UTOPIA
RECORDS
Independent label: Utopia Records was part of the Mercury
label with a Utopia logo on it. However, singles on this Utopia / Mercury hybrid
had their own catalogue series, TANGO-0, and some of them came in a company
sleeve; given that degree of individuality, they just about squeezed on to the
site. In 1977 Phonogram had signed a deal to market Utopia's records
worldwide, but the agreement seems not to have run to a discrete label
identity. The company was owned by producer Phil Wainman, a stalwart of
the Glam years, and was linked to his Utopia studios and music publishing
firm. It scored a novelty Top 20 hit with its first single, Richard
Myhill's, 'It Takes Two To Tango', mainly by virtue of making it available in
square form (TANGO-1) as well as in the usual round shape (6007-167;
3/78). It was the first time that a differently-shaped record had been
issued, and it started something of a craze for shaped singles, but the novelty
wore off eventually. Subsequent Utopia singles were round and were less
successful. The agreement with Phonogram seems not to have lasted into the
'80s, which indicates that it may have been a three-year one. In 1982
Utopia had another go at issuing records, this time through PRT; this time
around it received a proper individual label identity. Numbering in this
new incarnation was in a UTO-0 series. Thanks to Robert Lyons For The
Info.
| 78 |
Richard
Myhill |
It Takes Two To
Tango |
UTOPIA |
6007 |
167 |
| 78 |
Richard
Myhill |
It Takes Two To
Tango |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
1 |
| 78 |
Richard Myhill |
Something More |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
2 |
| 78 |
The Upstarts |
Beggin' |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
3 |
| 79 |
Lynda
Virtu |
Treat Me Like A Woman |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
4 |
| 79 |
Not Issued |
|
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
5 |
| 79 |
Richard Myhill |
While London Dances |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
6 |
| 79 |
Lynda
Virtu |
You Are My Life |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
7 |
| 79 |
Lynda
Virtu |
Warm Night |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
8 |
| 79 |
TCOJ |
(I Found) Love On the Disco
Floor |
UTOPIA |
TANGO |
9 |
| 82 |
Julie &
Jams |
1-2-3 |
UTOPIA |
UTO |
1 |
| 82 |
Dave Bartram |
Black Ice |
UTOPIA |
UTO |
2 |
| 83 |
Zero Bernie Q |
Numbers Man |
UTOPIA |
UTO |
3 |
| 83 |
Harris Chopper |
Escargot A La Bongo |
UTOPIA |
UTO |
4 |
