Dandelion Records
Encyclopedia
Dandelion Records was a British record label
started in 1969 by the British DJ John Peel
as a way to get the music he liked onto record. Peel was responsible for "artistic direction" and the commercial side was handled by Clive Selwood of Elektra Records
and his wife Shurely. Peel wrote
Dandelion and the sister publishing company Biscuit were named after Peel's hamsters at the suggestion of his then flatmate Marc Bolan
.
Around twenty eight albums were released by the label. One album was by Gene Vincent
, with a cast of musicians including members of The Byrds
and Steppenwolf
. Others were by younger or non-commercial artists, including Beau
, Bridget St John
, Medicine Head
, Clifford T. Ward
, David Bedford
, Lol Coxhill
, Stack Waddy, Tractor
, Kevin Coyne
/Siren, and Denmark's Burnin' Red Ivanhoe.
The only record ever to make the UK Singles Chart
was "(And the) Pictures in the Sky" by Medicine Head, which reached #22 in 1971. Beau's "1917 Revolution" made #1 in the Lebanon in 1969.
Dandelion Records were distributed by, successively, CBS Records
, Warner Bros. Records
and Polydor. The label ran until 1973
when it started to try to place its artists with other labels as its distribution via Polydor had ceased. It had issued about a dozen singles and two dozen albums. Several releases attracted a cult audience but never quite crossed into the mainstream, although one of the last singles, Clifford T. Ward's 'Coathanger', from his debut album 'Singer Songwriter', attracted a certain amount of airplay on Radio 1. Both Tractor and Medicine Head appeared fairly high in various album charts- Medicine Head would go on to appear on Top of the Pops and Tractor
would get heavily involved in the hippy festival circuit which they still make rare appearances on to this day. As Peel himself told Record Collector
in 1994, 'when you can't afford full-page ads in the music press, artists become very resentful...there's no faster way of losing friends.'
One of the most curious albums issued by the label was a sampler, There is Some Fun Going Forward
.
Most Dandelion recordings have been reissued on vinyl and/or CD. A batch of half a dozen came out on CD on Repertoire Records in the early 1990s, followed by the whole catalogue as two-on-one CDs by See For Miles Records in the mid 1990s.
Individual albums have been licensed around the world, with major catalogue releases since 2005 on Cherry Red
Records in the UK and Airmail Archive Recordings in Japan. Cherry Red
Records acquired the entire catalogue of original Dandelion Records recordings (excluding Tractor / The Way We Live) in September 2009. The UK trade mark Dandelion Records and its Dandelion flower logo are the intellectual property of Ozit Morpheus Records who have released new recordings under the Dandelion Records brand.
The Dandelion Records by Tractor and The Way We Live were reissued in the 2000s by Ozit Morpheus Records, as was a six hour DVD about John Peel and some of the artists on Dandelion Records. This was released as a tribute to John in November 2008. It includes a contribution from his wife Sheila Ravenscroft.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
started in 1969 by the British DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
as a way to get the music he liked onto record. Peel was responsible for "artistic direction" and the commercial side was handled by Clive Selwood of Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
and his wife Shurely. Peel wrote
Dandelion and the sister publishing company Biscuit were named after Peel's hamsters at the suggestion of his then flatmate Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
.
Around twenty eight albums were released by the label. One album was by Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
, with a cast of musicians including members of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
. Others were by younger or non-commercial artists, including Beau
Beau
Beau is a specialist twelve-string guitar player who first became known in the late 1960s through his recordings for John Peel's Dandelion Records label...
, Bridget St John
Bridget St John
Bridget St John is a British singer and songwriter, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion label. Peel produced her debut album Ask Me No Questions. She also recorded a large number of BBC Radio and Peel sessions and toured regularly on the UK...
, Medicine Head
Medicine Head
Medicine Head were a British blues rock band, active in the 1970s. Their biggest single success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.-Main personnel:The group worked as a duo for most of its career, consisting of...
, Clifford T. Ward
Clifford T. Ward
Clifford Thomas Ward was a popular English singer-songwriter, best known for his career as a solo artist.-Early life:...
, David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
, Lol Coxhill
Lol Coxhill
Lowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill is a free improvising saxophonist and raconteur...
, Stack Waddy, Tractor
Tractor (band)
Tractor is a band founded in Rochdale, Lancashire, England by guitarist/vocalist Jim Milne and drummer Steve Clayton in 1971. Both had been members of a beat group, The Way We Live since 1966. They are notable both for their appreciation by John Peel and Julian Cope, but also for their longevity...
, Kevin Coyne
Kevin Coyne
Kevin Coyne was a musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star" was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, UK, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004....
/Siren, and Denmark's Burnin' Red Ivanhoe.
The only record ever to make the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
was "(And the) Pictures in the Sky" by Medicine Head, which reached #22 in 1971. Beau's "1917 Revolution" made #1 in the Lebanon in 1969.
Dandelion Records were distributed by, successively, CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and Polydor. The label ran until 1973
1973 in music
-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
when it started to try to place its artists with other labels as its distribution via Polydor had ceased. It had issued about a dozen singles and two dozen albums. Several releases attracted a cult audience but never quite crossed into the mainstream, although one of the last singles, Clifford T. Ward's 'Coathanger', from his debut album 'Singer Songwriter', attracted a certain amount of airplay on Radio 1. Both Tractor and Medicine Head appeared fairly high in various album charts- Medicine Head would go on to appear on Top of the Pops and Tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
would get heavily involved in the hippy festival circuit which they still make rare appearances on to this day. As Peel himself told Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
in 1994, 'when you can't afford full-page ads in the music press, artists become very resentful...there's no faster way of losing friends.'
One of the most curious albums issued by the label was a sampler, There is Some Fun Going Forward
There is Some Fun Going Forward
There is Some Fun Going Forward is the only sampler album released by John Peel's Dandelion Records label, and was marketed by Polydor. As one might expect from Peel, the artists featured were not necessarily mainstream, and in fact, the only artists featured who enjoyed chart success are Clifford...
.
Most Dandelion recordings have been reissued on vinyl and/or CD. A batch of half a dozen came out on CD on Repertoire Records in the early 1990s, followed by the whole catalogue as two-on-one CDs by See For Miles Records in the mid 1990s.
Individual albums have been licensed around the world, with major catalogue releases since 2005 on Cherry Red
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
Records in the UK and Airmail Archive Recordings in Japan. Cherry Red
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
Records acquired the entire catalogue of original Dandelion Records recordings (excluding Tractor / The Way We Live) in September 2009. The UK trade mark Dandelion Records and its Dandelion flower logo are the intellectual property of Ozit Morpheus Records who have released new recordings under the Dandelion Records brand.
The Dandelion Records by Tractor and The Way We Live were reissued in the 2000s by Ozit Morpheus Records, as was a six hour DVD about John Peel and some of the artists on Dandelion Records. This was released as a tribute to John in November 2008. It includes a contribution from his wife Sheila Ravenscroft.
Albums
- 63750: Bridget St JohnBridget St JohnBridget St John is a British singer and songwriter, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion label. Peel produced her debut album Ask Me No Questions. She also recorded a large number of BBC Radio and Peel sessions and toured regularly on the UK...
- Ask Me No Questions - S63751: Beau - Beau
- 63752: Principal Edwards Magic TheatrePrincipal edwards magic theatrePrincipal Edwards Magic Theatre was a 14-member communal performance art collective in the United Kingdom made up of musicians, poets, dancers, and sound and lighting technicians.-History:...
- Soundtrack - 63753: Occasional Word Ensemble - The Year of the Great Leap Sideways
- 63754: Gene VincentGene VincentVincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
- I'm Back and I'm Proud - 63755: Siren - Siren
- 63756: Mike HartMike Hart (poet)Mike Hart was a Liverpool based singer/songwriter and poet.In 1962 he founded the band The Roadrunners, before leaving in 1965 to join The Liverpool Scene, a poetry and music collective, with Adrian Henri, Andy Roberts and Mike Evans...
- Mike Hart Bleeds - 63757: Medicine HeadMedicine HeadMedicine Head were a British blues rock band, active in the 1970s. Their biggest single success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.-Main personnel:The group worked as a duo for most of its career, consisting of...
- New Bottles Old Medicine - DAN8001/K49001: Siren - Strange Locomotion
- DAN8002/K49002: Principal Edwards Magic TheatrePrincipal edwards magic theatrePrincipal Edwards Magic Theatre was a 14-member communal performance art collective in the United Kingdom made up of musicians, poets, dancers, and sound and lighting technicians.-History:...
- The Asomoto Running Band - DAN8003/K49003: Stack Waddy - Stack WaddyStack Waddy (album)Stack Waddy is the first album by Stack Waddy, released in 1971 on Dandelion Records.-Track listing:# "Roadrunner" – 3:26# "Bring it to Jerome" – 5:18# "Mothballs" – 3:35# "Sure Nuff 'n Yes I Do" – 2:29# "Love Story" – 2:19# "Susie Q" – 2:27...
- DAN8004/K49004: The Way We Live - A Candle for Judith
- DAN8005/K49005: Medicine Head - Heavy on the Drum
- DAN8006/K49006: BeauBeauBeau is a specialist twelve-string guitar player who first became known in the late 1960s through his recordings for John Peel's Dandelion Records label...
- Creation (With The Way We Live) - DAN8007/K49007: Bridget St John - Songs for the Gentle Man
- DSD8008/K69001: Lol CoxhillLol CoxhillLowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill is a free improvising saxophonist and raconteur...
- Ear of Beholder - 2310145: Burnin' Red Ivanhoe - WWW
- 2310146: SupersisterSupersisterSupersister was a Dutch band from The Hague, Netherlands, playing progressive rock rangingfrom jazz to pop. The most predominant band members were Robert Jan Stips , Sacha van Geest , Marco Vrolijk and Ron van Eck ....
- To the Highest Bidder - 2310165: David BedfordDavid BedfordDavid Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
- Nurse's Song with Elephants - 2310166: Medicine Head - Dark Side of the Moon
- 2310193: Bridget St John - Thank You For
- 2310211: Mike Hart - Basher Chalky Pongo and Me (as Mike Hart & the Comrades)
- 2310216: Clifford T. WardClifford T. WardClifford Thomas Ward was a popular English singer-songwriter, best known for his career as a solo artist.-Early life:...
- Singer Songwriter - 2310217: TractorTractor (band)Tractor is a band founded in Rochdale, Lancashire, England by guitarist/vocalist Jim Milne and drummer Steve Clayton in 1971. Both had been members of a beat group, The Way We Live since 1966. They are notable both for their appreciation by John Peel and Julian Cope, but also for their longevity...
- Tractor - 2310228: Kevin CoyneKevin CoyneKevin Coyne was a musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star" was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, UK, and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004....
- Case History - 2310231: Stack Waddy - Bugger Off!Bugger Off!Bugger Off! is the second album by Stack Waddy, released in 1972 on Dandelion Records. The album liner notes indicate each song was done in a single live take and when the producer wanted them to do some overdubbing a band member yelled "Bugger Off!", hence the title.-Track listing:# "Rosalyn" –...
- 2485021: Various artists - There is Some Fun Going ForwardThere is Some Fun Going ForwardThere is Some Fun Going Forward is the only sampler album released by John Peel's Dandelion Records label, and was marketed by Polydor. As one might expect from Peel, the artists featured were not necessarily mainstream, and in fact, the only artists featured who enjoyed chart success are Clifford...
(sampler album)
Singles
- S4596: Gene Vincent - "Be-Bop-A-Lula '69" / "Ruby BabyRuby Baby"Ruby Baby" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by The Drifters and was a major R&B hit for them in 1956...
" - S4661: Medicine Head - "His Guiding Hand" / "This Love of Old"
- S4781: Mike Hart - "Yawney Morning Song" / "Almost Liverpool 8"
- 4786: Bill OddieBill OddieWilliam "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....
- "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at" / "Harry Krishna" - S4974: Gene Vincent - "White LightningWhite Lightning (George Jones song)"White Lightning" is the title of a song written by the rockabilly artist J. P. Richardson, best known by his stage name, The Big Bopper. The song was recorded by American country music artist George Jones and released as a single in February 1959. On April 13, 1959, Jones' version became the first...
" / "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)"Scarlet Ribbons " is a popular song. The music was written by Evelyn Danzig and the lyrics by Jack Segal."Scarlet Ribbons" was written in only 15 minutes in 1949 at Danzig's home in Port Washington New York after she invited lyricist Segal to hear her music...
" - S5075: Medicine Head - "Coast to Coast" / "All for Tomorrow"
- S5119: Stack Waddy - "Roadrunner" / "Kentucky"
- S4403: BeauBeauBeau is a specialist twelve-string guitar player who first became known in the late 1960s through his recordings for John Peel's Dandelion Records label...
- "1917 Revolution" / "Sleeping Town" - K4404: Bridget St John - "To B Without A Hitch" / "Autumn Lullaby"
- S4405: Principal Edwards Magic Theatre - "Ballad of the Big Girl Now" / "Lament for Earth"
- S4493: Clague - "Mandy Lee" / "Bottle Up and Go" (With Kevin Coyne)
- S4494: Coyne-Clague - "The Stride" / "I Wonder Where"
- DAN7002/K19004: Siren - "Strange Locomotion" / "I'm All Aching"
- DAN7003/K19002: Medicine Head - "(And the) Pictures in the Sky" / "Natural Sight"
- DAN7004/K19003: Yamasukis - "Yamasuki" / "Aieaoa"
- 2001276: Medicine Head - "Kum On" / "On the Land"
- 2001282: Tractor - "Stoney Glory" / "Marie" / "As You Say"
- 2001325: Medicine Head - "Only To Do What Is True" / "Sittin' in the Sun"
- 2001327: Clifford T. Ward - "Carrie" / "Sidetrack"
- 2001331: Stack Waddy - "You Really Got Me" / "Willie the Pimp"
- 2001357: Kevin Coyne - "Cheat Me" / "Flowering Cherry"
- 2001382: Clifford T Ward - "Coathanger" / "Rayne"
- 2001383: Medicine Head - "How Does It Feel" / "Morning Light"
- 2058214: Coxhill Bedford Duo - "Mood" / "Sonny BoySonny Boy (song)"Sonny Boy" is a song written by Ray Henderson, Bud De Sylva, and Lew Brown. The hyper-sentimental tearjerker was featured in the 1928 talkie The Singing Fool. Sung by Al Jolson, the 1928 recording was a hit and stayed at #1 for 12 weeks in the charts and was a million seller...
" / "Oh Mein PapaOh My Pa-Pa (O Mein Papa)"O mein Papa" is a German song, as related by a young woman remembering her beloved, once-famous clown father. It was written by Swiss composer Paul Burkhard in 1939 for the musical Der Schwarze Hecht , reproduced in 1950 as Feuerwerk to a libretto by Erik Charell, Jürg Amstein, and Robert Gilbert...
" (B-sideA-side and B-sideA-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
by Will Dandy & the Dandylettes)