Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Beggars Group (branding licensed from Rough Trade) |
Founded | 1976 |
Founder | Geoff Travis |
Distributor(s) | Beggars Group |
Genre | Indie rock, rock |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Location | London, England |
Official website | www |
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and is affiliated to Beggars Group.
Having successfully promoted and sold records by
Interest and investment of major labels in the UK indie scene in the late 1980s, as well as overtrading on behalf of Rough Trade's distribution wing, led to cash flow problems, and eventually to bankruptcy, forcing the label into
However, Travis resurrected the label in the late 1990s partnering with Lee, finding success with the Libertines, the Strokes, Anohni and the Johnsons and more. The roster is diverse, with Sleaford Mods, Dean Blunt, black midi, Jarvis Cocker, Special Interest, Jockstrap and Lankum among those signed to the label, which has ranged stylistically through alternative rock, post-punk and new wave, garage rock, and psychedelic rock, but also art pop, folk, electronic, and soul.
History
Rough Trade began as a record shop, opened by Geoff Travis on Kensington Park Road, West London, in February 1976, with Travis reportedly taking the shop name from the Canadian art punk/new wave band Rough Trade.[1] It was inspired by what Travis has described as the "community-based environment" of the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, and specialised in garage rock and reggae. Steve Montgomery, initially a customer of the shop, was offered a job soon after it opened and became its effective co-manager. Travis and Montgomery were joined by a further employee, Richard Scott, in June 1977.[2][3]
Rough Trade produced its own record for the first time after French punk band Métal Urbain came into the shop asking for assistance in publicising their music.[3]
The Rough Trade label subsequently issued a single by Jamaican reggae musician
Rough Trade Records was relaunched in 2000 as an independently owned entity, a partnership between Travis,
Artists
References
- ISBN 1904772471.
- ISBN 9781409112211.
- ^ a b Marr, Johnny (14 September 2009). "Johnny Marr interviews Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ISBN 9781904772477.
- ^ Cranna, Ian (1979) "Rough Charm", Smash Hits, EMAP National Publications Ltd, 4–17 October 1979, p.6–7
- ^ "The SOUTH BANK SHOW: The ALLEN JONES WOMAN / ROUGH TRADE". BFI website. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ "Rough Trade 1984". Desorden Social. 1 (1). Tijuana, México: 12. 1984 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Eliscu, Jenny (12 April 2001). "The Strokes' 'The Modern Age' EP Echoes Television, Velvet Underground". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Paul Thompson (24 July 2007). "Beggars Group Buys Rough Trade". Billboard. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
- ^ "What's the Difference Between a Subsidiary and a Wholly Owned Subsidiary?".
- ^ "Privately Owned".
- ^ "Inside the Sleaford Mods campaign with Rough Trade's Geoff Travis, Jeannette Lee and Lisa Goodall". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
Further reading
- Cavanagh, David. The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize. London: Virgin Books, 2000. ISBN 0-7535-0645-9.
- ISBN 0-312-28822-0
- Taylor, Neil. Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade Hachette UK, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4091-1221-1
- Young, Rob. Rough Trade. Black Dog Publishing, ISBN 1-904772-47-1