Caroline Records

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**Caroline Records** is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976 and the re-emerged in the United States in 1986 to release the work of American punk, post-punk and alternative rock bands. Caroline has or had a number of subsidiary labels including Astralwerks, Gyroscope, Caroline Blue Plate, Beat the World, Scamp, and Passenger.

## UK label

The original Caroline record label started as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records from 1973 to 1976. It specialized in inexpensive LPs by progressive rock and jazz artists that lacked commercial appeal. Caroline records rarely mentioned a connection with Virgin, and some UK and European Virgin albums that were distributed internationally (instead of being manufactured in each country) named Caroline as their American distributor. Some Caroline records bore the label name Caroline Blue Plate.

The first release was *Outside the Dream Syndicate* by Tony Conrad and Faust in 1973. The logo was a photographic-style variation of Virgin's "Twins" logo designed by Roger Dean.

## US label

In 1983, the Caroline name was reused by Virgin in the US as the importer Caroline Distribution. Caroline Distribution founded the current Caroline Records in 1986. Caroline Records was merged into Virgin Records after Virgin was acquired by Thorn EMI. Caroline Distribution was separated and became part of EMI Music Distribution.

## Primo Scree

**Primo Scree** was an imprint of Caroline Records created by Ned Hayden of the Action Swingers, who had previously been a sales rep at Caroline. Its releases included the Action Swingers' single "Fear of a Fucked Up Planet", as well as Gumball's debut album *Special Kiss* and Monster Magnet's debut album *Spine of God*.

## Notable releases

* Audio Active & Laraaji – *The Way Out Is the Way In*
* Kevin Ayers, June Campbell Cramer & Brian Eno – *Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy*
* Bad Brains – *Quickness*
* Ben Folds Five – *Ben Folds Five* (under Passenger Records)
* Harold Budd Reuben Garcia Daniel Lentz – *Music for 3 Pianos*
* Cabaret Voltaire – *The Drain Train*
* Cabaret Voltaire – *Drinking Gasoline*
* Cherry Poppin' Daddies – *Kids on the Street*
* Cluster – *Grosses Wasser* (CD reissue)
* Cluster – *One Hour*
* Lol Coxhill – *Fleas in Custard*
* Dumblonde – *Dumblonde*
* Egg – *The Civil Surface*
* Brian Eno – *Before and After Science*
* Eno Moebius Roedelius – *After the Heat* (CD reissue)
* Brian Eno & Jah Wobble – *Spinner*
* Excel – *Split Image*
* Excel – *The Joke's on You*
* Excel – *Seeking Refuge*
* Fred Frith – *Guitar Solos*
* Various artists – *Guitar Solos 2*
* Gilgamesh – *Gilgamesh*
* Gong – *Camembert Electrique*
* Gong – *Angel's Egg*
* Gong – *You*
* Goo Goo Dolls – *Goo Goo Dolls*
* Heatmiser – *Mic City Sons*
* Henry Cow – *Concerts*
* Hole – *Pretty on the Inside*
* Bat For Lashes–*Two Suns*
* Bat For Lashes – *Fur and gold*
* Idaho – *Year After Year*
* Idaho– *This Way Out*
* Idaho – *Three Sheets to the Wind*
* Jabula – *Thunder into our hearts*
* Killing Joke – *Killing Joke*
* Korn – *The Paradigm Shift*
* KT Tunstall - *Kin* (under Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
* Jayce Lewis/Protafield - *Nemesis*
* Mercyful Fate – *Melissa*
* The Misfits – *Static Age*
* Monster Magnet – *Tab*
* Oh Wonder – *Oh Wonder*
* Andy Partridge/Harold Budd – *Through the Hill*
* Primus – *Frizzle Fry*
* Smashing Pumpkins – *Gish*
* Southern Culture on the Skids – *For Lovers Only*
* Steven Wilson – *To the Bone*
* Suicidal Tendencies – *Join the Army*
* Suicideboys – *I Want to Die in New Orleans*
* Swans – *Children of God*
* Tangerine Dream – *Livemiles*
* Tangerine Dream – *Pergamon*
* Uncle Slam – *Say Uncle*
* Underdog – *The Vanishing Point*
* Various artists – *Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dance Hall*
* Van Morrison - *Keep Me Singing* (2016)
* Walt Mink – *Bareback Ride*
* Walt Mink – *Miss Happiness*
* Warzone – *Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets*
* White Zombie – *Gods on Voodoo Moon* (cassette version only)
* White Zombie – *Soul-Crusher*
* White Zombie – *Make Them Die Slowly*
* White Zombie – *God of Thunder*
* Youth Of Today – *We're Not In This Alone*

## References

1. ↑ Template:Cite journal
2. ↑ "Monster Magnet" (in en). 2004. http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/monster-magnet.
3. ↑ Belanger, Ashley (2015-03-25). "Total Punk talks to Action Swingers' Ned Hayden about CBGB, his influences and the early NYC punk scene". https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/total-punks-rich-evans-talks-to-action-swingers-ned-hayden-about-cbgb-his-influences-and-the-early-nyc-punk-scene/Content?oid=2375083.
4. ↑ Marlowe, Keith (2015-05-21). "Action Swingers Just Won't 'Quit While You're Ahead'" (in en-us). https://noisey.vice.com/en\_us/article/rkqbje/action-swingers-interview-album-stream.
5. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Gumball Biography & History". https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gumball-mn0000643128/biography.
6. ↑ [[[:Template:Allmusic]] Kids on the Street > Overview] AllMusic.com
7. ↑ "Billy, Don't Be a Hero". Spin. http://www.spin.com/2013/07/billy-dont-be-a-hero-smashing-pumpkins-cover-story/. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
8. ↑ [[[:Template:Allmusic]] The Vanishing Point > Overview] AllMusic.com

## External links

* Artist Shop Caroline Records
* Caroline Distribution Official website
* Discogs Caroline Records
* Discogs Gyroscope
* EMI Group Website links

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