Phantom Records

Phantom Records was an Australian record store and independent record label established in 1978 by Dare Jennings (later a co-founder of Mambo Graphics) and Jules R.B. Normington. Phantom Records was one of Australia's first significant indie labels, and the store was known for its guerilla marketing strategies.

Phantom Records
Founded1979
FounderDare Jennings and
Jules Normington
Genreindie rock, indie pop, post-punk, detroit, power-pop, surf
Country of originAustralia
LocationSydney, New South Wales

History

Phantom Records began on 17 October 1978 as a record store on Pitt Street in Sydney. The store was opened by Jennings in partnership with former White Light Records staffers Lee Taylor and John Foy. It began with ex-White Light stock and was fronted by a large window, emblazoned with 'Phantom Records - The Big Beat in the Heart of the Vinyl Jungle' (attaching itself to the Phantom comic theme).

In August 1974, Jules R. B. Normington was managing the import vinyl store Ripple Records (later known as Revolver Records), located in Angel Arcade, Sydney. Via his longterm relationship with some of the members of Australian punk band, Radio Birdman, Normington had become the band's first roadie and 'sound guy'. He later became their first manager.

Early in 1978, Normington left Revolver Records and joined up with Radio Birdman on the UK leg of their European tour, supporting the Flamin' Groovies. Soon after, Jennings joined the tour, and while travelling together at one stage, Jennings discussed opening his own record store, which he did upon his return to Australia. Because of his screen printing background, Foy was eventually redeployed in Jennings' T-shirt factory to allow space for new store staffer, Radio Birdman singer Rob Younger. Foy still worked in the store on weekends.

By early 1979, Normington was living in Los Angeles sending back stock for Jennings' new store to Australia. Normington's 'occupation' whilst living in L.A. (and San Francisco) was, quite simply, to hunt down 60's punk/psychedelic/garage/surf/mod/R&B/soul records and other vinyl rarities to send back to Sydney.

Jennings eventually entreated Normington to come back and manage the shop. He returned on 9 July 1979 and joined Jennings as a partner. They soon employed Steve Stavrakis (who later started Waterfront Records), and Normington turned Phantom into a mecca for record buyers. Phantom specialised in "punk, soul, surf, psychedelic, sixties garage and nothing else".

In late 1979, Normington and Jennings had the idea for the Phantom label when they realised they were surrounded by unsigned talent. Their girlfriends, Penny Ward and Julie Mostyn respectively, were both lead singers in bands. And post-Radio Birdman band The Visitors had an album's worth of material (recorded before their final gig in August 1979).

Meanwhile, Foy explored his screen printing skills with posters in the Phantom T-shirt factory after hours. He named his poster outfit Skull Printworks as an homage to his surroundings. Foy spent most of 1980 in the US, during which most of his connections with Phantom Records faded. Late in the year, he returned to Phantom T-shirts and continued with Skull Printworks, including producing posters for a number of Phantom Records releases. Foy eventually departed the Phantom empire to join Red Eye Records, where he established his own independent label of the same name.

On 30 April 1980, the first single on the Phantom label, "Face with No Name" by The Passengers was released. 7 days later, "Cool in the Tube" by Surfside 6 was released. Phantom Records went on to become an indie phenomenon, releasing the debut records of great Australian bands such as the Hoodoo Gurus, Sunnyboys, Flaming Hands, Stephen Cummings, Machinations, punk legends The Kelpies, and an early EP by The Cockroaches. These were followed by a succession of pivotal singles and EPs, and the label became as important as the shop in its exposure of new alternative music.

Aside from its music, Phantom was known for its record covers sporting exemplary artwork by local artists such as Libby Blainey, John Foy, Paul Worstead, and Gerard Rouen. Normington and Jennings had intended licensing similar music from international artists too, but only ever got as far as one single by Stiv Bators And The Dead Boys. All other releases on Phantom remained exclusively by Australian artists.

Although the shop's stock was primarily informed by Normington's taste, the label's signings reflected the personal taste of both he and Jennings who would only release a record if they decided (both of them) that they would personally buy it, if it already existed, per se. For several years, this creditable selection criteria led to one success after another. Phantom became an inspiration for other labels, such as Waterfront Records and Citadel Records, catering to the burgeoning local scene and attracting bands from interstate.

The label's momentum slowed in the mid 1980s. During this period, Jennings concentrated on his 100% Mambo clothing company as he phased himself out of Phantom, and Normington was concentrating on sourcing the broadest range of vinyl (and music magazines) in the aforementioned categories, from all over the world.

In 1987, Normington threw himself back into the Phantom label with renewed vigour, justified by the success of The Hummingbirds, The Sparklers, The Deadly Hume, The Mark of Cain, Even As We Speak and Vanilla Chainsaws. In the late 1980s, Normington decided to form a small new label called Messiah Complex. Initially devoted to releasing "crushing and fierce garage-punk and grunge 45's only", the label was headed by 'an evil megalomaniac' by the name of Dexter Baxter. Baxter, in said role, was sued by Waterfront Records management after unleashing remarks, defamatory to the Waterfront management (personally)...and likewise to many Australian major labels as well...in his very first press-release. By all reports, it was well-worded and a hilarious read. Messiah Complex released exclusive vinyl by Big Chief, Superchunk, Canberra's Stooges fanatics Mudrac, ferocious Texan grunge-merchants Sugar Shack, and NZ punks Casualty, plus a couple of CDs by Sydney punks Downtime.

After several years, and with Jennings opting out altogether, Sebastian Chase became a partner in Phantom Records. He had been a founding member of the major label offshoot rooArt Records, in the late eighties. In 1991, Chase had left rooArt after a split with partner Chris Murphy and approached Phantom. Normington knew of him as The Hummingbirds had moved from Phantom to rooArt several years earlier. They signed another wave of bands such as Def FX, and The Whitlams and had great success. They also formed a subsidiary label called Freakzone and released the first several releases by Parliament/Funkadelic-styled funk band SWOOP on that imprint.

Eventually, Phantom was divided into three companies. The shop, the record labels, and a music collectibles arm.

Normington increasingly focused on Phantom Collectibles. Every 3 or 4 months, he published auction catalogues under the title of "Plunder The Vaults", featuring around 3,000 hand-picked gems. Ultimately, Chase's goals for the Phantom companies diverged from Normington's, to the detriment of the label. The shop closed its doors in April 1998, just short of 20 years since it opened. In 1999, disenchanted with what the Phantom label had become under Chase's guidance, Normington formed Laughing Outlaw Records, pulling in writer Stuart Coupe as a partner and unleashing another slew of quality music. Normington left Phantom in 2000 to run his own music collectables business, also cutting his ties with Laughing Outlaw two years later.

Artists

Classic Period Phantom (Jennings and Normington)

Second Phase Phantom (Normington only)

Third Phase Phantom (Normington and Chase)

See also
  • List of record labels

References
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