Do you remember Embassy Records at Woolworth asks Gerry Powell?

supplied by Gerry Powell

Julie Findlay-jones… We had quite a few of them.

David Edwards… They were the sound alikey records, today’s hit songs covered by other than the original artists and sold cheaper. I believe Elton John sang on some of them but don’t know who he covered

Chris Jolly… This sounds like the music they played whilst you ate at Pizzaland…

Gerry Powell… These were my introduction to vinyl when very young and bought by my dad when we first had a Ferguson record player. The 45’s cost 4/6 (that’s 4 shillings & 6 pence for those too young to know). That was half the price of the chart single.

John Scaife… Still got a few

Pete Brazier… Think I’ve still got one somewhere! Julie Andrew’s and Johnny Mathis singing songs from West Side Story! Before they became famous in their own right

Will Cornell… In honor of the centennial, I think more “Roaring 20s” records are in order, hot-cha-cha-cha-cha! Those tunes were the cats pajamas.

Barry French… I have one Embassy single featuring “The Typhoons”
Side 1 – Glad All Over Side 2- Money. Record dates from 1963.
Both tracks are pretty good covers of the Dave Clark Five & Beatles singles.

Neil Partrick.. They released a pretty wide range of stuff at cheap prices. My personal favourite (bought second hand in Eastbourne circa 1984, not at Woolies) is Supersession (Kooper/Bloomfield/Stills et al)…… a total corker.

David Edwards… out of the blue that one!

Chris Jolly… Great record!

Mick O’Dowd… Posted this before but this from the Daily Mail might help with some queries.

Pete Fisher… Embassy (1954-1965) seems to have been the forerunner of the Top Of The Pops and Hot Hits compilations…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_Records

Pete Fairless… I’ve been on YouTube and listened to quite a few of these and they’re pretty good.  However, while I get the idea of a covers compilation, a la TOTP, I struggle with the idea of cover singles – were singles expensive, were these a lot cheaper?  Can any of you old folks explain?

Pete Fisher… I got curious about Woolworth’s Embassy label, and found out they had a kind of house band from 1963 to 1965 (when the label folded) who went under the name The Typhoons, and covered a lot of the beat groups, predominantly The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Quite a few videos at youtube – here’s one…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyeCjNh7Xm4

Neil Partrick… Really interesting research. I hadn’t realised about The Typhoons as a kind of Embassy Records’ house band. Nor had I realised that Embassy Records was owned (?) by Woolworth’s (if I understand the above correctly).

Paul Huggett… Yep Woollies were the exclusive outlet ( not sure if they actually owned Embassy though). I had a few of their 45s bought from the Rye shop as a kid. Mainly instrumentals by the Bud Ashton group.

Neil Partrick… Amazing, I just walked into a charity shop in Hailsham and picked up a copy of an Embassy Records single: The Typhoons’ version of Come On on the A side, and sometime band member Mike Redway performing a song on the B side.

Stuart Ralls… Embassy records were owned and produced by Oriole records at their Bond Street studios. A deal to produce covers and other genres was signed with Woolworths in 1954 and ran until 1964 when CBS took Oriole over with the demise of Embassy coming a year later. Embassy recordings were sold to variety of labels worldwide some becoming regional hits in their own right.

Judy Atkinson… I’ve got a few singles in this sleeve

Jenny Power… I’ve also still got a few singles in these sleeves

Stuart Ralls… The later Embassy label name which CBS inherited after the takeover of Oriole records had nothing to do with Woolworths becoming an album label for mainstream artist re-releases from the CBS back catalogue. CBS did for a while release some of their old material on a new short lived Woolworths label Senator

 

4 thoughts on “Do you remember Embassy Records at Woolworth asks Gerry Powell?”

  1. I have one Embassy single featuring “The Typhoons”
    Side 1 – Glad All Over
    Side 2- Money

    Record dates from 1963.
    Both tracks are pretty good covers of the Dave Clark Five & Beatles singles.

    Reply
  2. Really interesting research. I hadn’t realised about The Typhoons as a kind of Embassy Records’ house band. Nor had I realised that Embassy Records was owned (?) by Woolworth’s (if I understand the above correctly).

    Reply
  3. Embassy records were owned and produced by Oriole records at their Bond Street studios. A deal to produce covers and other genres was signed with Woolworths in 1954 and ran until 1964 when CBS took Oriole over with the demise of Embassy coming a year later. Embassy recordings were sold to variety of labels worldwide some becoming regional hits in their own right.

    Reply
  4. The later Embassy label name which CBS inherited after the takeover of Oriole records had nothing to do with Woolworths becoming an album label for mainstream artist re-releases from the CBS back catalogue. CBS did for a while release some of their old material on a new short lived Woolworths label Senator

    Reply

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