Richard Branson / Virgin

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Just having a chat at work about Branson/Virgin's contribution to music.

D for inflicting Tubular Bells on the world or C for services to punk?

D for being a horrendous bandwagon jumper or C for signing some top bands?

etc

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)

Richard Branson's Virgin released my three favourite albums of all time, i.e. Escalator Over The Hill, Rock Bottom and Metal Box, so it has to be classic, really.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:14 (nineteen years ago)

and several of mine ..

Age Of Chance, That Petrol Emotion, Win, Gaye Bykers on Acid, and lets not forget the glory period of Tangerine Dream.

but i dont know if that makes him classic ..

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:36 (nineteen years ago)

C for Cutler, Ivor, obviously.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

Ivor Cutler, of course.

For me, the Human League and Simple Minds' early releases all count in Virgin's favour.

What about the Front Line reggae label? Should this be in the debit column, given that Chris Blackwell had got there way way before him, or does the impressive roster lift it above mere bandwagon jumping?

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:41 (nineteen years ago)

Ivor Cutler, as you say.

For me, the Human League and Simple Minds' early releases would also tend to count in Virgin's favour.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

soz about the double post

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

Faust Tapes!!! Branson's still a solid gold nob though.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:46 (nineteen years ago)

Which Can was on Virgin?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:49 (nineteen years ago)

Everything from Flow Motion onwards, i.e. the not-so-good stuff.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 10:50 (nineteen years ago)

As far as Front Line was concerned, nice idea but generally substandard product: see Prince Far-I's "Virgin" rant, which appeared on a very early On-U Sound 12-inch.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

Were Can any more successful sales-wise on Virgin?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not familiar with that Far-I track, Marcello. Very intriguing. I have a couple of very good Front Line compilations.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 11:08 (nineteen years ago)

Can did have a top 30 single (and TOTP appearance) with "I Want More" which was on Virgin.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 11:14 (nineteen years ago)

Daniel, that Far-I thing was on one of those On-U 10" Dubplates, and I think a CD comp came out of the lot of those a few years back, so it should be around. It's alright, it's not his best work. There's a good line about Branson pickle.

Tons of fantastic stuff was released on Front Line: great work by Gregory, Culture, Big Youth, the Mighty Diamonds, I-Roy, Johnny Clarke, The Gladiators, "Cry Tuff Dub Encounter vol 2" (possibly the best of that series). Mediocre stuff on many of the same artists also emerged though. It's a shame they didn't manage to coax a classic out of Keith Hudson. I would rate the chances of any given Front Line LP being good as better than 50%.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

I like the Branson pickle pun. Perhaps i've got the track buried on one of those Pay It All Back things, which i haven't listened to for decades.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

HAs anyone mentioned Beefheart yet?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

Can't forget The Flying Lizards too.

Is it only me or is Branson morphing into Windowlicker era Aphex Twin in his old age?

http://www.rickardsofbath.co.uk/richard_branson_5.jpg

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Also loads of post-punk/new pop gubbins, Scritti, China Crisis, Heaven 17, Culture Club, Rip, Rig & Panice, SCOTT WALKER, etc

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Virgin seems to have forgotten the Flying Lizards - reissues of both albums please especially the second one kthnxbye.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Hmmm...I can't offhand think of ANY truly ~~exr-exrc-EXECRBLE~~ worthless Virgin acts. Note, tho, that I might be overlooking some lousy Virgin UK performers that recorded for a different label here in Canada.

Nice-looking label, too. (Meaning the LITERAL label, on the vinyl.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

Ah there were loads of however you pronounce it acts on the label.

Back then, if it was bad, it was not a hit.

"The Lost Sheep" springs to mind. But that wasn't exactly serious.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Hey Elastica!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.stutter.demon.co.uk/elastica/images/i_gif/h50/mm_1.gif
Yeah, wot?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

You're old enough to remember their 1982 #82 hit single "Eat Your Heart Out"!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

(You know I do. I can't say I know the song, but I do remember the name)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:35 (nineteen years ago)

So do I, big trousers, even bigger hair, from Edinburgh I think.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

virgin - C: robert wyatt, henry cow, slapp happy, tangerine dream, gong, faust

branson - D: refused to released the 5th faust album + general annoyingness

― phil turnbull (philT), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

For Frontline alone Virgin would be classic.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

Are we looking at their shops too? If so then sometimes C, sometimes D. Often they or HMV are the only record shops in towns but when you see them against the indies and second hand places then D due to the pricing.

― Nick H (Nick H), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

I was going to ask about the shops, Nick. When I was growing up, Virgin were always the most exciting record shops to be in, with the most out-there-looking clientele hanging around.

― Daniel Giraffe (Daniel Giraffe), Thursday, 9 March 2006 08:00 (nineteen years ago)

did culture club give richard so much money they signed other acts ?

― gender boy, Thursday, 9 March 2006 08:08 (nineteen years ago)

ten years pass...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqyflXgWEAAodP5.jpg

Survives.

― Mark G, Friday, 26 August 2016 15:39 (nine years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.

Richard Branson / Virgin - c or d?