So, I’ll be upfront about where I ripped off got this idea for this mix. I was reading the San Francisco Chronicle (Essentially my hometown paper because I’ve tried reading the Contra Costa Times, but found myself going back to “The Chron” time and time again) and they had a pretty good article on a reunion concert featuring artists who were on the 415 label back in the day. Even though I consider myself a serious music junkie, I never obsessed over labels. If the song was good, that’s all that mattered to me — well, until I got older and realized what it meant to be on a certain label. For those who don’t know, 415 Records was the brainchild of Howie Klein (who’s now doing a lot of political writing), Butch Bridges, Chris Knab and, later, Queenie Taylor. The label promoted mostly new wave bands (though some punk bands were on the label, too), and they cranked up their little machine in 1978 to sign and promote bands that would (hopefully) revitalize the music scene in San Francisco — which it did. With the success of bands like Romeo Void, the label caught the interest of Columbia records and Bill Graham and 415 acts were able to carve out a niche whereby some new wave musicians living in the “City by the Bay,” could make records, get paying gigs, get airplay on radio stations , and with the interest of Bill Graham, be booked on tours with big selling acts. Oh, and maybe have a video or two in rotation on MTV. Best of all, the local bands didn’t even have to relocate to New York or L.A.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and 415 Records (after being in partnership with Columbia) ceased to exist in 1989. Boo! (more…)
