One of the reasons i started this blog was not to just wax lyrical about old 45's from my youth, but to highlight some of the labels and acts who are keeping the once mighty format going in the age of the download. The 7" single fell quickly out of favour in the nineties, replaced by the cd single in its cheap and easily broken plastic case, often covered in stickers whose residue was hard to shift. Although it could hold more music and was easier to store, it always lacked the magic of the vinyl 7", and it was later replaced by the downloadable file, rendering the idea of a physical single largely obsolete. Thanks to changes in official chart rules the idea of a "single" itself is in danger, now that any song purchased or streamed online is eligible for chart entry. The revival of both interest and sales of the vinyl lp hasn't led to a similar revival for the 7" single, but it has never fully disappeared: enthusiasts have kept it going, albeit on a much smaller scale than in its heyday. Small independent labels have continued to release limited quantities, usually available by mail order only, and both high profile and underground artists have championed the format. Stores like Rough Trade and local independents occasionally stock them, although they aren't cheap these days usually costing upwards of a fiver. The popularity of Record Store Day has resulted in special limited edition releases, costing an arm and a leg but treasured by those who are lucky enough to get them. It's only recently that i've begun to buy new 7"s by current Mod bands whose popularity is limited to the Mod scene, something i've slowly found myself getting into these last few years. Detour Records and Heavy Soul Records are the two i've been looking at and started buying from, but there is also Well Suspect which originally had a limited run in the early 80's, having been started by the legendary Mod scene stalwart and Acid Jazz label owner Eddie Piller, and has now been resurrected by one of his former signings, Richard Searle of Corduroy. I've been discovering some of the artists on these labels through social media and friends, such as Birminghams' The Deep Six, who contain former members of 80's Mod scene bands Makin'Time and The Threads amongst their ranks. I've recently purchased their album on cd, plus two 7"s - It's Happening and Like Emily - which showcase their sixties-influenced music. Another new band who have popped up on my radar are Nottinghams' very own Subculture, a band very influenced by The Jam (no bad thing) who have put out one 7" on Heavy Soul this year, with another following in a few weeks.
There are many independent labels out there, releasing all manner of genres by artists whose music is unlikely to trouble the mainstream singles charts, but whose releases are snapped up by dedicated fans. With the price of a 7" single being four times as much as its online counterpart these releases are mostly limited to a few thousand and contain something unique in order to make it worth parting your hard earned cash for - songs unavailable elsewhere (or one-off versions of already existing material), split singles with different artists on each side, exclusive artwork, postcards etc. This isn't a million miles away from the eighties, when record labels would release multiple versions of a single to increase its chart success - coloured vinyl, picture discs, poster bags, different remixes, double groove, double pack , badges - although on a much larger scale than today. As i voyage into the world of the 45 i will write about these in more detail.
