Swan Song Records
Led Zeppelin's label for themselves and overlooked artists.
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Led Zeppelin launched Swan Song Records on 10 May 1974, with the band’s manager Peter Grant at the helm. The label was meant to push Led Zeppelin’s own work and to take on artists who had trouble landing deals with bigger companies. The first records it put out were *Silk Torpedo* by the Pretty Things in the UK and Bad Company’s self-titled album in the US. The idea for the label came after Led Zeppelin’s five-year contract with Atlantic Records ended in late 1973, though Atlantic ended up handling distribution.
Artists who released material on Swan Song included Led Zeppelin, solo projects by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Bad Company, the Pretty Things, Dave Edmunds, Mirabai, Maggie Bell (and her short-lived band Midnight Flyer), Detective, and Sad Café. Two other acts not signed to the label appeared on Swan Song singles that became UK hits in 1981: BA Robertson sang a duet with Maggie Bell on “Hold Me,” and Stray Cats backed Dave Edmunds on “The Race Is On.”
The label was set up through a deal with Atlantic in January 1974, and launch parties were held in New York and Los Angeles. A big media bash took place at Chislehurst Caves in Kent on 31 October 1974 to celebrate the Pretty Things’ *Silk Torpedo* as the first UK release. The company logo, designed by Hipgnosis and illustrated by Joe Petagno, was based on William Rimmer’s 1869 painting *Evening*, also called *The Fall of Day*. By April 1975, Swan Song had four albums—Bad Company, *Silk Torpedo*, *Physical Graffiti*, and *Suicide Sal*—on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The label also helped fund film projects, including *Monty Python and the Holy Grail* in 1975.
Jimmy Page said in January 1975 that the label was meant to bring in groups that had been treated poorly, not just to make extra money for Led Zeppelin. Two years later, he explained that the band wanted to avoid the artistic interference they had faced from record companies, so they looked for artists who already knew what they were doing, like the Pretty Things. Some acts signed but never released anything: Metropolis (which included members of the Pretty Things), The Message (with future Bon Jovi members Alec John Such and Richie Sambora), and Itchy Brother (later members of The Kentucky Headhunters). Roy Harper and blues guitarist Bobby Parker were wanted but chose other labels.
- Born
- 10 May 1974
- Died
- 1983 (active operations ceased)
- Field
- Record label
- Nationality
- English
- Known for
- Founded by Led Zeppelin; released albums by Bad Company, the Pretty Things, and solo works by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
Lore & Background
Swan Song Records was launched after Led Zeppelin's five-year contract with Atlantic Records expired at the end of 1973, although Atlantic ultimately distributed the label's product. The label was launched with parties in New York and Los Angeles, and a lavish media party was held at Chislehurst Caves in Kent on 31 October 1974 to celebrate the label's first UK release, Silk Torpedo by the Pretty Things. The company logo, designed by Hipgnosis and illustrated by Joe Petagno, was based on the painting Evening also called The Fall of Day (1869) by William Rimmer.
By April 1975, Swan Song had four albums (Bad Company, Silk Torpedo, Physical Graffiti, and Suicide Sal) in the Billboard Top 200 chart. The label also partly funded film projects such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975. Artists who signed but did not produce releases included Metropolis, The Message, and Itchy Brother. The label wanted to sign Roy Harper and Bobby Parker, but those artists bowed out to other labels. When Swan Song's offices were cleared out in 1983, early demos from Iron Maiden, Heart, and Paul Young's band Q-Tips were found unplayed and stored on the shelves.
Reader's Guide
Swan Song Records holds significance as a musician-owned label that gave Led Zeppelin creative control and provided a platform for artists who had difficulty securing contracts with major labels. Its legacy includes a catalog of notable albums by Bad Company, the Pretty Things, Dave Edmunds, and solo works by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. The label ceased operations in October 1983 due to the break-up of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant's health problems. An attempt to save the label by Atlantic Records executive Phil Carson proved fruitless. Today, the label is strictly used for reissues of albums released when it was active, except in 2012 when it was resurrected for the release of Led Zeppelin's live album Celebration Day. The label's influence is seen in its role as a model for artist-run enterprises and its support of acts that might otherwise have been overlooked.
Did You Know?
- The label's logo was based on the 1869 painting Evening also called The Fall of Day by William Rimmer.
- Swan Song partly funded the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- When Swan Song's offices were cleared in 1983, unplayed demos from Iron Maiden, Heart, and Q-Tips were found on the shelves.
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