THE RUBENS ROOM/EL RECORDS/IN CAMERA

Description

Of all the independent record labels of the 1980s, El Records was the most singular and the most exciting. It only existed for a few years and yet, paradoxically, it had a huge influence. For writer Jonathan Coe, one of the label’s many devotees, it was “the great musical secret of Britain.” This “best of” LP compilation, curated by label supremo Mike Alway himself, will remind you of the world of El grandeur. It was created in 1984 by Alway, an A&R at Cherry Red, signing exceptional artists such as Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set and Felt. Alway briefly co-ran Blanco Y Negro, but was quickly constrained by the conservatism of the commercial music industry and left to create his own label. It was once described as “the most quintessentially English label that ever existed.” Alway’s hands-on approach consisted of taking total control of the label’s release philosophy and even the song titles, in the manner of pop impresarios of the past. Alway became a curator, selecting, shaping and overseeing the material released on El. He employed songwriters versed in classic pop techniques such as Nicholas Currie (AKA Momus) and Philippe Auclair (AKA Louis Philippe), who released their own records while writing, arranging and playing for other El artists. It had a unique musical flavor, avoiding rock for 1960s bubblegum, chamber pop, European chanson, Latin rhythms and film music (see in particular the work of Marden Hill). The label was decidedly un-macho and key artists such as Could Be Goods, Anthony Adverse and Bad Dream Fancy Dress examined the modern world through a female gaze. Alway saw it as a celebration of elegance and beauty: “a pop world beyond leather jackets and jeans.”