Swan Song Records

Swan Song Records was a record label that was launched by the English rock band Led Zeppelin on 10 May 1974; however, its first record releases were Silk Torpedo, by another English rock band, the Pretty Things, and the self-titled album, Bad Company. It was overseen by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels. The decision to launch the label came after Led Zeppelin's five-year contract with Atlantic Records expired at the end of 1973, although Atlantic ultimately distributed the label's product.
Artists that released material on the Swan Song label included Led Zeppelin itself, solo releases by Led Zeppelin band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Bad Company, Pretty Things, Dave Edmunds, Mirabai, Maggie Bell, Detective, and Sad Café. In addition to these artists, two other noted recording acts were credited artists on Swan Song singles, both of which were UK hits in 1981: BA Robertson sang a duet with Maggie Bell on the single "Hold Me", and Stray Cats backed Dave Edmunds on his 1981 single "The Race Is On".
Swan Song ceased active operations in 1983 and now exists only to reissue previously released material.

History

In January 1974, Led Zeppelin negotiated an agreement with Atlantic Records to set up Swan Song Records. The label was launched with parties in New York and Los Angeles. A lavish media party was also held at Chislehurst Caves in Kent on 31 October 1974, to celebrate the label's first UK release by the Pretty Things, Silk Torpedo. The company logo, designed by Hipgnosis and illustrated by Joe Petagno, was based on Evening also called The Fall of Day by painter William Rimmer.
By April 1975, Swan Song had four albums in the Billboard Top 200 chart. The recording label also partly funded film projects such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975. In an interview he gave in January of that year, Page offered his perspective on the label:
Two years later, he elaborated on Led Zeppelin's intention to found the label:
Artists who signed with the label but did not produce any releases included Metropolis, The Message, and Itchy Brother. Artists that Swan Song Records wanted to sign but who bowed out to other labels were Roy Harper and blues guitarist Bobby Parker. When Swan Song's offices were cleared out in 1983, early demos from Iron Maiden, Heart and Paul Young's band Q-Tips were among those found, unplayed and stored, on the shelves.
In the original cut of the 1974 film Phantom of the Paradise, the name of a media conglomerate owned by the antagonist Swan was "Swan Song Enterprises". The name had to be deleted from the film prior to release due to objections from Swan Song Records. Although most references were removed, "Swan Song" remains visible in several scenes.
Swan Song ceased operations in October 1983 due to the break-up of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant's health problems. An attempt to save the label by Atlantic Records executive Phil Carson proved fruitless. Robert Plant started his own label, Es Paranza Records, in the wake of the closure of Swan Song, while Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones returned to Atlantic Records. Bad Company moved over to both Atlantic and its subsidiary Atco when they resumed in the late 1980s. Today, the label is strictly used for reissues of albums that were released by the label when it was active except in 2012 the label was resurrected when Led Zeppelin released the live Celebration Day document of their 2007 one-off reunion concert.
The band was also working on a track titled Swan Song, with instrumental portions recorded during the Physical Graffiti sessions in 1974, with plans to add lyrics. The song was ultimately left off the album, but Page wanted to revisit it, and his 1980s band The Firm recorded a version of it called Midnight Moonlight. The original track was never released, but can be heard in various bootlegs.

Personnel

Peter Grant – President
Danny Goldberg – Vice-President
Abe Hoch – Vice-President
Led Zeppelin – Executive Producers
Phil Carson – Atlantic Records liaison
Alan Callan – Vice-President
Stevens H. Weiss – Attorney
Joan Hudson – Attorney
Mark London – Band security
John Bindon – Security
Mitchell Fox, Nancy Gurcsik – Assistants
Unity Maclean, Carole Brown, Cynthia Sach, Manique de Pinto, Sian Meredith – Assistants

Label discography

LPs

15 June 1974 – SS-8410 – Bad Company – Bad Company
1 November 1974 – SS-8411 – Silk Torpedo – Pretty Things
24 February 1975 – SS-2-200 – Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
April 1975 – SS-8412 – Suicide Sal – Maggie Bell
12 April 1975 – SS-8413 – Straight Shooter – Bad Company
December 1975 – SS-8414 – Savage Eye – Pretty Things
21 February 1976 – SS-8415 – Run with the Pack – Bad Company
31 March 1976 – SS-8416 – Presence – Led Zeppelin
28 September 1976 – SS-2-201 – The Song Remains the Same – Led Zeppelin
March 1977 – SS-8500 – Burnin' Sky – Bad Company
April 1977 – SS-8417 – Detective – Detective
April 1977 – SS-8418 – Get It – Dave Edmunds
April 1978 – SS-8504 – It Takes One to Know One – Detective
8 September 1978 – SS-8505 – Tracks on Wax 4 – Dave Edmunds
17 March 1979 – SS-8506 – Desolation Angels – Bad Company
5 July 1979 – SS-8507 – Repeat When Necessary – Dave Edmunds
15 August 1979 – SS-16002 – In Through the Out Door – Led Zeppelin
February 1981 – SS-8509 – Midnight Flyer – Midnight Flyer
20 April 1981 – SS-16034 – Twangin'... – Dave Edmunds
August 1981 – SS-16048 – Sad Café – Sad Café
November 1981 – SS-8510 – Best of Dave Edmunds – Dave Edmunds
February 1982 – SS-11002 – Rock 'n' Roll Party – Midnight Flyer
15 February 1982 – SS-8511 – Death Wish II – Jimmy Page
28 June 1982 – SS-8512 – Pictures at Eleven – Robert Plant
August 1982 – 90001 – Rough Diamonds – Bad Company
19 November 1982 – 90051 – Coda – Led Zeppelin
1983 – 90078 – Wildlife – Wildlife

Singles

Some of Swan Song's more notable singles include:

"Can't Get Enough/Little Miss Fortune" – Bad Company: SS-70015, SWS 70015
"Movin' On/Easy on My Soul" – Bad Company: SS-70101, SWS 70101
"Trampled Under Foot/Black Country Woman" – Led Zeppelin: SS-70102, DC-1, SSK 19 402, SS 19402, K 19402, 19 402, P-1361N, P-108N, 45-1205, SWS 70102, SNS 100
"Good Lovin' Gone Bad/Whiskey Bottle" – Bad Company: SS-70103, SWS 70103
"Wishing Well/Comin' On Strong" – Maggie Bell: SS-70105
"Feel Like Makin' Love/Wild Fire Woman" – Bad Company: SS-70106, SWS 70106
"Candy Store Rock/Royal Orleans" – Led Zeppelin: SS-70110, SSK 19 407, 45-1381, P-35N, SWS 70110
"Here Comes The Weekend/As Lovers Do" – Dave Edmunds: SSK 19408, SS 19 408, SS 19408, 19 408, 19408
"Burnin' Sky/Everything I Need" – Bad Company: SS 70112, SWS 70112
"Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy/Crazy Circles" – Bad Company: SS 70119, SSK 19416, SS 19 416, SS 19.416, W 19416, 19 416, 45-1835, N-S-20-1, P-382N, 200088
"A1 on the Juke Box/It's My Own Business" – Dave Edmunds: SSK 19417
"Gone, Gone, Gone/Take The Time" – Bad Company: SS 71000, P-453N
"Girls Talk" – Dave Edmunds: SS 71001, SSK 19418, SSK 19418 C, SS 19 418, SS 19.418, 45-1898
"Queen of Hearts/The Creature From The Black Lagoon" – Dave Edmunds: SSK 19419, SS 19 419, SS-19.419, DJ SS 71002
"Fool in the Rain/Hot Dog" – Led Zeppelin: SS 71003, SS 19 421, SS 19.421, PROMO 097, W 19421, 45-1925, P-530N
"Singing The Blues/Boys Talk" – Dave Edmunds: SSK 19422, SS 19422, 19 422
"All My Love" – Led Zeppelin : 11.105, DIF. 132
"Almost Saturday Night/You'll Never Get Me Up " – Dave Edmunds: SS 72000, SSK 19424, SS 19 424 /Carole's Theme" – Jimmy Page: P-1673
"Big Log/Far Post" – Robert Plant: 7-99844, P-1786, 79 98447

Promo discs

1978 – LAAS-002 – "Live from the Atlantic Studios" – Detective
1978 – PR-230 – "College Radio Presents Dave Edmunds" – Dave Edmunds
July 1982 – SAM-154 – "Pictures at Eleven – Interview with Alan Freeman" – Robert Plant