Kitchenware Records was an
independent record label based in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
,
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
An artist collective is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims. The aims of an artist collective can include almost anything that is relevant to the need ...
and
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
.
1980s signings
One of the label's early signings were
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees
Martin Stephenson & the Daintees are a British rock/folk/pop band combining elements of "rockabilly, show tunes, rootsy pop, straight-ahead rock and punk". The band is fronted by songwriter/guitarist Martin Stephenson.
Career
The band were ...
, whose single "Roll on Summertime" was voted as ‘single of the week’ in Sounds. 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, who licensed them along with soulful pop trio
The Kane Gang
The Kane Gang were an English pop trio formed in Seaham in 1982. The group comprised Martin Brammer, Paul Woods and Dave Brewis. They scored several UK and US hits in the 1980s. Named alluding to the movie '' Citizen Kane'', the trio recorded ...
(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
Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they re ...
, 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. 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'' alongside lesser known acts such as Geoff Smith, Hug and Hurrah!
21st Century re-launch
In the early 2000s, Kitchenware was relaunched as a true 'indie' record label and signed bands such as
Editors
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...
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 Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. 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, 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.
Artists
*
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees
Martin Stephenson & the Daintees are a British rock/folk/pop band combining elements of "rockabilly, show tunes, rootsy pop, straight-ahead rock and punk". The band is fronted by songwriter/guitarist Martin Stephenson.
Career
The band were ...
(licensed in the 1980s to
London Records)
*
Hurrah!
Hurrah! were a British jangle pop band formed in the early 1980s and active until 1991. Two band members traded off lead vocals on track-by-track basis, giving the band two distinctly different sounds.
Band history Line-up
Formed in the ear ...
*
The Fatima Mansions
The Fatima Mansions were an Irish rock band formed in 1988 by Cork singer/keyboardist Cathal Coughlan, formerly of Microdisney.
Career
The original line-up consisted of Coughlan, Nick Allum, Jonathan Fell, Zac Woolhouse and Aindrias O'Gruama. ...
(licensed to
Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records was an American record label. It was formed as a joint venture between talent manager Gary Kurfirst (who managed such acts as the Ramones, Big Audio Dynamite, Deee-Lite and Deborah Harry) and MCA Records, and it is now out ...
)
*
Cathal Coughlan (formally of Microdisney/The Fatima Mansions)
*
Kane Gang
The Kane Gang were an English pop trio formed in Seaham in 1982. The group comprised Martin Brammer, Paul Woods and Dave Brewis. They scored several UK and US hits in the 1980s. Named alluding to the movie '' Citizen Kane'', the trio recorded ...
(licensed in the 1980s to
London Records, now licensed to DMG's Gary Crowley's Lost 80's Presents... label)
*
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they re ...
(licensed to
CBS Records (Columbia)/
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
)
* Geoff Smith
["Six Wings Of Bliss" by Geoff Smith, Track 12 on ''Happy Ever After - The Best Of Kitchenware Records'', Kitchenware Records/EMI 1999 catalogue number: 724349882027]
*
The Motorettes
*
Sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
*
Kid Coda
*
The Changes (Licensed from
Drama Club Records, Chicago USA)
*
Karima Francis
Karima Francis (born Karima Antoinette Francis Cunliffe, 28 April 1987 in Blackpool, England) is an English singer-songwriter.
Karima was named by ''The Observer'' the number one act to watch in 2009. After performing at In The City in Manches ...
*
Waiting For Volkaerts
*
Kate WalshHug(licensed to
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
)
*
Wushcatte
*
Editors
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...
*
Smith & Burrows (Tom Smith from Editors/Andy Burrows from Razorlight).
*
The Linkmen
See also
*
List of independent UK record labels
This is a list of notable independent record labels based in the United Kingdom.
* __NOTOC__
0-9
* 3 Beat Records
* 4AD
A
* Acid Jazz Records
* Alcopop! Records
* All Saints Records
* Ambush Reality
* Andmoresound
* Angular Recor ...
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, b ...
References
External links
*
HugRevenge Western Records
{{Authority control
British independent record labels
Indie rock record labels
Record labels established in 1982
1982 establishments in England