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Propeller Records was an independent record label formed in Auckland, New Zealand, by Simon Grigg in 1980. ==1980-81== In the years prior to 1980 the New Zealand contemporary recording industry was largely moribund. The major record labels were either not recording or were confining themselves largely to middle of the road acts. The independent labels that existed either recorded Polynesian and Māori music or were offshoots of recording studios, releasing the odd record as a by product of down time in the studio. The thriving independent scene of the early seventies had largely wound down, and the large and vibrant live music scene was not being represented on vinyl. The only exception to this was WEA, under the guidance of Tim Murdoch, who had released a number of recordings including that of Toy Love, at that time, the biggest live act in New Zealand, and ''Ripper'', owned by ''Bryan Staff'', which had released a couple of singles and was about to issue the enormously influential AK79 collection, which documented the New Zealand punk scene of the late seventies. However Ripper was documenting a past scene rather than signing and releasing the raft of acts filling the pubs and halls around Auckland and the rest of the country. Grigg, with a history in the Auckland punk scene, and having recently returned from a sojourn in Australia, was inspired by the young indie scene in that country, by the rise of the British independent record labels (Stiff, Rough Trade, Small Wonder and the like) and WEA’s success with Toy Love, to form a record label. With a $400 loan from the girlfriend of a band member he released two singles in June 1980, distributing both himself by hand and mail. Both, by ''The Features'' and ''The Spelling Mistakes'', sold out their initial pressings immediately and entered the New Zealand singles chart, causing quite a stir. The next few months saw Propeller release a steady stream of singles, most of which charted. At the end of 1980, faced with the reality of self distribution, Grigg signed a deal to distribute in Australasia with Festival Records, a deal which gave Propeller the first NZ label to have its own label identity across the Tasman. The initial result of this deal was the ''Class of 81'' compilation, a collection of young acts from (mostly) Auckland, which defined the city’s scene over the next few years. Propeller signed three of these acts immediately, Blam Blam Blam, The Screaming Meemees, and ''The Newmatics''. The latter act were signed to a new offshoot label, Furtive, distributed via ''CBS'' and managed by ''Paul Rose'', whom Grigg had bought in as a partner. The following months saw releases by all these acts, plus, on Furtive, the debut release by ex-Toy Love members Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate, as The Tall Dwarfs. All charted and at one time in mid 1981 Propeller had 4 singles in the top 40, including the number one (with The Screaming Meemees’ ''See Me Go''). In July and August 1981 Propeller celebrated this success with a nationwide package tour featuring three of its acts, ''The Screaming Blamatic Roadshow'', which swept through Universities and cities to capacity houses everywhere, culminating with three sold out nights at Auckland’s ''Mainstreet Cabaret'', playing to some 30,000 people across the country. The label also signed a license deal with Melbourne’s ''Missing Link'' label to release in New Zealand, two albums by The Birthday Party. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Propeller Records」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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