List of record labels from Bristol


The English city of Bristol has, since the mid-1970s, had a fertile music culture, resulting in not only influential musicians and bands, but also its own sound, Bristol sound or trip hop. Along with the music, a number of local record labels also developed, some receiving national and international attention, others with a smaller audience appeal. In the 1970s, there was a DIY culture of record production and the independent record label came to prominence. One of the most successful at that time was Virgin Records started in 1972. Chiswick Records, Stiff Records, Rough Trade Records and Factory Records followed. By the later part of the decade, Virgin had become a part of the music business establishment, and new independent record labels began appearing in virtually every British town and city: Bristol was no exception. One of the very first Bristol punk bands, The Cortinas released its first single on Miles Copeland's Step Forward Records in 1977, eventually moving on to CBS before disbanding. Copeland also released, in 1977, The Pigs' "Youthanasia EP" on his newly formed New Bristol Records. The explosion in punk/new wave bands forming in the area did not attract interest from the major London-based record labels, so local labels sprung up to release recordings from these groups. Amongst the first, and initially more successful, were Heartbeat Records, Fried Egg Records, Recreational Records and Riot City Records. Others with more modest success were Wavelength Records, Circle Records and Sheep Worrying. Some bands set up their own labels: Black Roots and Essential Bop. Yet other labels, although not based in Bristol, had a strong representation of bands from the area: Y Records, Rialto Records and Naïve Records.
After the initial burst of activity in the post-punk/new wave era, most of the labels folded. Riot City came under the influence of EMI after it signed Vice Squad, and last released a record in 1988. Meanwhile, The Blue Aeroplanes released their first LP on Party Records in 1984, and there was some short-lived output from Children of the Revolution Records, until a new generation of record labels was spawned from the trip hop movement. Exceptions to this were the rock label Sugar Shack Records, the indie pop of Sarah Records and the C86 sounds of The Subway Organization.
There are still a number of record labels operating in Bristol, but it is ironic that one of the most prolific is Bristol Archive Records, which specializes in unreleased tracks and re-releasing recordings from the punk/new wave era of Bristol record labels, 1977–1981, and later.
Listed below are a number of Bristol record labels that, due to their short lifespan, few releases or poor distribution, may have received limited national or international attention:.

0–9

Cat No.ArtistTitleDateConfiguration
BR 001VariousBristol Recorder 11980LP/Magazine
BR 002VariousBristol Recorder 21981LP/Magazine
BR 003VariousBristol Recorder 31981LP/Magazine

C

Cat No.ArtistTitleDateConfiguration
CIRC 0001Bohana Mouse BandF/Seven C’s198112” single
CIRC 0002The SourceLike a Child/?19817” single
CIRC 0003The StingraysNever do/Satellites19817” single
CIRC 0004Bendall’s BoxNightmares/Games Today19817” single
CIRC 0005Sky HighGhettos of your own kind/Part 219817” single
CIRC 0006Slim Bridges And The WildflowersRocking Goose/Mole At The Circus19817” single
TENT 0001VariousThe Circus Comes To Town1981LP

Cat No.ArtistTitleDateConfiguration
Moan 1001Essential BopRaider’s Blues/Eloquent Sounds/Failsafe/Mandarin Whores 19807” EP
Moan 1002Essential BopCroaked/Butler 19817” single

Cat No.ArtistTitleDateConfiguration
NBR 01The PigsYouthanasia/They Say/Psychopath/National Front19777” EP
NBR 02Gardez DarkxFreeze /Heartbeat19787” single

Cat No.ArtistTitleDateConfiguration
HURT 001The SpicsYou and Me/Bus Stop19797” single
HURT 002Gardez DarkxBliss/Winter Scene19797” single
HURT 003Joe PublicHermans Back/Travelling With Raymond/Like It19797” single
HURT 004Color TapesCold Anger/Leaves of China19797” single
BR 001VariousBristol Recorder 11980LP/Magazine
BR 002VariousBristol Recorder 21981LP/Magazine
BR 003VariousBristol Recorder 31981LP/Magazine