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GWR Records | |
---|---|
Founded | 1986 |
Founder | Doug Smith, Ray Richards |
Status | Defunct |
Distributor(s) | Roadrunner Records (Europe), Enigma Records (US) |
Genre | Heavy metal, thrash metal, space rock, punk rock |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Location | London |
GWR Records were an independent record label active in the UK from 1986 through to 1991.
By 1984, Gerry Bron's Bronze Records were in financial difficulty leading to a hiatus in recording activity for Motörhead. Eventually, Motörhead managers Douglas Smith and Dave Simmons bought the band out of their contract and Bron subsequently sold the Bronze Records rights onto Legacy Records owner Ray Richards. [1]
Richards then contacted Smith with a proposal for a joint venture to release new product by Motörhead, leading to the formation of GWR Records (named after Smith's business address of 15 Great Western Road). [1] In addition to Motörhead, the label mainly released product by acts associated with Smith, such as Girlschool, Fastway, Hawkwind, Tank, Atomgods and Anti-Nowhere League, and bands from the thrash metal scene.
By 1992, Smith had been ousted as a managing director of the company and the label's catalogue was absorbed into Castle Communications, which later became part of Sanctuary Records Group. [2]
Motörhead were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.
Ace of Spades is the fourth studio album by English rock band Motörhead, released in October 1980 via Bronze Records. It is the band's most commercially successful album, peaking at number four on the UK Albums Chart and reaching gold status in the UK by March 1981. It was preceded by the release of the title track as a single in October, which peaked in the UK Singles Chart at No. 15 in early November.
Fastway were a British hard rock band formed in 1982 by former Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and UFO bassist Pete Way.
Nö Sleep at All is the third live album by English rock band Motörhead. Released in October 1988 by GWR Records, it was their only live album and last release with the label as legal matters continued between the parties.
Philip John Taylor, better known as "Philthy Animal", was an English drummer. He was a member of the rock band Motörhead from 1975 to 1984 and 1987 to 1992, recording eleven studio albums and four live albums with the band. The Motörhead line-up consisting of Taylor, Lemmy and "Fast" Eddie Clarke is generally regarded as the 'classic' line-up of the band.
The Best Of is a 2-CD compilation album by the band Motörhead, released in August 2000 on the Sanctuary Records subsidiary label Metal-Is.
Edward Allan Clarke, better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke or simply "Fast" Eddie, was a British guitarist who was a member of heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead. Of Motörhead's classic lineup, which consisted of Lemmy and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, he was the last surviving member at the time of his death.
Live Seventy Nine is a 1980 live album by Hawkwind recorded on their Winter 1979 UK tour. It reached #15 on the UK album chart.
Space Bandits is the sixteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1990. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #70.
Gerald Lincoln "Gerry" Bron was an English record producer and band manager. Gerry Married Penny Bron in 1982.
Thor is a Canadian heavy metal band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 years. Formed from a school band called Painted Lady, Girlschool enjoyed strong media exposure and commercial success in the UK in the early 1980s with three albums of 'punk-tinged metal' and a few singles, but lost their momentum in the following years.
Vic Maile was a British record producer. After starting his career as sound engineer with Pye mobile studios for the Animals on their song "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", Maile worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, such as Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, the Pirates, Hawkwind, Motörhead, the Godfathers, the Kinks, Small Faces, the Inmates, Dr. Feelgood, the Screaming Blue Messiahs, the Lords of the New Church, Girlschool and Michael Moorcock & the Deep Fix.
Live Chronicles is a 1986 album by Hawkwind recorded of a live performance of their The Chronicle of the Black Sword concept album based on the Michael Moorcock character Elric of Melniboné. The Hammersmith Odeon dates on 3 and 4 December were professionally audio recorded and the stage show video taped.
Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm.
Atomgods were a UK heavy rock band from late 1980s. The band were formed by former Inner City Unit guitarist Judge Trev Thoms, the first recording lineup consisting of Hiro Sasaki and Kofi Baker. They were signed to GWR Records producing the 1988 album WOW! and the 1991 album History Re-Written.
The Batfish Boys were an English rock band from York and Leeds, England, active between 1984 and 1990. They released three albums.
The discography of Girlschool, a British all-female heavy metal band, spans over 30 years of a career and consists of thirteen studio albums, six EPs and a large number of compilations. The band was formed in 1978 by Kim McAuliffe, Enid Williams, Kelly Johnson and Denise Dufort. Their first release was the single "Take It All Away" for the small British rock/punk label City Records. The song did not chart, but came to the ear of Lemmy Kilmister and of Motörhead manager Doug Smith, who made Girlschool the supporting band on the Overkill tour and managed to get them a contract with the wealthy label Bronze Records.
Steve Clarke was born in London, England on 20 November 1959. He is a former member of Quasar and Fastway.