VA – Chiswick Records 1975-1982 Seven Years At 45 RPM – Chiswick UK LP

To celebrate our 50th Anniversary Ace Records are delighted to offer a three-LP limited edition compilation of where it all started – Chiswick Records.

Back in November 1975, Ted Carroll finally made his dream of starting an independent label a reality when Chiswick released their first single – The Count Bishop’s “Speedball” EP.

Flanked by Roger Armstrong and Trevor Churchill, Chiswick were in the right place at the right time. They were soon releasing singles that dropped anchor in pub rock, punk, metal, pop and rockabilly by the likes of the 101’ers, Motorhead, the Gorillas, the Radio Stars, the Radiators, the Stukas and many more.

There were also big names before they got bigger. Joe Strummer led the 101’ers. Johnny & the Self Abusers later morphed into Simple Minds whereas Riff Raff featured a young Billy Bragg. Solo artist Jakko later became a mainstay of a later incarnation of King Crimson.

Over seven years, Chiswick singles not only sold well but the label even managed to score chart singles with artists as diverse as the Radio Stars, Sniff ‘n’ the Tears, Rocky Sharpe & The Replays and the Damned

Compiled by Roger Armstrong this 3-LP set pulls together some of the finest 45rpm output from Chiswick issued between 1975 and 1982. From the well-known to Minor Classics.

Roger Armstrong and Ted Carroll have also penned the informative liner notes with stories ranging from hiring an aeroplane to take a promoter to see a gig in France in those early days, how a brief piano part was added to the Damned’s ‘Smash It Up’ and Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott came to produce Terry Woods ‘Tennessee Stud’.

Limited to 500 copies this is sure to become a collector’s item.

tracklist:

A01 Teenage Letter – The Count Bishops
A02 Keys To Your Heart – The 101’ers
A03 Train Train – The Count Bishops
A04 Gatecrasher – The Gorillas
A05 Dirty Pictures – The Radio Stars
A06 Television Screen – The Radiators From Space
B01 Motorhead – Motörhead
B02 Do It 77 – Twink And The Fairies
B03 No One – Johnny Moped
B04 Saints And Sinners – Johnny And The Self Abusers
B05 Night Of The Werewolf – Lee Kristofferson
B06 Hang Loose (I’ve Gotta Rock) – Whirlwind
C01 I Wanna Be Free – The Rings
C02 I Want You To Dance With Me – Jeff Hill
C03 Common Truth – Amazorblades
C04 Nervous Wreck – The Radio Stars
C05 Romford Girls – Riff Raff
C06 Klean Living Kids – The Stukas
D01 I Want Candy – The Bishops
D02 Rama Lama Ding Dong – Rocky Sharpe & the Replays
D03 Driver’s Seat – Sniff ‘n’ The Tears
D04 Song Of The Faithful Departed – The Radiators
D05 Hey Baby – Disguise
D06 I Take What I Want – The Bishops
E01 Love Song – The Damned
E02 Smash It Up – The Damned
E03 Radioactive Kid – The Meteors
E04 Tomahawk Cruise – T V Smith’s Explorers
E05 That Driving Beat – Red Beans And Rice
E06 Automobile – The Stick Shifts
F01 Heart – Rocky Sharpe & The Replays
F02 Sign Language – Minor Classics
F03 Tennessee Stud – Terry Woods
F04 Go Go Go – Albania
F05 Kwagayo – Two Two
F06 Grab What You Can (Biez Co Mozesz) – Jakko