Daffodil Records was a Canadian record label that existed from 1971 to 1978.[1]
Daffodil Records was co-founded in Canada, in 1971, by Frank Davies, who had previously been associated in the United Kingdom with Liberty Records and EMI Records.[1] Davies assumed the position of vice-president of the new label.
The label was owned by Love Productions Ltd., the first release of which was a single, "Uncle Pen", by Blake Fordham, later known as Kelly Jay, of Crowbar. The single was released on London Records.[2] The first album released by Daffodil Records was Official Music, by King Biscuit Boy with Crowbar.[2] At the time, the label announced a distribution agreement with Capitol Records,[2] though the label appears to have been initially distributed by GRT Records and, as of 1978, Capitol Records.[3] [4] Canadian artists releasing recordings through the label included King Biscuit Boy, Crowbar, A Foot in Coldwater, Klaatu and Fludd.[3]
The label is notable as having released the first live-in-concert album by a Canadian band: Crowbar's Larger Than Life: And Live'r Than You'll Ever Be, a recording of the band's concert at Toronto's Massey Hall, released in 1971.[5] In addition, Daffodil Records was the first independent Canadian label to be distributed under its own name in international markets. Through a 1971 agreement with Festival Records, Daffodil was distributed under its own name in Australia and New Zealand.[6]
Shortly after concluding its 1978 distribution agreement with Capitol/EMI Records, the company ceased operations as an independent entity.