Chiswick Records | |
Founded: | 1975 |
Founder: | Ted Carroll Roger Armstrong |
Defunct: | 1983 |
Distributor: | EMI |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Location: | London, England |
Chiswick Records was a British independent record label. Established in 1975, Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label to be established in Britain for nearly a decade".[1] The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era".[2] It released some of the earliest records recorded by The Hammersmith Gorillas, The Count Bishops, Motörhead,[3] Joe Strummer’s The 101ers, The Damned, Skrewdriver, Billy Bragg, Kirsty MacColl, and Shane MacGowan.
The label was started by Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong in 1975 as a subsidiary of Rock On Records. Shortly after Trevor Churchill joined, it was incorporated into Swift Records Ltd. Two years later it entered into a licensing deal with EMI. Subsidiary Ace Records was started in 1978, and Chiswick Records closed in 1983; its back catalogue is still owned by Ace Records Ltd.[4]
The label released a number of sampler compilation albums showcasing their bands. These included Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One) (1977) and Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) (1978).