RECORDS
Independent label: Hammer Records was a member of the Pye family, Hammer seems to have a dual personality: it divided its efforts between new pop records, in a HS-300 series, and reissues of old Rock 'n' Roll (in EP format), numbered in the HB-600s. Only about a dozen of each appear to have been released. The EPs played at 33 1/3rpm; they featured six tracks, which gave the series its name, 'The Big Six'. Hammer's period of operation was 1979 to 1980. There was a short-lived (one-off?) subsidiary, Octane, which shared the HS-300 numbering; a second subsidiary, Popular, also shared that series, but it doesn't appear to have issued any records in the '70s. A third subsidiary, Scratch, issued several singles using a HS-400 series, but that likewise didn't start until 1980. Jo Jo Laine was born Joanne LaPatrie, in Danvers, Massachusetts, on July 13, 1952 and diedin London, October 29, 2006, was an American singer, model and actress who married Moody Blues founder Denny Laine while he was a member of Paul McCartney's group Wings. Originally a groupie who had affairs with Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and many other artists, she had a lengthy relationship with Rod Stewart just before her meeting Laine. Stewart is said to have written the hit song "You Wear It Well" for her. Jo Jo Laine died at St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, at age 54 after a fall at her former home Yew Corner, in Laleham, Surrey. Distributed By Pye Records. Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info.
| 79 | Mumps | Rock And Roll This And That | HAMMER | HS | 301 |
| 79 | Yancey | Standing Waiting | OCTANE / HAMMER | HS | 302 |
| 79 | Kitten | Dreamboy | POPLAR / HAMMER | HS | 303 |
| 80 | Stevely Makepeace | Song Of Yesterday | HAMMER | HS | 304 |
| 80 | Jo-Jo Laine | Dancin' Man | POPLAR / HAMMER | HS | 305 |
| 80 | Not Issued | HAMMER | HS | 306 | |
| 80 | Symbols | Don't Ever Change | HAMMER | HS | 307 |
| 80 | Danny Owen | Kiss An Angle Goodbye | HAMMER | HS | 308 |
| 80 | B C & Black Satin | Do You Wanna Dance | HAMMER | HS | 309 |
| 80 | Alleygators | Nicotine | HAMMER | HS | 310 |
| 80 | Tymes | Brothers And Sisters | HAMMER | HS | 311 |
| 80 | Love Typhoon | Rhythm Of The Rain | HAMMER | HS | 312 |
| 80 | Bill Fredericks | Lovers Question | TIME RECORDS U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL | HSV | 313 |
| 79 | Platers | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 601 |
| 79 | Bobby Vee | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 602 |
| 79 | Fats Domino | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 603 |
| 79 | Chuck Berry | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 604 |
| 79 | Johnny And The Hurricanes | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 605 |
| 79 | Johnny Cash | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 606 |
| 79 | Lewis Jerry Lee | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 607 |
| 79 | Lloyd Price | The Big Six | HAMMER | HB | 608 |
| 79 | Fats Domino | The Big Six Volume Two | HAMMER | HB | 609 |
| 79 | Chuck Berry | The Big Six Volume Two | HAMMER | HB | 610 |
