The Virgin label began with an eclectic and esoteric mix of left-field artists, including Mike Oldfield, Gong, Faust, Tangerine Dream and Henry Cow. Many of the resulting LPs are now considered to be important cultural reference points - is there anyone who hasn't heard of Tubular Bells? In 1977 Virgin signed the Sex Pistols. A horde of punk and new wave bands followed, such as XTC, Magazine, The Ruts and - as the Sex Pistols imploded - PIL. Following this, the iconic Front Line label was responsible for some of the best reggae ever heard, from artists such as U-Roy, Tapper Zukie, I-Roy, Keith Hudson, The Gladiators, Culture and the Twinkle Brothers. This book covers the 'classic' years and is an absolute must for anyone with half an ear open - let's face it, during the 1970s Virgin defined the nation's - if not the world's - musical taste. All known releases on Virgin and related labels are documented here - from Tubular Bells to numerous forgotten gems that deserve much greater recognition.

All the facts and informed opinion that you need on the artists who made the history of this decade are contained in this single volume, distilled from The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, universally acclaimed as the world's leading source of reference on rock and pop history.

The aim of this book is to provide a complete handbook of information and opinion about the history of the music of the 1970s. There are over 1000 entries on the bands, musicians, songwriters, producers and record labels of this decade, everyone who had any significant impact on the development of rock and pop music. From the stars who, unlike Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison, survived the sixties only to be dudded as dinosaurs, to the angry reactions of punk and the new wave and the sounds of glam rock and disco, this encylopaedia aims to answer any query about any aspect of seventies music. As well as the giants of the decade, such as Queen, Abba and Fleetwood Mac, the book also includes those artists who only flourished briefly.

Updated and expanded second edition of this Award Nominated book (nominated for the 2014 ARSC Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research). Strictly limited edition of 50 copies in green jacket design. B&C started life as a distribution company, which was set up as a sister company to Island. Island's early success led B&C's owner, Lee Gopthal, to start releasing records in his own right. However, B&C's main strategy was based on licensing records rather than signing artists in its own right and many of B&C's labels concentrated on singles and budget compilation albums - strategies that set the seeds of the company's own destruction. The end, when it came in 1975 was probably inevitable. Still, whilst B&C was about, some very good music got released, almost despite itself on occasion. This book includes comprehensive discographies covering the Action, Stable, B&C, Charisma, Pegasus, Peg, People, Mooncrest, Dragon, Sussex and Seven Sun labels.

The Mike Oldfield Chronology, Second Edition, is a comprehensive look at the recording and release history of the man who, for over 40 years, has created some of the world's most innovative and groundbreaking music. This Chronology covers every aspect of Mike Olfield's recording career, from his early days with his sister in the folk duo The Sallyangie, to his joining Kevin Ayers And The Whole World, through the recording of his albums and his numerous guest appearances. The information is presented date by date in chronological order, accompanied by detailed descriptions of each song version and non-album track, edit, remix, extended version and demo (some released and some unreleased). It also covers Mike's tours and live appearances.

From Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band to Zoom by ELO, this indispensable, innovatively designed book celebrates fifty years of British album charts, telling you everything you could possibly want to know about every album to reach the Top 100. With new feature material covering a huge range of areas, bands and history, it's an essential part of any serious music fan's collection.The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums covers everything, from the classics (Sgt Pepper, Nevermind, The Dark Side of the Moon) to the dodgy (Spiceworld, Seriously Orchestra) and the downright bizarre (Smurfs Go Pop!, Seventies Dinner Party).Where else are you going to find out that-Bridge over Troubled Water spent 307 weeks in the chartsPavarotti has topped the album charts - twiceLily Allen went triple-platinum in 2006 with Alright, StillOasis sold 356,000 copies of Be Here Now in one day aloneBoth Gary Glitter and Mariah Carey released an album called GlitterDonny Osmond has never made it to No. 1 in the album charts