Crass Records
Encyclopedia
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
which was set up by the anarchist punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
.
Overview and history
Prior to the formation of Crass, Penny RimbaudPenny Rimbaud
Jeremy John Ratter , better known under his pseudonym of Penny Rimbaud, is a drummer, writer, poet, former member of performance art groups EXIT and Ceres Confusion, and co-founder of the anarchist punk band Crass with Steve Ignorant in 1977.-Biography:Rimbaud Jeremy John Ratter (born 8 June 1943,...
and Gee Vaucher
Gee Vaucher
Gee Vaucher is a visual artist who was born in 1945 in Dagenham, East London.Her work with Anarcho-punk band Crass was seminal to the 'protest art' of the 1980s. Vaucher has always seen her work as a tool for social change. In her collection of early works Crass Art and Other Pre Post-Modernist...
had published their creative works via their own Dial House based Exitstencil Press. However the band set up the record label after encountering problems over the release of their first 12" EP, The Feeding Of The 5000
The Feeding of the 5000 (album)
The Feeding of the 5000 is the first album by Crass, released in 1978. Crass never gained a large mainstream audience, but their virulently anti-establishment lyrics and anarchist politics brought the band a committed following upon the record’s release....
, on the Small Wonder
Small Wonder Records
Small Wonder Records was a UK independent record label owned and managed by Pete Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17, east London...
label in 1978. Workers at the Irish pressing plant contracted to manufacture the disc refused to handle it due to the allegedly blasphemous
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
content of one song, "Asylum". The record was eventually released with this track removed and replaced by two minutes of silence, wryly retitled "The Sound Of Free Speech". However, this incident prompted Crass to set up their own record label to control all aspects of their future productions. Using money from a small inheritance that had been left to one of the band, the piece was shortly afterwards re-recorded and released as a 7" single using its full title, "Reality Asylum". A later repress of The Feeding Of The 5000 on Crass Records restored the missing track.
As well as releasing their own material, Crass were able to use Crass Records to make available recordings by other performers, the first of which was the 1980 single "You Can Be You" by Honey Bane
Honey Bane
Honey Bane is an English singer and actress, possibly best known for her 1981 UK Top 40 single "Turn Me On Turn Me Off"....
, a teenage girl who at the time was staying at Dial House whilst on the run from a children's home (however, Bane's backing band on this release are in fact Crass, using the name Donna and the Kebabs). Others who recorded for the label included Zounds, Flux of Pink Indians
Flux Of Pink Indians
Flux of Pink Indians were an English anarcho-punk/post punk band, that originated from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.-Biography:...
, The Cravats
The Cravats
The Cravats are a punk rock band originally from Redditch, England, founded in 1977 by Robin Dallaway and The Shend . Further members were Svor Naan and Dave Bennett ....
, Conflict
Conflict (band)
Conflict is an English anarcho-punk band originally based around Eltham in South London. Formed in 1981, the band's original line up consisted of: Colin Jerwood , Francisco 'Paco' Carreno , Big John , Steve , Pauline , Paul aka 'Nihilistic Nobody' . Their first release was the EP "The House That...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic band KUKL (who included singer Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
), classical singer Jane Gregory
Jane Gregory
Jane Gregory , was an international equestrian. She first rode for her country in 1994, competing in the World Equestrian Games of that year, and competed for Great Britain in Dressage at the Atlanta and Beijing Olympic Games.-Early life :Born in Bromley, Kent, Gregory came from a non-equestrian...
, and the Poison Girls
Poison Girls
The Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band. The female singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles, usually from an anarchist perspective...
, a like-minded band who worked closely with Crass for several years. Many of these groups in turn went on to set up their own independent record labels loosely following the Crass Records model.
The label also put out three editions of Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector was the name of a series of compilation LPs put together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their Crass Records label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984, consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had been sent to the band...
, compilations of demos and rough recordings that had been sent to the band which they felt represented the DIY punk ethic.
Singles released on the Crass Records label had a distinctive 'corporate identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
'. As well as lyrically
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
addressing political themes from a broadly anarchist perspective, they were always low priced and usually produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Crass drummer Penny Rimbaud
Penny Rimbaud
Jeremy John Ratter , better known under his pseudonym of Penny Rimbaud, is a drummer, writer, poet, former member of performance art groups EXIT and Ceres Confusion, and co-founder of the anarchist punk band Crass with Steve Ignorant in 1977.-Biography:Rimbaud Jeremy John Ratter (born 8 June 1943,...
and engineered
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
by John Loder at Southern Studios
Southern Studios
Southern Studios is a recording studio in the Wood Green area of London. It was founded in 1974 by John Loder, and came to be the recording studio of choice for Crass and their record label Crass Records. Southern Studios Ltd. continues to grow its label and provide label management and...
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They also featured sleeves designed by Gee Vaucher
Gee Vaucher
Gee Vaucher is a visual artist who was born in 1945 in Dagenham, East London.Her work with Anarcho-punk band Crass was seminal to the 'protest art' of the 1980s. Vaucher has always seen her work as a tool for social change. In her collection of early works Crass Art and Other Pre Post-Modernist...
, often in conjunction with other artists, wherein the record's title and band name were set in 'stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
' style text in a black ring (see examples above) reminiscent of many of Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana
Robert Indiana is an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement.-Life and work:Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. His family relocated to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Arsenal Technical High School...
and Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
' works. These folded out into large posters containing additional artwork and text.
The catalogue numbers of Crass Records releases were intended to represent a countdown to the year 1984 (e.g., 521984 meaning "five years until 1984"), both the year that Crass stated that they would split up, and a date charged with significance in the anti-authoritarian calendar due to George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's novel of the same name (see Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
).
Although these vinyl records are now long deleted, many of the tracks have been collected and re-released on the A-Sides parts one and two compilation CDs. Crass' back catalogue however remains in print, both in vinyl and CD format http://www.southern.com/southern/band/CRASS/.
Ex-Crass members Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher continue to put out their creative works (for example, material by Last Amendment
Last Amendment
Last Amendment is the working title of a series of collaborations by ex-members of the anarchist punk band Crass and others...
, and Vaucher's book Animal Rites) through Exitstencil, often in collaboration with other publishers such as the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
label Babel Label
Babel Label
The Babel Label is a record label was founded in 1994 by Oliver Weindling. It primarily records and releases jazz albums from UK artists. Ongoing relationships include artists such as Billy Jenkins, Christine Tobin and Huw Warren. A close relationship has been forged with a number of musicians from...
and AK Press
AK Press
AK Press is a worker-managed independent publisher and book distributor that specialises in radical left and anarchist literature. It is collectively owned and operated.-History:...
.
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi RecordsCorpus Christi Records
Corpus Christi Records is an independent record label started by some of the members of Crass and their recording engineer and business partner John Loder, to release records by artists who did not perhaps fit in with some of the stricter ideals of the Crass Records label.Several of the artists on...
was a 'spin-off' from Crass Records, that enabled artists and performers to put out material supported by Crass through John Loder's Southern Studios
Southern Studios
Southern Studios is a recording studio in the Wood Green area of London. It was founded in 1974 by John Loder, and came to be the recording studio of choice for Crass and their record label Crass Records. Southern Studios Ltd. continues to grow its label and provide label management and...
, whilst not necessarily being tied to the latter label's 'corporate image' or anarchist ideology.
Albums
- 621984 Crass - The Feeding Of The 5000 LP
- 521984 Crass - Stations Of The Crass LP
- 421984/2 Poison Girls - Chappaquidick Bridge LP
- 421984/4 V/A - Bullshit Detector LP
- 421984/9 Poison Girls - Hex LP
- 321984/1 Crass - Penis Envy LP
- Bollox2u2 Crass - Christ: The Album LP
- 221984/3 V/A - Bullshit Detector Vol 2 LP
- 221984/7 Dirt - Never Mind Dirt, Here's The Bollocks LP
- 121984/2 Crass - Yes Sir, I Will LP
- 1984/1 Kukl - The Eye LP
- 1984/207370 Hit Parade - Plastic Culture LP
- 1984/3 V/A - Bullshit Detector Vol 3 LP
- 1984/4 Penny Rimbaud - Acts Of Love LP
- CATNO 1 D & V - D & V LP
- CATNO 4 Kukl - Holidays In Europe LP
- CATNO 5 Crass - Best Before LP
- CATNO 7 Hit Parade - Nick Knack Paddy Whack LP
- CATNO 8 Crass - A Sides Part One, 1979-1982 CD & Cassette
- CATNO 9 Crass - A Sides Part Two, 1982-1984 CD & Cassette
- CATNO 10C Crass - Christ's Reality Asylum Audio Cassette
Singles
- CRASS1 Crass - Reality Asylum / Shaved Women 7"
- 521984/1 Honey Bane - You Can Be You / Girl On The Run / Porno Grows / Boring Conversation 7"
- 421984/1 Crass / Poison Girls - Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown 7"
- 421984/3 Zounds - Can't Cheat Karma / War / Subvert.Subvert.Subvert.Subvert. 7"
- 421984/5 Crass - Nagasaki Nightmare / Big A Little A 7"
- 421984/6 Crass - Rival Tribal Rebel Revel 7" (Flexi-disc free with "Toxic Grafity" fanzine)
- 421984/7 Poison Girls - Statement 7" Flexi-disc
- 421984/8 Poison Girls - All Systems Go / Dirty Work / Promenade Immortelle 7"
- 321984/1F Crass - Our Wedding 7" (Flexi-disc got with a coupon from "Loving" magazine)
- 321984/2 Flux Of Pink Indians - Neu Smell 7"
- 321984/3 Annie Anxiety - Barbed Wire Halo 7"
- 321984/4 Snipers - Three Peace Suite 7"
- 321984/5 Captain Sensible - This Is Your Captain Speaking 7"
- 321984/6 Dirt - Object Refuse Reject Abuse 7"
- 321984/7 Mob - No Doves Fly Here 7"
- CT1 Crass - Merry Crassmass 7"
- 221984/1 Conflict - The House That Man Built 7"
- 221984/2 Rudimentary Peni - Farce 7"
- 221984/4 Cravats - Rub Me Out 7"
- 221984/5 T, Andy - Weary Of The Flesh 7"
- No number Crass - Sheep Farming In The Falklands 7" (Initially released as flexi, later as 121984/3)
- 221984/6 Crass - How Does It Feel? / The Immortal Death / Don't Tell Me You Care 7"
- 221984/8 Alternative - In Nomine Patri 7"
- 221984/9 Anthrax - Capitalism Is Cannibalism 7"
- 221984/10 Omega Tribe - Angry Songs 7"
- 221984/11 Sleeping Dogs - Beware Sleeping Dogs 7"
- 221984/12 Hit Parade - Bad News 7"
- 121984/1 D & V - The Nearest Door 7"
- 121984/3 Crass - Sheep Farming In The Falklands 7" (Formerly flexi-disc only)
- 121984/4 Crass - Whodunnit? 7"
- 121984/5 MDC - Multi-Death Corporations 7"
- 121984/6 Lack Of Knowledge Grey 7"
- 1984 Crass - You're Already Dead 7"
- CATNO 2 Jane Gregory - Do Not Go 7"
- CATNO 3 Lucky 7 - Take Your Elbows Off The Table (Choral Mix) / Take Your Elbows Off The Table (Orchestral Mix) 7" (Actually Steve Ignorant - unreleased, test pressings only)
- CATNO 6 Crass - 10 Notes On A Summer's Day 12"