Web Page 2042

12^th  April 2014

Top Picture:  Please, Please Me issued in 1963

Bottom Picture: Metal phonograph needles

Parlophone Records

For a time, when I was at school, I worked part time in the electrical retailers shop RA Fraser in Drayton. Steve Carter also worked in the shop for a time. The shop had a small record department complete with listening booth served by a behind the counter turntable which, when I was there, I was in charge of. It gave you a chance to talk to lots of girls who came into the shop to hear and buy records! With a record department I had access to the trade papers, which often announced new releases and publicised them with record posters many of which often found themselves on my bedroom walls. They were also handy collateral for swapping things with friends! At that time there were many different labels, most of which, we did not know at the time, were all connected together in some way even the American ones. One of the regular deliveries we received by parcel post most mornings was from the Parlaphone Record Company so I got to know the working of that part of the company well and even got the chance occasionally to obtain free demonstration records. Most of us have heard of the Paralaphone label so I thought I would take a look at the history of the Company. 

Parlophone is a record label that we all must remember mainly because it was the label that released all the early Beatles records after Decca Records had turned them down as a common or garden group which had no future as guitar groups were on the way out. One strange fact I learnt several years ago is that I have a friend who used to work for Decca and in his lounge he has the large black leather sofa on which The Beatles sat for their interview). Also, out of interest, when Decca wanted to lay a new car park at their head office building in the early 1970’s they provided the contractor with thousands of tins of old metal record needles which were no longer saleable, as hard core. 

The original Parlaphone company was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company and at that time was called Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone Records" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. In 1926 the Columbia Gramaphone Company acquired the Parlophone business label name and its titles. Columbia Graphophone later became Columbia Records, and then EMI but the Parlophone label continued to be used.

The famous record producer of the future, George Martin, joined EMI in 1950 as assistant label manager, taking over as manager in 1955. He produced and released an amazing mixture of performance artists including the comedy recordings of The Goons, the pianist Mrs Mills, and the teenage idol Adam Faith. In 1962 George Martin signed the rising new Liverpool band The Beatles with Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, The Fourmost and the Mancunian band The Hollies also signed to the label, Parlophone in the 1960s became one of the world's most famous and prestigious record labels.

For many, many years Parlophone claimed the record for the best selling UK single, the record being "She Loves You", and the best selling UK album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The label also achieved the placement of seven singles at No1 during 1964, when it also claimed top spot in the album charts for 40 of the 52 weeks during that year.

Looking back some of the leading Parlophone artists in the 1950s included Jimmy Shand. At the dawn of the rock era, Parlophone artists such as Humphrey Lyttelton and his band, the Vipers Skiffle Group, the pianist Mrs Mills, Jim Dale,  Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, the Temperance Seven, Little Laurie London and Shane Fenton would reach the British Top 20 chart. Their only really consistently successful act until the Liverpool Sound came along was Adam Faith:

The label was made dormant in 1973 when most of EMI's heritage labels were phased out in favour of the new EMI Records label. However, for some reason the label was revived in 1980 and in February 2013, it was confirmed that the American, Warner Music Group, would acquire the Parlophone Label Group for US$765 million. The label, once resurrected did not stagnate and in recent years the label has been responsible for producing records by Kylie Minogue, Blur and Coldplay.

 

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Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

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Last Thursday Doris Day celebrated her 90th birthday. She claims to have been born in 1924, whereas the census says 1922. See ladies it is never to late to adjust your age!!!

On this Day 12^th  April 1960-1965

On 12/04/1960 the number one single was My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donegan and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Wagon Train (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/04/1961 the number one single was Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/04/1962 the number one single was Wonderful Land - The Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was The Budget (All Channels) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/04/1963 the number one single was How Do You Do It? - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/04/1964 the number one single was Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Manchester busmen vote to oppose smoking ban on buses.

On 12/04/1965 the number one single was Concrete & Clay - Unit 4 Plus 2 and the number one album was Rolling Stones Number 2 - The Rolling Stones. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.