Kitchenware rides the storms of 25 years in music industry

Jun 19 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

Newcastle’s Kitchenware Records has become one of the North East’s most famous creative businesses, signing a host of chart toppers including Lighthouse Family and Editors. Christopher Knox found out how it all began.

KITCHENWARE Records has been part of the region’s music scene for more than 25 years and has helped put Newcastle firmly on the map of pop music landmarks.

It has persuaded a number of the UK’s best-known artists to set up a base in the North East, as well as nurtured much of the region’s homegrown talent, such as Newcastle R&B girl group Sirens, who have just released their debut album.

However, the label wasn’t always so glamorous. It was originally set up in 1982 at the back of Newcastle’s HMV music store by a then 21-year-old Keith Armstrong while he was working there as manager.

The label was run by Armstrong along with friends Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell.

Armstrong says: “In the late 70s after the punk scene died down, nothing was happening. We wanted to give people something different.”

The three decided to take the advice of Leeds band Scritti Politti, who published a five-point plan of how to set up a record label on the back of one of their early singles.

“Unlike today there was very much a sense that you could do things yourself and with a very limited budget. Now everyone is too caught up with money and the fear of failure, whereas we had nothing to lose,” says Armstrong.

The label’s name was named after the Soul Kitchen club night that the friends hosted at the Mayfair Club in Newcastle, which attracted some of the period’s most cutting-edge bands including New Order.

“The name summed us up perfectly as each member had a number of different qualities and skills to offer,” Armstrong said. “During the early days, Soul Kitchen as a collective attracted everyone from musicians to graphic designers and we benefited from that mix when starting out.”

The group included film makers, fashion designers, poets and artists, and stamped everything with the Kitchenware brand, including the label’s first single The Sun Shines Here by Newcastle band Hurrah! in 1982.

The suede-clad foursome, who would go on to support U2 and become the first Western band to play in Iraq, would release several singles before signing to Arista Records for the release of their debut album Tell God I’m Here.

This became the standard Kitchenware practice – sign their acts to major record companies yet maintain the Kitchenware label and identity.

The label’s big break came when it signed County Durham-based pop outfit Prefab Sprout in 1983, with the group’s debut album Swoon reaching 22 in the UK charts shortly after. The label put out a series of successful records during the 80s, but it was a group outside the UK which gave Kitchenware its first number-one single.

A rocked-up version of Bryan Adams ballad (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, by Irish band the Fatima Mansions went straight to the top of the charts in 1992 as a charity double A-side to accompany the cover of MASH theme tune Suicide is Painless by the Manic Street Preachers.

Although the group would go on to have mixed success, Armstrong has more than a soft spot for the angry rockers. He said: “We have had a lot of great bands on the label, but the Mansions have got to be up there as my favourite.”

However, it was Newcastle soul group Lighthouse Family which really launched Kitchenware into the big time. After hearing demos, including future hit Ocean Drive, Polydor Records A&R director Colin Barlow signed the band to a six-month development deal during the mid-90s. But with more than an album worth of hits on their hands, the group were unable to get Polydor to commit to releasing an album.

It was only when they teamed up with songwriter Martin Brammer, formerly of Kitchenware band Kane Gang, that they were able to record their debut album with the Newcastle label, which went on to go platinum six times with sales of more than £1.8m.

Although Armstrong is the first to admit that the label was neglected for some time following the success of Lighthouse Family, it is now in a healthier shape after restructuring its finances and has bands like indie giants Editors and up-and-coming girl group Sirens to help secure its future.

“We have a number of new projects that we’re looking into and, although it is more difficult to run an independent label than it was back then as a result of illegal downloads, we will continue to do what we have been doing for 26 years.”