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Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records
Founded	1982
Founder	Keith Armstrong, Phil Mitchell, Paul Ludford
Genre	Various
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Location	Newcastle upon Tyne
Official website	http://www.kitchenwarerecords.com (defunct)

Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub.^[1]

1980s signings

One of the label's early signings were Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, whose single "Roll on Summertime" was voted as "single of the week" in Sounds.^[2] In the mid-1980s, Kitchenware arranged a deal with Roger Ames' London Records (at the time a semi-independent unit within the PolyGram group) for the group,^[3] who licensed them along with soulful pop trio the Kane Gang^[4] (both of whom appeared on the label's various artists collection Giant - 14 Brand New Tracks from London Artists in 1987). Around the same time, a deal was also made with CBS Records for the rights to the recordings of Prefab Sprout, an indie pop act fronted by Paddy McAloon. Prefab Sprout were signed to Kitchenware in 1983 and would go on to have a number of top 40 hits, once they allowed their Steely Dan influences to show through.^[5]^[6] These three acts would feature on a compilation album put out by EMI Records in 1999 called Happy Ever After - The Best of Kitchenware Records^[7] alongside lesser known acts such as Geoff Smith, Hug and Hurrah!.

21st century re-launch

In the early 2000s, Kitchenware was relaunched as a true 'indie' record label and signed bands such as Editors and the Motorettes. Editors were the most successful of Kitchenware's 21st century acts, having gained platinum status with their album The Back Room, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. The band's second album, An End Has a Start, brought the label its first UK number-one album upon its 25th anniversary in 2007,^[1] whilst third album In This Light and on This Evening also topped the chart. In This Light and on This Evening was to be Editors' last album with Kitchenware,^[8] as they signed direct to PIAS, the company which had the licence for the first three Editors album's European releases.

The company dissolved in 2017.

Artists

Martin Stephenson and the Daintees (licensed in the 1980s to London Records)
Hurrah!
The Fatima Mansions (licensed to Radioactive Records)
Cathal Coughlan (formally of Microdisney/The Fatima Mansions)
Kane Gang (licensed in the 1980s to London Records, now licensed to DMG's^[9] Gary Crowley's Lost 80's Presents... label)^[10]
Prefab Sprout (licensed to CBS Records (Columbia)/Sony Music)
Geoff Smith^[11]
The Motorettes
Sirens
Kid Coda
The Changes (licensed from Drama Club Records, Chicago, US)
Karima Francis
Waiting for Volkaerts
Kate Walsh
Hug (licensed to EMI)
Wushcatte
Editors
Smith & Burrows (Tom Smith from Editors/Andy Burrows from Razorlight)
The Linkmen

References

^ ^a ^b Thomson, Daniel (17 July 2007), "Keith celebrates with a No. 1 album", The Journal, p. 31
^ "MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES 'Salutation Road' 30th Anniversary". The100club.co.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^ "There Comes A Time" by Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Track 7, Side 1 of Giant - 14 Brand New Tracks From London Artists London Records 1987 catalogue number: LONLP 35
^ "Don't Look Any Further" by The Kane Gang, Track 4, Side 2 of Giant - 14 Brand New Tracks From London Artists London Records 1987 catalogue number: LONLP 35
^ "Going for a song". TheGuardian.com. 22 March 2000.
^ "Prefab Sprout". Soundonsound.com.
^ Happy Ever After - The Best Of Kitchenware Records, Kitchenware Records/EMI 1999 catalogue number: 724349882027
^ Lewis, Richard. "Editors - Interview". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
^ "Gary Crowley – Lost 80s 2". Demonmusicgroup.co.uk.
^ "The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang". Superdeluxeedition.com. 29 December 2021.
^ "Six Wings Of Bliss" by Geoff Smith, Track 12 on Happy Ever After - The Best Of Kitchenware Records, Kitchenware Records/EMI 1999 catalogue number: 724349882027