Swan Song Records

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Swan Song Records
Founded 1974
Founder(s) Led Zeppelin
Peter Grant
Distributing label Atlantic Records
Genre(s) Rock
Country of origin UK

Swan Song Records was a record label launched by Led Zeppelin on May 10, 1974. It was managed by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels. The decision to launch the label came after Led Zeppelin's five year contract with Atlantic Records expired at the end of 1973. Atlantic Records ultimately distributed the label's product.

The company logo was based on Evening, Fall of Day (1869) by painter William Rimmer, featuring a picture of Icarus, although often it is misinterpreted as Apollo or Lucifer because of the original painting featuring Apollo.

A lavish media party was held at Chislehurst Caves in Kent, England on October 31, 1974, to celebrate the label’s first UK release by the Pretty Things, Silk Torpedo(the first US release for Swan Song was the self-titled debut album from Bad Company in June of 1974). By March 1975, Swan Song had four albums (Bad Company, Silk Torpedo, Physical Graffiti, and Suicide Sal) in the Billboard Top 200 chart. The recording label also partly funded film projects such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975.

Artists who signed with the label but did not produce any releases included New York singer-songwriter Mirabai, Metropolis (which featured members from the Pretty Things), The Message (which featured future Bon Jovi members Alec John Such and Richie Sambora), and Itchy Brother (which featured future members of The Kentucky Headhunters.) Artists that Swan Song Records wanted to sign but bowed out to other labels were Roy Harper and blues guitarist Bobby Parker. When Swan Song's offices were cleared out in 1983, early demos from Iron Maiden and Paul Young's band Q-Tips were among those found, unplayed and ignored, on the shelves.

Swan Song ceased operations in October 1983 due to the break-up of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant’s health problems. A rescue attempt to save the label by Atlantic Records executive Phil Carson proved fruitless. Robert Plant started his own label, Es Paranza Records, in the wake of the closure of Swan Song, while Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones returned to Atlantic Records. Bad Company moved over to Atco Records when they resumed in the late 1980s. Today, the label is strictly used for reissues of all the albums that were released by the label when it was active.

  • UK Address: 484 Kings Road, London, SW10 UK
  • US Address: 444 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10022 U.S.A.

[edit] Personnel

  • Peter Grant – President
  • Danny Goldberg – Vice-president (US) - (1974-1976)
  • Abe Hock – Vice-president (UK) – (1974-1976)
  • Phil Carson – Atlantic Records liaison
  • Alan Callan – Vice-president – (1977-1983)
  • Steve Weiss – Attorney (US)
  • Joan Hudson – Attorney (UK)
  • Mark London – Band security
  • Mitchell Fox, Nancy Gurskik – Assistants (US)
  • Carole Brown, Unity Maclean, Sian Meredith – Assistants (UK)

[edit] Label discography

[edit] See also


 v • d • e Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page • Robert Plant • John Paul Jones • John Bonham

Studio albums: Led Zeppelin • Led Zeppelin II • Led Zeppelin III • Led Zeppelin IV (Led Zeppelin IV) • Houses of the Holy • Physical Graffiti • Presence • In Through the Out Door

Live albums: The Song Remains the Same • BBC Sessions • How the West Was Won

Compilations: Box Set • Profiled • Remasters • Box Set 2 • Complete Studio Recordings • Early Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One • Latter Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume Two • Coda

The Song Remains the Same • Led Zeppelin DVD

Peter Grant • Richard Cole • Swan Song Records • The Yardbirds • XYZ • The Firm • Page and Plant • Strange Sensation • Bootlegs • Concerts • Songs
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