BBC Records

Making and release

The label was initially called BBC Radio Enterprises before changing name to BBC Records in 1970, then BBC Records & Tapes two years later.^[2] The BBC hired Roy Tempest from Philips to run the label, searching outside the corporation for a music industry insider.^[2] The first 7" single released was seven pieces by David Munrow's Early Music Consort of London from the soundtrack to the 1970 drama The Six Wives of Henry VIII.^[2] A follow-up of Munrow's music from the 1971 series Elizabeth R was quickly released.^[2]

According to former plugger Mark Rye, there were two Roy Tempests, one a legendary but controversial impresario once sued by Motown records.^[2] Former employee Bilyard said there was little logic to what records they decided to release.^[2] In the worst cases, "meddling people" high up in the organisation would tell them to release something, which Bilyard said explains some of the bagpipe records.^[2] Bilyard noted the label issued probably ten bird records, including back garden birds, woodland birds, and sea island birds.^[2]

Another success was choirboy Aled Jones's first records, for which Arman offered a small advance of about £2,500.^[2]

What the cited sources add

Author Tim Worthington described the label's output as "the most bizarrely diverse set of records I've ever seen"^[2] Worthington noted one early favourite was an album of "scary electronics with equally scary poems read over the top" called The Seasons, recently reissued by cult label Trunk Records.^[2] BBC Records had been told of a song in advance and made sure to have it in record shops the day after broadcast.^[2] In 1987, BBC Records put out a debut album by an artist, with tracks taken from the television series The Celts.^[2]