Deram Records
Encyclopedia
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label
established in 1966 by Decca Records
in the United Kingdom
. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States
, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through UK Decca's American branch, called London Records
. Deram was active until 1979.
'Deramic Sound' recordings of contemporary Pop
and Rock music
, though not all of the early recordings on Deram used this technique. The new recording concept allowed for more space between instruments, rendering these sounds softer to the ear. Early stereo recordings of popular music usually were mixed with sounds to the hard left, center, or hard right only. This was because of the technical limitations of the professional 4-track
reel-to-reel
recorders which were state of the art until about 1967. 'Deramic Sound' was intended to create recordings that had a more natural stereo spread. The basic difference was that, instead of overdubbing and mixing 4 individual (mono) tracks from a 4-track recorder, the Decca recording engineers used a pair of 4-track machines to layer multiple 2-channel (stereo) recordings. This new concept with additional tracks permitted instruments to be heard more easily from any position within the stereo field.
To launch the 'Deramic Sound' concept Deram issued a series of six Easy listening
orchestral pop albums in October 1967. The albums all included the word Night in the title, i.e. Strings in the Night, Brass in the Night, etc. The label was soon moulded into a home for 'alternative' or 'progressive
' artists. Among the first recordings in this series was the November 1967 album release Days of Future Passed
by The Moody Blues
.
Professional quality 8-track recorders began to appear in many British studios starting with Advision Studios
and Trident Studios
in 1968. These 8-track machines were far more flexible than the dual 4-track recorder setup. Since Decca engineers no longer had more tracks than other major studios the 'Deramic Sound' concept quickly became outdated and was dropped.
and Mike Westbrook
. Deram albums bore a DML prefix for mono and an SML prefix for stereo releases. As with other UK Decca subsidiary labels, Deram's U.S. counterpart was distributed under the London Records
arm. Decca positioned it against Island Records
, Harvest Records
(launched by EMI
) and Vertigo Records
(launched by Philips Records
), but it failed to compete long-term. An 'extra' progressive series with SDL prefixes did not improve the situation.
From the start, Decca placed pop records alongside progressive artists on Deram. Cat Stevens
found early success on there before moving to Island Records
and David Bowie
's first album appeared on the label. Three of Deram's earliest hits, Procol Harum
's "A Whiter Shade of Pale
", The Move
's "Night of Fear" and "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" were not artists actually signed to Deram; they were part of a deal with Straight Ahead Productions, who moved their acts to EMI and had them released on the reintroduced Regal Zonophone imprint.
In 1969, Decca launched a true progressive label called Nova, which lasted less than a year. This caused further confusion as simultaneous releases on "Deram Nova" and "Decca Nova" appeared.
Decca released Justin Hayward (of Moody Blues fame)'s Songwriter (1977) and Night Flight (1980) vinyl albums on Deram. Deram was briefly revived in the early 1980s, when its roster included Bananarama
, The Mo-dettes
and Splodgenessabounds
. Deram has also been used as a reissue imprint for the Decca/London catalogue.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
established in 1966 by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through UK Decca's American branch, called London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
. Deram was active until 1979.
1966-1968
Decca initially conceived Deram Records initially as an outlet for stereoSTEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
'Deramic Sound' recordings of contemporary Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, though not all of the early recordings on Deram used this technique. The new recording concept allowed for more space between instruments, rendering these sounds softer to the ear. Early stereo recordings of popular music usually were mixed with sounds to the hard left, center, or hard right only. This was because of the technical limitations of the professional 4-track
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
reel-to-reel
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel, open reel tape recording is the form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel, rather than being securely contained within a cassette....
recorders which were state of the art until about 1967. 'Deramic Sound' was intended to create recordings that had a more natural stereo spread. The basic difference was that, instead of overdubbing and mixing 4 individual (mono) tracks from a 4-track recorder, the Decca recording engineers used a pair of 4-track machines to layer multiple 2-channel (stereo) recordings. This new concept with additional tracks permitted instruments to be heard more easily from any position within the stereo field.
To launch the 'Deramic Sound' concept Deram issued a series of six Easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
orchestral pop albums in October 1967. The albums all included the word Night in the title, i.e. Strings in the Night, Brass in the Night, etc. The label was soon moulded into a home for 'alternative' or 'progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
' artists. Among the first recordings in this series was the November 1967 album release Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by The Moody Blues, released in 1967. It was also their first album to feature Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who would play a very strong role in directing the band's sound in the decades to come...
by The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
.
Professional quality 8-track recorders began to appear in many British studios starting with Advision Studios
Advision Studios
- Origins :Founded in the 1960s by Guy Whetstone and Stephen Appleby, Advision originally provided voiceovers and jingles for television advertisements. The studio was initially located at 83 New Bond Street, but moved to 23 Gosfield Street in 1969. The studio complex was built to be able to house...
and Trident Studios
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
in 1968. These 8-track machines were far more flexible than the dual 4-track recorder setup. Since Decca engineers no longer had more tracks than other major studios the 'Deramic Sound' concept quickly became outdated and was dropped.
1969-1979
The roster later included British jazz and folk as well. Some of the more progressive jazz musicians of the late 1960s were released under the Deram imprint including Mike Gibbs, John SurmanJohn Surman
John Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music as a basis...
and Mike Westbrook
Mike Westbrook
Michael John David 'Mike' Westbrook is an English jazz pianist, composer, and writer of orchestrated jazz pieces.-Early work:Mike Westbrook grew up in Torquay...
. Deram albums bore a DML prefix for mono and an SML prefix for stereo releases. As with other UK Decca subsidiary labels, Deram's U.S. counterpart was distributed under the London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
arm. Decca positioned it against Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
(launched by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) and Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records today is a UK-based record label operated by Universal Music UK.-History:Vertigo Records was the name Philips Records chose in the late 1960s for its record sub-label to counter the progressive labels of its rivals EMI with Harvest Records and Decca Records with Deram...
(launched by Philips Records
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
), but it failed to compete long-term. An 'extra' progressive series with SDL prefixes did not improve the situation.
From the start, Decca placed pop records alongside progressive artists on Deram. Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
found early success on there before moving to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's first album appeared on the label. Three of Deram's earliest hits, Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
's "A Whiter Shade of Pale
A Whiter Shade of Pale
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967, and stayed there for six weeks. Without much promotion, it reached #5 on the US charts, as well...
", The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
's "Night of Fear" and "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" were not artists actually signed to Deram; they were part of a deal with Straight Ahead Productions, who moved their acts to EMI and had them released on the reintroduced Regal Zonophone imprint.
In 1969, Decca launched a true progressive label called Nova, which lasted less than a year. This caused further confusion as simultaneous releases on "Deram Nova" and "Decca Nova" appeared.
Decca released Justin Hayward (of Moody Blues fame)'s Songwriter (1977) and Night Flight (1980) vinyl albums on Deram. Deram was briefly revived in the early 1980s, when its roster included Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
, The Mo-dettes
The Mo-dettes
The Mo-dettes were an all-female punk band, formed in 1979 by Kate Korris, an original member of The Slits and brief member of The Raincoats, and Jane Crockford, former member of The Bank of Dresden.-Biography:...
and Splodgenessabounds
Splodgenessabounds
Splodgenessabounds are an English punk rock band formed in Keston, Bromley, South London. The band is associated with the Oi! and Punk Pathetique genres. Their frontman is Max Splodge.-Career:...
. Deram has also been used as a reissue imprint for the Decca/London catalogue.