UK Records was a music

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...

launched in 1972 by

Jonathan King Jonathan King (born Kenneth George King; 6 December 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He first came to prominence in 1965 when "Everyone's Gone to the Moon", a song that he wrote and sang while still an undergraduate, ...

to distribute his own releases and those by some other artists."King forms U.K. Records"
''Billboard'', 9 September 1972, p. 32. Retrieved 20 January 2014 The abbreviation UK stands for "United King". The label was distributed at first by

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

and, after 1976, by

PolyGram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...

(which later bought out Decca in 1980). When the label was established, its UK operations were first run by Chris Denning, then by former DJ Don Wardell and by

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

Dandelion Records Dandelion Records was a British record label started on 18 July 1969 by the British DJ John Peel. History The label was started as a way to get the music Peel liked onto record. Peel was responsible for "artistic direction" and the commercial ...

chief, Clive Selwood. Its releases included

UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

hits for

Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs were an English novelty band that issued a few recordings in the early 1970s. The band was an alias adopted by Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts but signed to a different record label. Terry Dactyl and the Dinos ...

(fronted by

Jona Lewie Jona Lewie (born John Lewis, 14 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his 1980 UK hits "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" and " Stop the Cavalry". Career Lewie was born on 14 March ...

10cc 10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured t ...

, and Shag, a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

used by King himself. The label's only UK no.1 record was 10cc's "

Rubber Bullets Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. Altho ...

"; eight of the band's singles were released by the label. The UK label also released successful singles by

the First Class The First Class were a British pop music studio-based group, put together by songwriter and record producer John Carter. They are best known for their hit song " Beach Baby," a top 20 hit in both the US and UK. Career The First Class was the ...

Carl Malcolm Carl Malcolm (born July 18, 1946, Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer and percussionist. Biography Malcolm initially learned the keyboard, picking up skills on the instrument at his local Methodist church.Larkin, C ...

, Kevin Johnson,

Roy C Roy Charles Hammond (August 3, 1939 – September 16, 2020), better known as Roy C or Roy "C", was an American southern soul singer, songwriter and record executive, best known for his 1965 hit, "Shotgun Wedding". Another song, " Impeach the Pres ...

, Lobo, and by Jonathan King himself, as well as recording

Freddie Garrity Frederick Garrity (14 November 1936 – 19 May 2006) was an English singer and actor. He was best known as the frontman of Freddie and the Dreamers from 1959 until his retirement in 2001. Biography Born in Crumpsall, Manchester, the eldest ...

and

the Kursaal Flyers The Kursaal Flyers were a British pop band, formed in Southend-on-Sea in 1973. They are most famous for their 1976 single "Little Does She Know" (which was a top 20 hit) and were the subject of a BBC documentary following them on tour in 1975. ...

among others. Successful albums included two by 10cc (''

'' and ''

Sheet Music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...

''), as well as the King-produced Original London Stage Soundtrack of ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...

''. The label was dissolved in the 1970s.

References

External links

Singles discography
Defunct record labels of the United Kingdom Pop record labels Record labels established in 1972 1972 establishments in the United Kingdom {{UK-record-label-stub

See also

References

External links