STORTBEAT
RECORDS
Independent label: Stortbeat Records was based in the
Bishop's Stortford / Harlow area. Stortbeat was run by a group of
individuals from local bands inspired by the DIY ethic of punk started their own
record label. They were Richard Holgarth and Billy Meadows from The Gangsters,
Kevin Jones and Shane Roe from The Sods with Colin Babb who did the accounts.
Stortbeat began life in 1978 with a £1000 overdraft from a bank. The first
release was "Record Company"/"Harlow Town" by The Gangsters. It got good reviews
and was played by John Peel on his Radio 1 show. The main venues in the area
were The Triad in Stortford and The Square in Harlow. In a couple of months the
initial pressing had sold out which enabled more releases to be made. The Harlow
Playhouse bar on Saturdays became Stortbeats central meeting point.. Its
numbering system was slightly peculiar: in the wake of its first release, The
Gangsters' 'Record Company' (A-45; 1979) it issued at least six more singles and
one LP using a BEAT-0 series with occasional exceptions. Featured artists
included The Licks, later known as The Epileptics - who evolved into the
Anarcho-Punk group Flux Of Pink Indians - and NWOBHM band Deadringer. The
label started up in 1979 and was wound up in 1980. Distributed By Stortbeat
Records. Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info.
| 79 |
Gangsters |
Record
Company |
STORTBEAT |
A |
45 |
| 79 |
Gangsters |
Gangsters
(Album) |
STORTBEAT |
BEAT |
2 |
| 79 |
Gangsters |
Best Friend |
STORTBEAT |
BEAT |
3 |
| 79 |
The Rabbits |
Kitchen
Parties |
STORTBEAT |
SB |
004 |
| 79 |
Sods |
No Pictures |
STORTBEAT |
ST |
005 |
| 79 |
Deadringer |
Breakout |
STORTBEAT |
BEAT |
6 |
| 79 |
Spelling Missteaks |
Rubber Duck Pop Star |
STORTBEAT |
BEAT |
7 |
| 79 |
The Licks |
1970's Have Been Made In Hong
Kong |
STORTBEAT |
BEAT |
8 |
