Charisma Discography - Mark Jones

Description

The Famous Charisma Discography features painstakingly-researched discographies of all known UK releases from 1969 to 1987. Those who think that Charisma just meant Genesis are in for a shock. Genesis were there for pretty much the duration, true, but they shared the label with names both well-known and obscure. Amongst Charisma's artists were Van der Graaf Generator, Lindisfarne, Monty Python, Audience, Rare Bird, Barry Humphries, AFT, Brand X, Trevor Billmuss, Malcolm McLaren, The Ferrets, Clifford T. Ward, Charlie Drake, Sir John Betjeman, Michael Nyman, Prince Far I, Delta 5, Peter O’Sullivan, Gary Shearston, String Driven Thing, Bert Jansch, La La, Robert John Godfrey, Refugee, Patrick Moraz, Hawkwind, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, John Arlott, Pierre Cour, Trimmer and Jenkins, Jackson Heights, The Nice, Capability Brown, Joseph Eger, Gordon Turner, Peter Hammill, Bo Hansson, Spreadeagle, Atacama, Hot Thumbs O’Reilly, Vivian Stanshall, Gregory Isaacs and more.

To add further value the book presents the first-known listings of cassette and 8-track cartridge releases, as well as looking at the little-known Charisma Books and Charisma Films offshoots. The book includes a detailed history that discusses both Strat and the organisational set-up at Charisma, supported by memories from those who worked for the company alongside those of artists that made the label such a delight of eclecticism in an industry where confirmation of taste through providing bland, watered-down product is the norm. Charisma bucked this trend and in its heyday provided an intelligent and varied mix of the sublime and the (mostly deliberately) ridiculous for anyone who was willing to listen.

At a glance

• Forewords from Monty Python's Michael Palin and String Driven Thing's Chris Adams
• Listings of all known UK LPs and singles, all bar a handful with full track listings
• The original label design and release date for the majority of records
• The first published listings of cassette and 8-track releases
• The original recommended retail price for the majority of LPs and tapes
• An organisational history of Charisma, with contributions from those who were there

See inside

Have a look inside:

Contents page 1; Contents page 2

Example page 1; Example page 2; Example page 3; Example page 4

Press Release

If the example pages do not open in your browser (it works in most!), you can use the link in the window that opens to download the pages in pdf format.

Reviews

"Mind-boggling in its intricacy. Staggering assiduity." - Pete "Rock Family Trees" Frame