Topic Records
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Topic Records began as an offshoot of the UK Communist Party in 1939. They claim to be the oldest independent record label in the world.
In the 1950s Topic Records separated from the Communist party but those involved still had socialist credentials. Up to 1949 the composer Alan Bush was involved with choral and orchestral music released on the label. From 1950 Ewan MacColl became heavily involved. The earliest album of UK traditional music was "Street Songs and Fiddle Tunes of Ireland" by Margaret Barry and Michael Gorman in 1958 on the Topic label. Financially, the company was in a precarious state until 1963 when they had substantial sales for the compilation album "The Iron Muse". The label was very important in promoting folk artists such as A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, The Watersons and Shirley Collins. They issued many archival recordings of source singers. "The Voice of the People" was a 20-volume series sampling the earliest and greatest of Irish and UK folk singers.
The story of Topic Records is told in Michael Brocken's book "The British Folk Revival" (2003).
