Immediate Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Andrew Loog Oldham, Tony Calder |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Fate | Closed due to financial troubles; catalogue now managed by Sanctuary Records (UK) and Charly Records (outside UK) |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States (briefly) |
Key people | Andrew Loog Oldham, Tony Calder |
| Products | Music recordings, albums, singles |
| Owner | Sanctuary Records (UK), Charly Records (outside UK) |
Immediate Records was a UK-based record label established in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham alongside Tony Calder, with a primary emphasis on the London blues and rhythm and blues movement.
History
Among the artists signed by Immediate Records were notable names such as Rod Stewart, P.P. Arnold, songwriter Paul Korda, Billy Nicholls, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Small Faces, The Nice, Fleetwood Mac, The Groundhogs, Chris Farlowe, Duncan Browne, and Humble Pie.
The label encountered financial troubles that resulted in its closure in 1970. This situation sparked disputes, particularly regarding unpaid royalties owed to Small Faces, who had delivered several successful tracks for Immediate between 1967 and 1969 but saw minimal earnings until legal proceedings secured payments from current license holders in the early 2000s.
Kenney Jones, drummer for Small Faces, claimed that a senior partner misappropriated company assets and income by transferring funds to overseas accounts. Additionally, songwriter Paul Korda asserted that he never received payment for his contributions to the label.
In the American market, Immediate initially collaborated with MGM Records to release three singles, followed by a short-term arrangement with United Artists Records that produced two singles under the Immediate name. A later deal with CBS allowed for the release of select Immediate singles and albums until disagreements emerged. Ultimately, Immediate ran a brief independent US label, issuing one single, Humble Pie’s first album, and The Nice's final album before the company was liquidated.
In 2008, Simon Spence published an extensive book on Immediate Records through Black Dog as part of their Labels Unlimited collection; an updated version was later released. Then in 2016, recorded music historian Mark Jones produced The Immediate Discography: The First 20 Years, collaborating with Barry Green, the official archive curator. This publication received the Association for Recorded Sound Collections’ Best Research in Recorded Rock Music award in 2017.
Presently, Sanctuary Records (a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management) manages the Immediate Records catalogue within the UK, while outside Britain, ownership and trademark rights belong to Charly Records.
Albums
| UK # | US # | Artist(s) | Album title |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMLP-001 | – | The McCoys | Hang on Sloopy (originally from US Bang) |
| IMLP-002 | – | Sam Cooke | The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke (includes gospel tracks) |
| IMLP-003 | – | Aranbee Pop Symphony Orchestra | Today's Pop Symphony (conducted by Keith Richards) |
| IMLP-004 | – | Mark Murphy | Who Can I Turn To |
| IMLP-005 | – | Chris Farlowe | 14 Things to Think About |
| IMLP-006 | – | Chris Farlowe | The Art of Chris Farlowe |
| IMLP-007 | – | Twice as Much | Own Up |
| IMLP-008 | Z12-52 002 | Small Faces | Small Faces (also known as There Are But Four Small Faces) |
| IMLP-009 | – | Billy Nicholls | Would You Believe |
| IMLP-010 | – | Chris Farlowe | The Best of Chris Farlowe Vol. 1 |
| IMLP-011 | – | P.P. Arnold | The First Lady of Immediate |
| IMLP-012 | Z12-52 008 | Small Faces | Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake |
| IMLP-013 | – | Twice as Much | That's All |
| IMLP-014 | Z12-52 006 | Various Artists | Blues Anytime Vol. 1 (reissued under various titles) |
| IMLP-015 | Z12-52 007 | Various Artists | Blues Anytime Vol. 2 (reissued under various titles) |
| IMLP-016 | Z12-52 004 | The Nice | The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack |
| IMLP-017 | Z12 52 016 | P.P. Arnold | Kafunta |
| IMLP-018 | Z12-52 012 | Duncan Browne | Give Me Take You |
| IMLP-019 | Z12-52 018 | Various Artists | Blues Anytime Vol. 3 (reissued under various titles) |
| IMLP-020 | Z12-52 020 | The Nice | Ars Longa Vita Brevis |
| IMLP-021 | – | Chris Farlowe | The Last Goodbye |
| IMLP-022 | – | Small Faces | In Memoriam (released only in Europe; not available in UK) |
| IMLP-023 | – | Amen Corner | National Welsh Coast Live Explosion Company |
| IMLP-024 | – | Various Artists | Blues Leftovers (Blues Anytime Vol. 4) |
| IMLP-025 | IMOCS-101 | Humble Pie | As Safe As Yesterday Is |
| IMLP-026 | Z12-52 022 & IMOCS-102 | The Nice | Nice |
| IMLP-027 | – | Humble Pie | Town and Country |
| IMLP-028 | – | Amen Corner | Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven |
| EPs |
|---|
| UK # | Artist(s) | EP title |
|---|
|- | IMEP-001 || Chris Farlowe || Farlowe in the Midnight Hour |- | IMEP-002 || The McCoys || Hits Vol. 1 |- | IMEP-003 || The McCoys || Hits Vol. 2 |- | IMEP-004 || Chris Farlowe || Hits |}
| Double-albums |
|---|
| UK # | Artist(s) | Album title |
|---|
|- | IMAL-01/02 || Small Faces || The Autumn Stone |- | IMAL-03/04 || Various Artists || Anthology of British Blues Volume 1 (reissue of Blues Anytime) |- | IMAL-05/06 || Various Artists || Anthology of British Blues Volume 2 (reissue of Blues Anytime) |}
| Sampler albums |
|---|
| UK # | Artist(s) | Album title |
|---|
|- | IMLYIN || Various Artists || Immediate Lets You In |- | IMLYIN-2 || Various Artists || Happy to Be a Part of the Industry of Human Happiness |}
Singles
... [table continues with similarly formatted entries]| UK # | US # | Artist(s) | Song title |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM-001 | – | The McCoys | "Hang on Sloopy" (originating from US Bang) b/w "I Can't Explain It" |
| IM-002 | – | The Fifth Avenue | "The Bells of Rhymney" b/w "Just Like Anyone Would Do" |
| IM-003 | – | Nico | "I'm Not Sayin'" b/w "The Last Mile" |
| IM-004 | – | Gregory Phillips | "Down in the Boondocks" b/w "That's the One" |
| IM-005 | – | The Masterminds | "She Belongs to Me" b/w "Taken My Love" |
| IM-006 | – | The Poets | "Call Again" b/w "Some Things I Can't Forget" |
| IM-007 | – | The Strangeloves | "Cara-Lin" (taken from US Bang) b/w "(Roll On) Mississippi" |
| IM-008 | – | Van Lenton | "Gotta Get Away" b/w "You Don't Care" |
| IM-009 | – | The Factotums | "In My Lonely Room" b/w "A Run in the Green and Tangerine Flaked Forest" (identical recording to flip side of IM-004) |
| IM-010 | – | The Golden Apples of the Sun | "The Monkey Time" b/w "Chocolate Rolls, Tea and Monopoly" |
| IM-011 | – | Barbara Lynn | "You Can't Buy My Love" (from US Tribe) b/w "That's What a Friend Will Do" |
| IM-012 | – | John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers | "I'm Your Witchdoctor" b/w "Telephone Blues" |
| IM-013 | – | Glyn Johns | "Mary Anne" b/w "Like Grains of Yellow Sand" |
| IM-014 | – | Mick Softley | "I'm So Confused" b/w "She's My Girl" |
| IM-015 | – | The Mockingbirds | "You Stole My Love" b/w "Skit Skat" |
| IM-016 | – | Chris Farlowe | "The Fool" b/w "Treat Her Good" |
| IM-017 | – | Joey Vine | "Down & Out" b/w "The Out of Towner" |
| IM-018 | – | Jimmy Tarbuck | "Someday" b/w "Wastin' Time" |
| IM-019 | – | The Variations | "The Man With All the Toys" b/w "She'll Know I'm Sorry" |
| IM-020 | – | Les Fleur de Lys | "Moondreams" b/w "Wait for Me" |
| IM-021 | – | The McCoys | "Fever" (originated from US Bang) b/w "Sorrow" |
| IM-022 | – | The Factotums | "You're So Good to Me" b/w "Can't Go Home Anymore My Love" |
| IM-023 | – | Chris Farlowe | "Think" b/w "Don't Just Look at Me" |
| IM-024 | – | The Poets | "Baby Don't You Do It" b/w "I'll Come Home" |
| IM-025 | – | Charles Dickens | "So Much in Love" b/w "Our Soul Brother TH" |
| IM-026 | – | Goldie | "Going Back" b/w "Headlines" |
| IM-027 | – | Tony Rivers and the Castaways | "Girl Don't Tell Me" b/w "The Girl From Salt Lake City" |
| IM-028 | – | The McCoys | "Don't Worry Mother, Your Son's Heart Is Pure" (from US Bang) b/w "Ko-Ko" |
| IM-029 | – | The McCoys | "Up and Down" (from US Bang) b/w "If You Tell a Lie" |
| IM-030 | – | (London Waits) | "Softly, Softly" (theme for BBC series Softly, Softly) b/w "Serenadio (Italian Serenade)" |
| IM-031 | – | The Turtles | (You Baby) b/w Wanderin' Kind |
| IM-032 | – | Les Fleur de Lys|"Circles" b/w So, Come On |
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- British record labels
- Record labels founded in 1965
- Record labels closed in 1970
- Blues music record labels
- Pop music record labels
- Rhythm and blues record labels
- Immediate Records albums
- Immediate Records artists
- Defunct record labels in the United Kingdom
- Record labels disestablished in 1970