BRONZE
RECORDS
Independent label: Founded in 1971 by management/production magnate
Gerry Bron, Bronze pursued a policy of making long-term signings of artists who
were good at what they did. The company's records sold in large quantities
worldwide; they didn't do badly at home either, 38 of their 90 albums reaching
the charts. Their most prominent artists were Uriah Heep, Colosseum,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Motorhead; the latter two managed to enter the
singles chart regularly, as well as the album chart. Artistic
upheavals and increasing costs led to Bron selling the label and its back
catalogue to Castle Music in 1986. Distribution in the '70s was initially
by Island; Bronze singles shared that company's WIP-6000 nubering series until
1972, when they were given one of their own, BRO-0. The script at the
bottom of the label says 'Manufactured and distributed by Island Records
Limited', but pressing appears to have been done by EMI: Island didn't have
its own pressing plant. The link with Island was severed in the spring
of 1977 and was replaced with one with EMI: some minor
changes in the label design occurred at that point, including the disappearance
of the reference to Island's manufacturing and distribution. The '80s saw a
move to Polydor, and the appearance of one of that company's dull
injection-moulded labels. By 1985 the numbers had reached BRO-197.
Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info.
83 |
Uriah
Heep |
Gypsy / Easy
Livin' |
BRONZE |
HEEP |
1 |
85 |
Robin
George |
Dangerous
Music |
BRONZE |
ROBIN |
1 |