Major Minor Records
Template:Short description Template:Infobox record label Major Minor Records was a British record label started by Phil Solomon in 1966.<ref name="irishrock1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the early summer of 1966, he had courted a number of British independent labels for a label tentatively named Caroline, after the pirate radio station he owned, which was named Radio Caroline.<ref> Template:Cite magazine</ref> It adopted the Major Minor name within two months.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the fall, it secured a distribution deal with Decca Records' Selecta division, as well as a pressing deal with CBS, and issued its first single, a recording from Ireland's O'Brien Brothers.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In August 1967, the Wilson government outlawed pirate radio and, although Radio Caroline continued, it began to heavily promote records from the Major Minor label, which had benefitted from the playing of its records on the station, causing him to intensify its operations in the months before the prime minister's outlawing of pirate radio.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Caroline's DJs were unhappy with the type of music they were being forced to play and it is doubtful that much of the revenue from the record label actually went back into the radio station. In March 1968, the two Caroline ships were silenced when they were seized by creditors.<ref name="Henry/von Joel">Template:Cite book</ref>
In April 1967, Major Minor scored the UK rights to recordings issued by Roulette Records in the US;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> although products were intended to be issued on that label, they instead appeared on Major Minor with a Roulette credit until September 1968. In the interim between that time, it achieved a #1 hit with Tommy James and the Shondells' single "Mony Mony". Also in 1968, it picked up the rights to a label named JAD, which, as with Roulette, had its releases issued on Major Minor with a credit to the licensor. The French Barclay label also licensed material from its Riviera subsidiary to Major Minor, with a contract signed in the same month that it signed one with Roulette.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Major Minor's big chart moment came in 1969, when the label picked up a 'dropped' record and took it to Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. The track, "Je t'aime... moi non plus" by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, was originally released on Fontana. Despite being performed in French, the song's obvious sexual tone resulted in a wide-scale ban from mainstream radio stations, and Fontana deleted the single during its chart ascent, allegedly because the wife of Fontana's boss was appalled at her husband's company releasing such a song. Major Minor acquired the licensing rights, and got its best selling single on the back of the controversy. Charles Aznavour is another French artist who worked with Major Minor (a single, "To My Daughter" / "Yesterday When I Was Young",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and an LP, Aznavour Sings Aznavour).<ref name="irishrock1"/>
Soul and jazz musicians on the label included Johnny Nash, Dizzy Gillespie, Sam and Dave, the Isley Brothers, Kim Weston and Cissy Houston.<ref name="irishrock1"/> Rock artists included July and Them (who were managed by Solomon).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There was also an obscure pre-10cc single featuring Eric Stewart credited to the New Wave Band ("Cecilia" / "Free, Free, Free").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rory Gallagher's band Taste also released a single on the label ("Blister on the Moon" / "Born on the Wrong Side of Time").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A young Peter Sarstedt cut his first single, "My Monkey is a Junkie", for the label, under the name Peter Lincoln. The other big success was Northern Ireland's David McWilliams with "Days of Pearly Spencer", leased from EMI. Other tunes that Caroline had to play included "Sentimental Songs" by Freddie "Parrotface" Davies. The label also scored hits with pianist Neville Dickie, balladeers Karen Young and Malcolm Roberts, and bubblegum band Crazy Elephant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1970, rumours sparked about plans by Decca or EMI to purchase the Major Minor label, but both Solomon and a company spokesman denied them.<ref>Record Retailer, 2 August 1970</ref><ref>Record Retailer, 29 August 1970</ref> In September 1970, however, EMI acquired the rights to the Major Minor catalogue and licensing contracts.<ref>Record Retailer, 12 September 1970</ref> On 8 February 1971, a series of creditors, including Decca, Radio Luxembourg and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society proposed that Major Minor's assets be liquidated.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The company ceased operations on 15 March 1971.<ref>Record Retailer, 27 March 1971</ref>
In July 2010, EMI announced that the label would be resurrected to release an "expanded 20th anniversary" release of Morrissey's Bona Drag.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
SubsidiariesEdit
One subsidiary of the label was the Toast Record label. This short-lived label which released soul records was established in early 1968.<ref>Seventies Sevens - MAJOR MINOR</ref><ref>Billboard, March 29, 1969 - Page 60 From The Music Capitals of the World, LONDON - PHIL.LIP PALMER</ref> In December, 1969 the address for the label was 58/59 Gt. Marlborough Street, London W. 1. with Vicky Wickham listed as the contact.<ref name="Major Minor Headquarters">Record World, December 6, 1969 - SECTION II Page 53 Independent Record Producers, England (Continued from page 52), Toast Records</ref>
Artists to have their recordings released on the label included Steve & Stevie of the group Tin Tin,<ref>Jazz Rock Soul - Artists and Albums of the '70s and '80s., Tin Tin, Background</ref> Doris Troy with "I'll Do Anything",<ref>Melody Maker, September 21, 1968 - Page 29 BLIND DATE where the stars single out the new singles, BOB 'THE BEAR' HITE of CANNED HEAT, DORIS TROY: " I'll Do Anything" (Toast).</ref> and Joe E. Young & The Toniks with "Good Day Sunshine".<ref>Record Mirror, No. 413 February 8th, 1969 - Page 8 new singles reviewed by Peter Jones, JOE E. YOUNG AND THE TONIKS:</ref>
Joy Marshall who had a Top 40 hit in 1966 in the UK with "The More I See You",<ref>Official Charts - THE MORE I SEE YOU by JOY MARSHALL</ref> recorded the single, "And I'll Find You" bw "I'm So Glad You're Back: which was released on Toast TT 512.<ref>Record Mirror, No. 408 Week ending January 4th, 1969 - JARSHALL: And I'll Find You; I'm So Glad You're Back (Toast TT 512)</ref> Marshall, who was married to Peter King accidentally overdosed on sleeping tablets and alcohol in December 1968.<ref>Jet, Dec. 19, 1968 - Page 60 Alcohol, Pills Kill American Singer In London</ref><ref>Jazz Wax, May 04, 2021 - The Sad Story of Joy Marshall</ref> Peter Jones, possibly unaware of Marshall's death in 1968, reviewed the Toast single in the 4 January, 1969 issue of Record Mirror. It got a four-star rating. He enjoyed listening to it and said it was a very good performance as expected, but the song might not be quite direct enough to click.<ref>Record Mirror, No. 408 Week ending January 4th, 1969 - JARSHALL: And I'll Find You; I'm So Glad You're Back (Toast TT 512)</ref><ref>Jet, Dec. 19, 1968 - Page 60 Alcohol, Pills Kill American Singer In London</ref>
The group 67 Park Lane along with The Coins were acts that Vicki Wickham produced.<ref>Billboard, March 29, 1969 - Page 60 From The Music Capitals of the World, LONDON - PHIL.LIP PALMER</ref> 67 Park Lane recorded the single, " I'm So Happy Just to Be with You" bw "I Got Love". It was reviewed by Peter Jones in the 22 March, 1969 issue of Record Mirror. Jones said the song worked well enough, but it didn't have many direct chances.<ref>Record Mirror, No. 419 March 22nd, 1969 - Page 8 new singles reviewed by Peter Jones 67 PARK LANE: I'm So Happy To Be With You; I Got Love (Toast TT 516).</ref> They were at booked to appear at the Golden Star Club on Westbourne Road on 27 September 1969<ref>Melody Maker, September 27, 1969 - Page 28 THE GOLDEN STAR CLUB</ref> and at the Pheasantry in Chelsea on 1st June 1970.<ref>Melody Maker, May 30, 1970 - Page 28 PHEASANTRY, Monday. June 1st 67 PARK LANE</ref> 67 Park Lane was allegedly the group that had the last release on the label.<ref>RadioNold channel, Mar 14, 2016 - 67 Park Lane - I'm So Happy Just To Be With You - 1969</ref>
According to Philip Palmer in the "From The Music Capitals of the World" section in the 29 March 1969 issue of Billboard, Major Minor were dropping the Toast label. The sole producer for the label, Vicki Wickham was also leaving the company and would produce on an independent basis.<ref>Billboard, March 29, 1969 - Page 60 From The Music Capitals of the World, LONDON - PHIL.LIP PALMER</ref>
The company made unsuccessful plans to launch labels catering to country music<ref>Record Retailer, 28 February 1970</ref><ref>Record Retailer, 28 March 1970</ref> and progressive rock.<ref>Record Retailer, 14 March 1970</ref> In July 1970, it announced the launch, in August, of a label in the latter genre that was to feature recordings from the Irish label Dolphin;<ref>Record Retailer, 11 July 1970</ref> the label was unable to follow through on this announcement.