Rough Trade

Rough Trade was found and set up by Geoff Travis in 1978 who began travelling across North America adding to his already large record collection. The company is an independent record label. The main focus of the music industry is the audience which helps develop and progress the industries, for example rough trade records began targeting individual audiences which slowly and gradually developed into a wider audience.

By the end of 1979, a number of bands now commonly associated with Rough Trade had started to release records on the label, including Scritti Politti and The Raincoats. Rough Trade had grown far too large for its legendary tiny premises. The success of the label, which by then distributed product by many hundreds of independent record labels, meant that larger premises needed to be found and in December 1980, the label and distribution moved to Blenheim Crescent.

The signing of The Smiths in 1983 out Rough Trade into new territory. However in 1991 the success got too much and the record company and the rights to the Rough Trade name itself, were sold off in an attempt to cover Distribution’s debts. Despite bankrupcy RoughTrade soon got back on its feet and relaunched on 2000.

Some of the artists connected with Rough Trade are ;

Babyshambles

Duffy

The Libertines

The Raincoats

Scriiti Politti

The smiths