Rough Trade Research (extra research)

• Experimental music became available to a mass market
• Rough Trade started as a record shop on the 20th of febuary in 1976.
• Geoff Travis founded the shop.
• When 'The Clash' became famous it showed there was an audience for alternative music.
• 'The Buzzcocks' showed that you could create alternative music records without being signed to a major record label.
• This showed anyone could make an album
• Rough Trade always took records - even 25 copies
• Richard Scott, in 1977, started a mail order service for indie distribution. 'Cartel' distribution network
• Rough Trade - post punk Record Label - 1977
• Rough Trade created a 50/50 contract system where, after distribution costs, the band and the Label get an equal amount, also the bands where'nt obligated to stay with the Label.
• 1978 - 'Stiff Little Fingers' (The No sell-out band signed to Rough Trade) sold out to a major record label and sold 100,000 copies of their first album.
• Alternative music became Main-stream Music.
• Between 1976 - 1980 there were 800 indie labels
• 'Scritti Politti' wanted to start having hits so switched to a major record label
• 'Aztec Camera' also left to sign to a major record label.
• Rough Trade had to close the shop because of financial difficulties
• Rough Trade signed 'The Smiths'
• Rough Trade went international
• 'The Smiths' tried signing to EMI but where still under a contract to Rough Trade
• After the termination of their contract 'The Smiths' signed to EMI but never gave them an album.
• 1980's independant labels owned 40% of the industry
• March 1991 Rough Trades assets went under and 2/3rds of the staff had ben 'axed'
• 1993 Rough Trade signed 'Pulp'
• 21st anniversary of Rough Trade, Geoff Travis re-opened the music label.
• Rough Trade signed 'The Libertines'
• Rough Trade signed 'Duffy'