POLYDOR POWER 1967-1974

Barry Winton celebrates sixty collectable gems (and a few clunkers) from the golden age of POLYDOR RECORDS

Like Decca, Polydor was surely one of the most eclectic major record labels of all, featuring every conceivable genre of music, from easy and cheesy through to Folk, Prog, Punk and beyond. Its extensive back catalogue was simply so vast, it was difficult to keep up with. This German company released its share of bargain bin-bound stiffs, but many of its records would send the committed collector off to see his bank manager for an overdraft, particularly for one-off 45s by the likes of VDGG, The Gods and Soft Machine. Don’t forget that it was the first major to record Tony Sheridan, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

Polydor also acted as the distribution source for legendary subsidiary offshoots like Dandelion, MGM, Reaction, Atlantic, ATCO, Elektra, Buddha, Verve, Marmalade and Blue Horizon. In 2009, Universal/Polydor is still very much in business, having issued the fascinating 3-CD box set Spirit Of Joy: Tales From The Polydor Underground 1967-1974, which, for its £15 asking price is, indispensable. It is named after an unsuccessful Kingdom Come single and includes material from spin-off labels.

In this overview, I concentrate unashamedly on Polydor releases only, and have selected some 70 releases from its heyday. With the Bee Gees and Slade slipped in among The Pink Fairies and Taste, this covers an era of vast musical styles; but remember, good …

by Barry Winton
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