Line #27 Creator/CharismaRecords


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charisma_2.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The "Mad Hatter" logo introduced in 1972.]]
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4	->''"Charisma captured the very essence of British eccentricity. A label with the pastoral strangeness of early Genesis, the folk-pop of Lindisfarne and the jazz-rock of Van der Graaf Generator alone would be enough to guarantee its status, but to add in Rare Bird, Monty Python, Sir John Betjeman and myriad others underlines its importance to the counterculture of the United Kingdom in the 1970s."''
5	-->--'''Daryl Easlea''', from this [[https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-labels-that-built-prog-charisma-records label history]]
6
7	Charisma Records (or as it called itself, "The Famous Charisma Label") was a British record label formed in 1969 by journalist and manager Tony Stratton-Smith. It's one of the most fondly remembered companies of the "hippie" era; its eclectic roster allowed it to compete with larger indies like Creator/{{Island\|Records}} and Creator/{{Chrysalis\|Records}}, as well as major label "underground" imprints like Creator/{{Deram\|Records}}, Creator/{{Harvest\|Records}} and Creator/{{Vertigo\|Records}}.
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9	Charisma is especially well-remembered for its two most popular acts, Music/{{Genesis\|Band}} and Creator/MontyPython, but they're just the beginning. The label was a major force in ProgressiveRock, releasing cult favorites such as Music/VanDerGraafGenerator, Music/{{Hawkwind}}, Rare Bird, Audience, The Nice and String Driven Thing. Its stable also included FolkRock (Lindisfarne) and [[SingerSongwriter Singer/Songwriters]] (Clifford T. Ward, Gary Shearston). Initially starting with a pink scroll label for their records, Charisma eventually switched to a design adapting John Tenniel's classic illustrations for ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'', which sees use in CD rereleases to this day. Charisma also had some sublabels, including Utility (which released Music/BillyBragg's early work) and Pre (a subsidiary for NewWaveMusic and {{Reggae}} acts).
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11	Charisma changed distributors multiple times over the years. Initially partnering with B&C Records, the label switched over to Phonogram in 1970, cutting deals with Buddha Records and Creator/AtlanticRecords shortly afterward for distribution outside of Europe. After the Atlantic deal expired, Charisma licensed acts out to a number of different labels in North America before making a new deal with Phonogram's parent company, [=PolyGram=], in 1976, which lasted until 1980. Charisma was finally acquired by Creator/VirginRecords in 1983, where it operated as Charisma/Virgin, then Virgin/Charisma, before finally being absorbed in 1986. The library would wind up being owned by Creator/{{EMI}} before being transferred back to Virgin when EMI got bought out by Creator/UniversalMusicGroup.
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13	The Charisma trademark has been revived twice. In TheNineties, Virgin created an InNameOnly version of the label with a new logo whose acts included Music/{{Enigma}}, Music/RightSaidFred, Music/{{Jellyfish}}, Music/KirstyMacColl, Music/TheAssociates, Maxi Priest, Loudon Wainwright III, .38 Special, and Music/TheKnack, among others; there was also a {{Blues}} subsidiary, Point Blank, which issued some of the last recordings by Music/JohnLeeHooker. Later, after Charisma was brought back again (complete with a return to the Mad Hatter logo) for Van der Graaf Generator's reunion album ''Present'' in 2005, EMI kept it around for a while and signed a few new acts, most notably Alphabeat and Music/AFineFrenzy.
14
15	!!Charisma performers with TV Tropes pages:
16
17	!!!The original label
18	[[index]]
19	* Music/TonyBanks
20	* Music/PeterGabriel[[note]]Since transferred to his own Real World Records after Charisma dissolved[[/note]]
21	* Music/{{Genesis\|Band}}
22	* Music/SteveHackett
23	* Music/{{Hawkwind}}
24	* Creator/MontyPython
25	* Music/TheAlanParsonsProject
26	* Music/TheResidents (German pressings of ''Music/TheCommercialAlbum'', which was on Pre in England)
27	* Music/SteeleyeSpan (The compilations ''Individually & Collectively'' and ''Almanack'')
28	* Music/VanDerGraafGenerator
29	* Music/RickWakeman
30	[[/index]]
31
32	!!!The revival labels
33	[[index]]
34	* Music/{{Alphabeat}}
35	* Music/TheAssociates
36	* Music/{{Enigma}}
37	* [[Creator/AlisonSudol A Fine Frenzy]]
38	* Music/JohnLeeHooker (through Point Blank)
39	* Music/{{Jellyfish}}
40	* Music/TheKnack
41	* Music/KirstyMacColl
42	* Music/RightSaidFred
43	[[/index]]

Context Creator / CharismaRecords