For the American label, see Argo Records

Argo Records was a record label founded in 1951 by Harley Usill (born c. 1925 - died 1991), and musicologist Cyril Clarke with £500 capital, initially as a company specialising in "British music played by British artists" (Day p93), but it quickly became a company primarily specialising in spoken word recordings and other esoteric (or commercially marginal) material. The first issue was Music from Bali, dedicated to the Indonesian Gamelan, recorded at the Winter Garden Theatre, London. The catalogue would eventually run to 1,000 items. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the... World music is, most generally, all the music in the world. ... Argo Records was started in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gamelan - Indonesian Embassy in Canberra A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings, and vocalists may also be included. ...

In 1953, Usill was introduced to the Indian music specialist Deban Bhattacharya, who would be responsible for field recordings of traditional music in India. Bhattacharya had been frustrated by the absence of recordings he could use for his BBC Radio broadcasts. Around the same time Walter Harris recorded an amateur Brazilian choir in Rio de Janeiro. Such recordings as these appeared in the labels "Living Traditions" series. Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Brazilian city. ...

Taking advantage of the capacity of the longer playing time of LP records Argo embarked on recording the complete works of William Shakespeare. Cambridge University's Marlowe Players participated in the series, which was the responsibility of George "Dadie" Rylands (1902-99), a fellow at King's College. Recording began in 1957 and was completed by 1964. Initially professional actors had been reluctant to work for the project, but in time Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Prunella Scales participated. "The Poet Speaks" series was the work of contemporary poets read by the poets themselves, and among those featured were Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and Anthony Thwaite. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... George Humphrey Wolferstan Rylands CH CBE (23 October 1902–16 January 1999), known as Dadie Rylands, was an English literary scholar and theatre director. ... Full name The King’s College of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Cambridge Motto Veritas et Utilitas Truth and usefulness Named after Henry VI Previous names - Established 1441 Sister College(s) New College, Oxford Provost Prof. ... Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA, (born 9 December 1934), usually known as Dame Judi Dench, is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Tony, three-time BAFTA, and six-time Laurence Olivier Award-winning English actress. ... Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE (IPA: ) (born 22 October 1938) is an English actor and director, knighted in 1994 for his services to the theatre. ... Prunella Scales CBE (born 22 June 1932) is an English actress best known for her role as the fearsome Sybil Fawlty in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. ... 1 Aspinall Street, Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, where Ted Hughes was born. ... Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. ... Anthony Simon Thwaite (born 1930) is a British poet and writer. ...

Robert Still: Quintet for Three Flutes, Violin and Cello. Argo Record sleeve design by Olga Lehmann

In 1954, the company recorded the Festival of Lessons and Carols (Christmas) service at King's College, Cambridge, whose acoustics had previously defeated the abilities of engineers at other companies. A series of the masses of Joseph Haydn, initially recorded at the same venue, commenced in 1960, although after the first release with the London Symphony Orchestra later recordings were made using the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under George Guest. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... // Dark Avenger costume design by Olga Lehmann, 1954. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Haydn” redirects here. ... The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... The Academy of St. ... George Guest (9 February 1924 - 20 November 2002) was organist and choirmaster of St Johns College, Cambridge, for four decades. ...

Cash flow problems in 1957 meant that the company only survived by being taken over by British Decca, although Usill remained in charge and the company was able to maintain autonomy from the parent company. Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ...

Notable recordings issued under the Argo label at this time included the premiere recording of Benjamin Britten's miracle play for children, Noye's Fludde (1961). Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... Mystery plays or miracle plays are one of the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... Noyes Fludde (Noahs Flood) is a late 16th century miracle play, first performed in Chester, and set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1957. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A series of actuality recordings of steam locomotives (then in the early stages of being phased out in the UK) was masterminded by the film sound recordist/mixer Peter Handford, selling up to 30-40,000 copies per year under the name Transacord.

Later, the repertoire soon diversified in to modern British Jazz, through the poetry and jazz movement of the early 1960s. This meant that recordings by pianist Michael Garrick, were particularly well represented. The radio ballads of Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger originally produced by BBC Radio (1957-70), were leased and issued by Argo from 1965. Michael Garrick (b. ... Ewan MacColl (1915- October 22, 1989) was a Scottish playwright, poet, actor, folk-singer, and record producer. ... Peggy Seeger (New York City, New York, June 17, 1935 -) is an American folk singer who also achieved renown in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years as the wife of songwriter Ewan MacColl. ... BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. ...

In the 1970s, Decca extended their children's audiobook series The Railway Stories on the Argo label, with six further books (3 LPs) narrated by William Rushton. The Railway Stories were a series of spoken word albums issued by the Decca record label in the early 1970s. ... William George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton (August 18, 1937–December 11, 1996) was a British cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer. ...

The label passed to PolyGram, when the conglomerate acquired British Decca in 1979. Usill left the company and went on to co-found ASV Records. Argo as an independent entity was finally wound up in 1988. PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... ASV Records is a record label in the United Kingdom. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

The label was relaunched in 1990 as an imprint of Decca, with a remit to focus on four specific areas: choral, organ, British and American classical music. Releases continued throughout the 1990s, modern American music growing ever more dominant. The last release in this incarnation was in 1998. Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... See also: 1998 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1998 Record labels established in 1998 // 1998 - The single Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls sets a new hot 100 airplay record, 18 weeks at number one. ...

The audio books (in cassette and CD form) continue in the Argo name but under a different logo.

The Argo catalogue is now controlled by Universal. Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ...

In June 2007, Decca began to reissue a selection of 60 classic, deleted Argo recordings as digital-only downloads and launched a new site at argo-records.com

References

• Timothy Day (2000) A Century of Recorded Music: Listening to Musical History, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-08442-0
• "His Master's Voice" - The Archive Hour, BBC Radio 4, February 19, 2005

See also

• List of record labels
• Olga Lehmann List of Argo Record sleeves.