Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation, or Thee SPC, is 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 ...
based in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
,
UK. It is one of the most influential labels in the
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
area, having given early breaks and support to many bands in the so-called
New Yorkshire
New Yorkshire was a musical movement identified by UK music magazine ''NME'' in 2005, in response to the success of Yorkshire bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, and Kaiser Chiefs at the time.
The bands cited by the magazine included Sheffi ...
scene. The label was formed by Markie Mofo, Rob Chuck, Darren Chuck an
Missy Tassles all one-time members of bands including
Velodrome 2000,
The Motherfuckers and
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* ...
, Mark went on to be in The Parallellograms and The Mini Skips whilst Missy has continued in bands Flying Wing, Black Light Ray, The Sleazoids
performed briefly with
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
and solo as The Girl Next Door. The SPC label has an extensive catalogue; their trademarks are thick, coloured
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
and sleevenotes written in a comical
Victorian style. They used to broadcast a weekly radio show on the internet station
Sheffield Live
Sheffield Live! is a community radio and local TV station originally established in 2003 as an independent company by the Community Media Association and is based in the city centre of Sheffield, England.
History
Sheffield Live! started opera ...
.
Thee SPC has released singles and albums by various Sheffield-based bands and released two compilations
CDs
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Octo ...
, one of Sheffield guitar bands with the title ''A Box of Odd'', and one of Sheffield electronic music with the title ''Thee Sheffield Radiophonic Workshop''. Their only non-Sheffield-related release to date is an album of songs by American chicken farmer
Charles E. Cullen. Another notable release was the novelty single "Who The Chuff Are The Mardy Bums?", an affectionate
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...
.
Their irregular
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
''Thee Humbug'' always includes a CD of tracks by the featured artists. The second issue is now a collector's piece, changing hands for relatively large sums on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
, as the CD features an early track by the then unknown
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...
and some rare
Long Blondes
The Long Blondes are an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing ...
material.
Some recent single releases have been released on CD as well as vinyl. "Virtual vinyl" is also available from the label's website, in the form of free downloads, often giving a taste of album releases.
The label has featured in Britain's biggest-selling music weekly ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', in an article about small record labels, as part of a feature highlighting the upcoming Sheffield and Leeds scenes, and as the subject of a short article in a series about record labels.
7-inch singles
*
The Motherfuckers, "I'm a Fucker". Translucent red vinyl. 2003.
*
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* ...
, "No Not Ah". Translucent blue vinyl. 2003.
*
Champion Kickboxer
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
, "Like Him + Her + Her + Me". Solid white vinyl. 2004.
*
The Long Blondes
The Long Blondes are an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing ...
. "New Idols". Solid pink vinyl. 2004.
*
Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* ...
. "Umm Na Nagay" / "We Got Squeezed". Solid blue vinyl. 2005.
*
Smokers Die Younger
Smokers Die Younger are a four-piece rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Their debut album opens with hardcore grunge rock and closes with avant-garde art-rock, taking in dub, country music, indie, and rock and roll.
Career
Sm ...
. "Kermit Song". Solid green vinyl. 2005.
*
The Scarlet Tuesday/
Balor Knights. "A Perfect Quarter" / "Just Cos Keenan Says So". Solid yellow vinyl. 2006.
*
The Mardy Bums. "Who The Chuff Are The Mardy Bums?". Orange vinyl. 2006.
*
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
. "Science". Blue vinyl. 2006.
*
Slow Down Tallahassee. "So Much For Love". Lipstick Red vinyl. 2007.
*
Meat for A Dark Day. "Vanity Unfair". Clear vinyl. 2007.
*
The Bon Bon Club. "Love Is Blind" / "Lullaby" / "Romantic Rights". Grey vinyl. 2008.
*
Smokers Die Younger
Smokers Die Younger are a four-piece rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Their debut album opens with hardcore grunge rock and closes with avant-garde art-rock, taking in dub, country music, indie, and rock and roll.
Career
Sm ...
. "Sketchpads". Black vinyl. 2008.
*
Slow Down Tallahassee/
Standard Fare
A standard fare is a higher than normal fare issued to passengers caught without a ticket. The system is used by public transport in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Standard Fares are not the same as Penalty Fares which are used on certain Natio ...
. "Angel of Death" / "Tricks" / "Dancing". 2009
10" EPs
*
Champion Kickboxer
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
. ''Candlepower EP''. 2007.
CD singles
*
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
. "Science". 2006.
*
Meat For A Dark Day. "Vanity Unfair". 2007
*
Nat Johnson. "Dirty Rotten Soul". 2008
Albums
* Various Artists. ''A Box Of Odd''. 2004.
*
Charles E. Cullen. ''The World of Charles E. Cullen''. 2005.
*
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
. ''The Bright Carvings''. 2006.
*
Smokers Die Younger
Smokers Die Younger are a four-piece rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Their debut album opens with hardcore grunge rock and closes with avant-garde art-rock, taking in dub, country music, indie, and rock and roll.
Career
Sm ...
. ''X Wants The Meat''. 2006.
*
Champion Kickboxer
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
. ''Perforations''. 2006.
* Various Artists. ''Thee Sheffield Radiophonic Workshop''. 2006.
*
Heartyeah. ''Traps''. 2007.
*
Slow Down Tallahassee. ''The Beautiful Light''. 2008.
*
Cats for Peru. ‘’The Attack of the Pitching Machine’’ 2009.
*
Standard Fare
A standard fare is a higher than normal fare issued to passengers caught without a ticket. The system is used by public transport in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Standard Fares are not the same as Penalty Fares which are used on certain Natio ...
. ''The Noyelle Beat''. 2010.
*
Nat Johnson & the Figureheads. ''I'm Across, I'm Ashore''. 2012.
*The Sleazoids. ''Insane Escapades''
imited 12" vinyl 2018.
Free download-only singles
*
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
. "Sheffield Shanty" / "Jimmy Down The Well". 2005.
*
Charles E Cullen. "Fading Into The Light". 2005.
*
Smokers Die Younger
Smokers Die Younger are a four-piece rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Their debut album opens with hardcore grunge rock and closes with avant-garde art-rock, taking in dub, country music, indie, and rock and roll.
Career
Sm ...
. "I Spy Dry Fear". 2006.
*
Champion Kickboxer
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
. "Perforations" / "Maximum". 2006.
*
Heartyeah. "Chris Huelsbeck". 2007.
*
Horowitz
Horowitz ( he, הוֹרוֹביץ, yi, האָראָװיץ) is a Levitical Ashkenazi surname deriving from the Horowitz family, though it can also be a non Jewish surname as well. The name is derived from the town of Hořovice, Bohemia. Other varia ...
. "I Need A Blanket". Virtual box-set. 2008.
*
Slow Down Tallahassee. "The Beautiful Light". 2008.
Fanzines
* ''Thee Humbug #1'' - CD featuring Champion Kickboxer, The Ape Drape Escape, Balor Knights, Chuck, Ormondroyd, Repomen,
Kings Have Long Arms
Kings Have Long Arms are an English "rocktronica" act, formed in Sheffield and masterminded by Salford-born Adrian Flanagan (aka "Longy"). Kings Have Long Arms have collaborated with Philip Oakey from The Human League on the track "Rock and R ...
. 2004.
* ''Thee Humbug #2'' - CD featuring
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...
, Screaming Mimi,
Harrisons
Harrisons were a four-piece guitar band from Hillsborough in Sheffield, England. They were one of the leading bands in the so-called New Yorkshire scene, along with fellow Sheffielders Arctic Monkeys, Milburn, The Long Blondes and Bromheads ...
, Conrad, 1984, Charles E. Cullen, The Scarlet Tuesday,
The Long Blondes
The Long Blondes are an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing ...
, Velodrome 2000, The Hipshakes,
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
. 2005.
* ''Thee Humbug #3'' - CD featuring
Bromheads Jacket
Bromheads (formerly Bromheads Jacket) are a two-piece British garage rock band originating from Sheffield, England.
History
Bromheads formed in Sheffield in 2005, following the split of a band called Fixated. Although often compared to othe ...
, Fury of the Headteachers,
Smokers Die Younger
Smokers Die Younger are a four-piece rock band from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Their debut album opens with hardcore grunge rock and closes with avant-garde art-rock, taking in dub, country music, indie, and rock and roll.
Career
Sm ...
, Corleone, The Lodger, Daybreak,
earteah!!, O Fracas,
Monkey Swallows the Universe
Monkey Swallows the Universe (MSTU) were an acoustic/indie band from Sheffield, England. Their sound has been described as " folk tinged" and "twee." MSTU were active from 2004 to 2008. They took their name from an episode of the Japanese TV ...
,
Milburn. 2005.
* ''Thee Humbug #4'' - CD featuring The Yell,
Little Man Tate
''Little Man Tate'' is a 1991 American drama film directed by Jodie Foster (in her directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Scott Frank. The film stars Adam Hann-Byrd as Fred Tate, a seven-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-act ...
,
¡Forward, Russia!
¡Forward, Russia! are an English rock band from Leeds, active from between 2004 and 2008, before reforming in 2013. The band's debut album, ''Give Me a Wall'', was released in 2006. Until 2006, the band only named tracks with numbers, in the ...
, Umlaut, Scaramanga 6, Cannibal Sunset, Wet Dog, The Real Losers, Optimist Club, Navvy, Bear. 2006.
* ''Thee Humbug #5'' - CD featuring Slow Down Tallahassee, Hands & Knees, The Chiara Ls, Situationists, Dave Woodcock, Atoness, The Jakpot, Rotary Ten, The Hair, The Friendly Wilson, Poisonous Little Creatures. 2007.
See also
*
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
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffield Phonographic Corporation
British independent record labels
Music in Sheffield