Fast Product was an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

, established in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

by Bob Last, his partner, Hilary Morrison and Tim Pearce in December 1977. Its first release was also the first single by the Mekons, released on 20 January 1978. The label issued the first records by a number of early and influential

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...

bands from

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angles, Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Scandinavian York, K ...

, including the original Human League,

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...

and the Mekons. Fast Product also released the first singles by the Scottish punk bands Scars and The Flowers. The label also released compilations of various new bands called 'ear comics' or ''Earcom''. Many of the label's releases were also produced by Bob Last with Morrison producing photographs and visuals for the record sleeves. Fast Product's releases challenged

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

conventions (hence the label's early monikers: "difficult fun" and "mutant pop"), and through its releases and marketing invoked a

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

punk spirit and generally

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

political outlook. Often packaging records with a caustic yet subtle sideswipe at

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...

(for example, the image of a wall of

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

s on the cover of the Mekons' second single), Fast Product attempted to show that all aspects of the record business, from musicianship to design to distribution, could be taken out of the hands of the major labels.

Lloyd Cole Lloyd Cole (born 31 January 1961) is an English singer and songwriter. He was lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989 and subsequently worked solo. Early life Cole was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. He grew up in ne ...

also name-checked Fast Product in his song Women's Studies, from the 2013 album

Standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

. Later, the pair also established the Pop Aural label, releasing singles by such acts as The Flowers,

Boots For Dancing Boots for Dancing are a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, active between 1979 and 1982. They reformed in 2015. History The band was formed in late 1979 by Dave Carson (vocals), Graeme High (guitar), Dougie Barrie (bass), and Stuart Wri ...

and

The Fire Engines The Fire Engines were a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The Fire Engines were an influence on many bands that followed, including Franz Ferdinand and The Rapture, with Meat Whiplash and The Candyskins both taking their names from Fi ...

. The label was profiled in depth in the 2015 documentary film

Big Gold Dream ''Big Gold Dream'' is a 2015 film documenting the story of Scotland's post-punk scene, focusing on record labels Fast Product and Postcard Records. Directed by filmmaker Grant McPhee, the film's name is taken from the 1981 Fire Engines single ...

. Bob Last has joked that

Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...

is "Fast 13" - the label's final release - saying "I just never told them they had a catalogue number."

Discography

The source for the information below is the website vinylnet.co.uk.

Singles

* FAST 1 The Mekons - "Never Been In A Riot" / "32 Weeks" / "Heart & Soul" 7" (1978) * FAST 2 2.3 - "Where To Now?" / "All Time Low" 7" (1978) * FAST 4

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

- "

Being Boiled "Being Boiled" is the debut single by the British synthpop band the Human League. Composed by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, it has been released several times since 1978, finally becoming a UK top ten hit in 1982. ...

" / "Circus Of Death" 7" (June 1978) * FAST 5

- "Damaged Goods" / "Love Like Anthrax" / "Armalite Rifle" 7" (December 1978) * FAST 7 The Mekons - "Where Were You?" / "I'll Have To Dance Then (On My Own)" 7" (November 1978) * FAST 8 Scars - "Adult/ery" / "Horrorshow" 7" (1979) * FAST 9a ''Earcom One'' (

The Prats The Prats were an Edinburgh-based punk rock group, active from 1977 to 1981. More recently, their track "General Davis" was featured in the opening credits of Jonathan Demme's 2004 film, '' The Manchurian Candidate''. History The group was fo ...

, The Flowers, Blank Students, Graph, Simon Bloomfield and Tim Pearce) 12" * FAST 9b '' Earcom Two'' (

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...

, The Thursdays &

Basczax Basczax were a British post-punk band formed in Redcar in August 1978.Ogg, Alex (2006) ''No More Heroes: a Complete History of UK Punk from 1976 to 1980'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 79-80 History The band was formed by Mick Todd, who recorded a d ...

) 12" * FAST 9c ''Earcom Three'' (

DAF Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbe ...

, Noh Mercy,

Middle Class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...

, Stupid Babies, From Chorley) double 7" (1979) * FAST 10

- "

The Dignity of Labour ''The Dignity of Labour'' is a 12" vinyl record released in 1979. The tracks were written and performed by The Human League featuring a line-up of Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Phil Oakey. It was released as the follow-up to their earlie ...

" 12" (some with flexi-disc) (1979) * FAST 12

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing ...

- "

California über alles California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

" / "Man with the Dogs" 7"

Albums

* FAST 11 ''The First Year Plan'' - Compilation of single releases, licensed to EMI, so also has catalogue number EMC 3312) * ''Mutant Pop'' - US reissue of early Fast Product and Pop Aural singles by the Mekons,

the Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The ga ...

the Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...

, The Flowers, 2.3 and Scars (PVC/JEM Records 1980)

Miscellaneous

* FAST 3 Fast Product The Quality Of Life No.1 (

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very s ...

issued March 1978) * FAST 6 Fast Product The Quality Of Life No.2 (

issued April 1979) * Virgin VS300 The Mekons - "Work All Week" / "Unknown Wrecks" 7" (1979) - FAST Logo on label, 'Produced for Fast Product' credit * Fast Product America FPA 002

Fire Engines The Fire Engines were a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The Fire Engines were an influence on many bands that followed, including Franz Ferdinand and The Rapture, with Meat Whiplash and The Candyskins both taking their names from Fire ...

- "Aufgeladen Und Bereit Fur Action Und Spass" LP (1981)

Pop:Aural Discography

The source for the information below is the website discogs.com

Singles

* POP001 The Flowers - "Confessions" / "(Life) After Dark" 7" (1979) * POP002 Boots For Dancing - "Boots For Dancing" 12" (1980) * POP003 The Flowers - "Ballad Of Miss Demeanour" 7" (1980) * POP004 Drinking Electricity - "Shaking All Over" / "China" 7" (1980) * POP005 Drinking Electricity - "Shake Some Action" 7" (1980) * POP006 Boots For Dancing - "The Rain Song" / "Hesitate" 7" (1980) * POP007 Restricted Code - "First Night On" / "From The Top" 7" (1980) * POP008 Drinking Electricity - "Cruising Missiles" / "Shaking All Over (dub) 7" (1980) * POP009 Restricted Code - "Love To Meet You" 7" (1980) * POP010 Fire Engines - "CandySkin" / "Meat Whiplash" 7" (1981) * POP011 Marching Girls - "1" 7" (1981) * POP012 Jo Callis / S.H.A.K.E. Project- "Woah Yeah!" 7" EP (1981) * POP013 Fire Engines - "Big Gold Dream" 7" (1981)

Albums (on the Accessory label)

* ACC001 Fire Engines - "Lubricate Your Livingroom" LP (1981) * ACC002 Frank Hannaway and Michael Barclay - "At Home" Mini LP (1981)

Discography

Singles

Albums

Miscellaneous

Pop:Aural Discography

Singles

Albums (on the Accessory label)

References

See also