| Kitchenware Records | |
| Founded: | 1982 |
| Founder: | Keith Armstrong, Phil Mitchell, Paul Ludford |
| Genre: | Various |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Location: | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Url: | www.kitchenwarerecords.com |
Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub.
One of the label's early signings were Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, whose single "Roll on Summertime" was voted as ‘single of the week’ in Sounds.[1] In the mid 1980s, Kitchenware arranged a deal with Roger Ames' London Records (at the time a semi-independent unit within the PolyGram group) for the group,[2] who licensed them along with soulful pop trio The Kane Gang[3] (both of whom appeared on the label's various artists collection Giant - 14 Brand New Tracks From London Artists in 1987). Around the same time, a deal was also made with CBS Records for the rights to the recordings of Prefab Sprout, an indie pop act fronted by Paddy McAloon. Prefab Sprout were signed to Kitchenware 1983 and would go on to have a number of top 40 hits, once they allowed their Steely Dan-influences to show through.[4] [5] These three acts would feature on a compilation album put out by EMI Records in 1999 called Happy Ever After - The Best Of Kitchenware Records[6] alongside lesser known acts such as Geoff Smith, Hug and Hurrah!
In the early 2000s, Kitchenware was relaunched as a true 'indie' record label and signed bands such as Editors and The Motorettes. Editors were the most successful of Kitchenware's 21st century acts, having gained platinum status with their album The Back Room, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. The band's second album, An End Has a Start, brought the label its first UK number-one album upon its 25th anniversary in 2007, whilst third album In This Light and on This Evening also topped the chart. In This Light and on This Evening was to be Editors' last album with Kitchenware,[7] as they signed direct to PIAS, the company which had the licence for the first three Editors album's European releases.
The company dissolved in 2017.