially handled by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
affiliated label Tetragrammaton Records
Tetragrammaton Records
Tetragrammaton Records was an American record label, founded by artist manager Roy Silver, Bruce Post Campbell, Marvin Deane, and comedian Bill Cosby in the late 1960s. The name references a term for the un-nameable name of God....
.
The Who released the double album Tommy on Track in 1969, which one of their biggest selling albums. The U.S. version of the album was on Decca.
1970-1978
In March 1970 Track issued the live Hendrix album Band of GypsysBand of Gypsys
Band of Gypsys was a blues rock band led by Jimi Hendrix and backed by Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. Hendrix formed the band after the dissolution of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Band of Gypsys is also the band's eponymous live album recorded on two separate nights, 31 December 1969 and 1 January...
. This was the last album authorized by Hendrix before his death. As part of a legal settlement with PPX Enterprises U.S. release rights were assigned to Ed Chalpin who arranged to have the album released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
a few months later. The UK cover featured pictures of Hendrix as a doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
. The US version replaced the doll photos with a photograph of Hendrix performing under multicoloured lights.
The Who released the album Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
in May 1970. In late 1970 the group Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
released their only album, Hollywood Dream
Hollywood Dream
Hollywood Dream was a 1970 album by Thunderclap Newman, their first and only album release.-Overview:The album was produced by The Who's guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend, who was also responsible for the band's initial formation...
on Track (Atlantic in the U.S.) The album was another Pete Townshend production and contained the UK #1 hit "Something in the Air
Something in the Air
Something in the Air was an Australian television soap opera transmitted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 2000 and 2002. It was one of the first programs in Australia that was filmed in widescreen.-Cast:...
". The song also reached #25 in the U.S.
Track released a 3 song EP by Jimi Hendrix titled Voodoo Chile
Voodoo Chile
"Voodoo Chile" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded in 1968, closing Side 1 of The Jimi Hendrix Experience album Electric Ladyland. The song is Hendrix's longest studio recording and features additional musicians in what has been described as a "studio jam"...
which was Hendrix's only No. 1 UK hit in 1971. After the posthumous Jimi Hendrix album The Cry of Love
The Cry of Love
-Personnel:Band members*Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitars, backing vocals on tracks 3 and 9, piano on track 1, production on all tracks except 5*Billy Cox – bass on all tracks except 5 and 10...
Polydor took over Hendrix's catalogue, except for North America, where it remained with Reprise Records.
The Who released the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album of singles by British rock band The Who, released in 1971 as Track 2406 006 in the UK and as Decca DL 79184 in the US. It entered the US Billboard 200 chart on 20 November 1971, peaking at #11, and the UK chart on 3 December 1971, peaking at #9...
and an album of new recordings Who's Next
Who's Next
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album has origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse. The ambitious, complex project did not come to fruition at the time and instead, many of the songs written for the project...
in late 1971, both of which were very successful. In 1972 the Dutch rock group Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
had a successful UK tour with The Who and were signed to Track. Their 1973 album Moontan
Moontan
Moontan is an album by Dutch rock band Golden Earring, released in 1973. It contains their most notable radio hit, "Radar Love" and was voted best Dutch pop album ever by readers of one of the country's best known music magazines Oor in 2008...
became their biggest international success. The album was released by Track/MCA in the US. The hit song "Radar Love
Radar Love
"Radar Love" is a song by the Dutch rock band Golden Earring. Music critic Bill Lamb rates this among his "top 10 driving songs" due to its lyrics about driving all night and its pulse-quickening, up-tempo beat. The single version of "Radar Love" reached #13 in the US...
" was especially popular in the US where the single reached #13. U.S. versions of Who solo albums such as Pete Townshend's 1972 release Who Came First
Who Came First
Who Came First is the first major-label solo album by Pete Townshend, released in 1972 on Track Records in the UK and Track/Decca in the US. It includes demos from the aborted concept album Lifehouse, part of which became Who's Next...
were released by Track/Decca.
In 1973 The Who produced Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
their last album of new material released by Track (Track/MCA in the U.S.) In 1974 The Who fulfilled their contract with Track by releasing Odds & Sods. This album was compiled by John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
from a batch of previously unreleased Who recordings made between 1964 and 1972. In 1974 The Who parted ways with Lambert and Stamp amid litigation. In a move initiated by Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, the band attempted to collect a large sum of unpaid royalties from Track. The Who moved to Polydor, except in North America, where they remained with MCA. Polydor later became a sister label to MCA after Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
absorbed PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
in 1999.
By 1975, Track was left with only Golden Earring on its roster, who also soon left. After this, Track only released two more LPs, one by The Heartbreakers
The Heartbreakers
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, also known as The Heartbreakers, were an American rock & roll band formed in New York in May 1975. The band was part of the first wave of punk rock.-History:...
, and one by Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
. Track ceased business operations in 1978, though Track albums that remained in print in the UK remained on the Track label until the distributor re-issued them on Polydor a few years later. Kit Lambert died in 1981 at age 45.
1999-present
A new, revived Track Records has operated since 1999. It is run by former Stranglers, Cult, Big Country, manager Ian Grant. He released recordings by Joe BrownJoe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
, Hugh Cornwell
Hugh Cornwell
Hugh Alan Cornwell is an English musician and songwriter, best known for being the vocalist and guitarist for the punk/new wave group, The Stranglers, from 1974 to 1990.-Career:...
, Big Country
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
, Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
, Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere was the lead vocalist, guitarist of the pop group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, later Dr Hook...
, Deborah Bonham
Deborah Bonham
Deborah Bonham is an English rock and blues vocalist and the sister of John Bonham, the late drummer for the band Led Zeppelin...
and again The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (Vampire Suite album) and Thunderclap Newman (Beyond Hollywood) among others. The exact nature of the connection between the new company and the label operated by Lambert and Stamp is unclear.
List of Track Records artists 1967-1978
- Arthur BrownArthur Brown (musician)Arthur Brown is an English rock and roll musician best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, George Clinton, Kiss, King Diamond, and Bruce Dickinson, among others, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and...
- Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
- Eire ApparentEire ApparentEire Apparent was a band from Northern Ireland, noted for launching the careers of Henry McCullough and Ernie Graham, and for having Jimi Hendrix play on, and produce, their only album.-The People:...
- John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
- Andy EllisonAndy EllisonAndrew "Andy" Ellison is a musician and vocalist best known as the frontman in John's Children, Jet and Radio Stars....
- Fairport ConventionFairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
- Golden EarringGolden EarringGolden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
- The HeartbreakersThe HeartbreakersJohnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, also known as The Heartbreakers, were an American rock & roll band formed in New York in May 1975. The band was part of the first wave of punk rock.-History:...
- The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
- Marsha HuntMarsha Hunt (singer and novelist)Marsha Hunt is an American singer, novelist, actress and model.-Early life:Hunt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946 and lived in North Philadelphia near 23rd and Columbia then in Germantown and Mount Airy for the first 13 years of her life...
- John's ChildrenJohn's ChildrenJohn's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
- The ParliamentsThe ParliamentsThe Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
- Murray RomanMurray RomanMurray Roman was an American stand-up comedian whose career was cut short by a car crash. Many consider his style, and material, to be similar to Lenny Bruce.-Biography:He was Keith Moon's favorite comedian...
- Shakin' StevensShakin' StevensShakin' Stevens, also known as "Shaky" is a platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter who holds the distinction of being the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s . His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that he saw...
- Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
- Thunderclap NewmanThunderclap NewmanThunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
- The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...