Charisma Records (also known as The Famous Charisma Label) was a British record label founded in 1969 by former journalist Tony Stratton Smith. He had previously acted as manager for rock bands such as the Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator. Gail Colson was label manager and joint managing director. Besides the Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator, the label also released material by Robert John Godfrey, Lindisfarne and Alan Hull, Hawkwind, the Alan Parsons Project, Clifford T. Ward, String Driven Thing, Jack the Lad, Audience, Vivian Stanshall, Brand X, John Betjeman, Malcolm McLaren and Afraid of Mice.

Between 1980 and 1982, Charisma operated a subsidiary called Pre Records, who were devoted to new wave and reggae acts. Pre's roster included Scars, Prince Far I, Delta 5, Gregory Isaacs, the Monochrome Set and Congo Ashanti Roy, amongst others. Pre also licensed albums by the Residents and Tuxedomoon from the American label Ralph Records. In Europe, Pre's releases were issued on the Charisma label.

Collectable "pink scroll" label design

Charisma's first UK label was a distinctive magenta scroll design (though it is generally referred to in record collecting circles as "pink scroll") – magenta was the colour that Stratton Smith chose to represent the label, and this was reflected in his later horseracing colours, red for Manchester United, green for Brazil, and magenta for Charisma. Its second logo, used beginning in 1972, of John Tenniel's drawing of the Mad Hatter, sometimes combined with a montage of other images from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, made the label instantly recognizable.

Most Charisma artists were relatively unknown early on, so original pressings have become quite rare and sought after by collectors. The "pink scroll" label was first used in the UK from 1969 until mid-1972. This was replaced by the Mad Hatter label, designed by Paul Whitehead. In the US, the pink scroll labels were used in late 1973 and early 1974 on releases distributed by Buddah.

Notable releases

<!--Releases must have charted top 40 in the UK or US, or top 10 elsewhere, or received certifications, to be considered notable-->

Albums

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Artist !! Album !! Charts !! Certifications

|-

| 1969 || Van der Graaf Generator || The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other || UK #47 ||

|-

| 1970 || The Nice || style="background:burlywood;"| Five Bridges || UK #2 ||

|-

| 1970 || Lindisfarne || Nicely Out of Tune || UK #8 ||

|-

| 1971 || The Nice || style="background:burlywood;"| Elegy || UK #5 ||

|-

| 1971 || Lindisfarne || Fog on the Tyne || UK #1 ||

|-

| 1971 || Van der Graaf Generator || Pawn Hearts || ITA #1 ||

|-

| 1971 || Genesis || Nursery Cryme || UK #39 || FRA: Gold

|-

| 1972 || Lindisfarne || Dingly Dell || UK #5 ||

|-

| 1972 || Bo Hansson || Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings || UK #34, US #154 || AUS, UK: Gold

|-

| 1972 || Genesis || Foxtrot || UK #12 || FRA, UK: Gold

|-

| 1973 || Genesis || style="background:burlywood;"| Genesis Live || UK #9 ||

|-

| 1973 || Lindisfarne || style="background:burlywood;"| Lindisfarne Live || UK #25 ||

|-

| 1973 || Clifford T. Ward || Home Thoughts || UK #40 ||

|-

| 1973 || Alan Hull || Pipedream || UK #29 ||

|-

| 1973 || Genesis || Selling England by the Pound || UK #3 || FRA, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1974 || Genesis || The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway || UK #10 || FRA, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1975 || Steve Hackett || Voyage of the Acolyte || UK #26 || UK: Silver

|-

| 1976 || Genesis || A Trick of the Tail || UK #3, NLD #7, US #31 || FRA, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1976 || The Alan Parsons Project || Tales of Mystery and Imagination || US #38 || GER: Gold

|-

| 1976 || Hawkwind || Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music || UK #33 ||

|-

| 1976 || Genesis || Wind & Wuthering || UK #7, US #26 || FRA, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1977 || Peter Gabriel || Peter Gabriel || FRA #5, NOR #5, UK #7, SWE #8, GER #9, ITA #9, <br> NLD #9, US #38 || FRA, GER, UK: Gold

|-

| 1977 || Brand X || Moroccan Roll || UK #37 ||

|-

| 1977 || Hawkwind || Quark, Strangeness and Charm || UK #30 ||

|-

| 1977 || Genesis || style="background:burlywood;"| Seconds Out || UK #4 ||

|-

| 1978 || Genesis || ...And Then There Were Three... || GER #2, UK #3, NOR #7, NLD #8, US #14 || US: Platinum, FRA, GER, UK: Gold

|-

| 1978 || Steve Hackett || Please Don't Touch || UK #38 ||

|-

| 1978 || Peter Gabriel || Peter Gabriel || FRA #2, UK #10 ||

|-

| 1979 || Tony Banks || A Curious Feeling || UK #21 ||

|-

| 1979 || Steve Hackett || Spectral Mornings || UK #22

|-

| 1980 || Genesis || Duke || UK #1, GER #2, FRA #4, NOR #4, SWE #9, US #11 || UK, US: Platinum, FRA: Gold

|-

| 1980 || Peter Gabriel || Peter Gabriel || FRA #1, UK #1, NOR #5, CAN #7, SWE #8, US #22 || CAN: 2× Platinum, FRA, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1980 || Steve Hackett || Defector || UK #9 ||

|-

|1980

|The Residents

|The Commercial Album

|

|

|-

| 1981 || Steve Hackett || Cured || UK #15 ||

|-

| 1981 || Genesis || Abacab || UK #1, NOR #4, GER #6, NLD #6, US #7 || US: 2× Platinum, FRA, GER, UK: Gold

|-

| 1982 || Genesis || style="background:burlywood;"| Three Sides Live || UK #2, NLD #6, US #10 || US: Gold

|-

| 1982 || Peter Gabriel || Peter Gabriel || CAN #2, FRA #5, UK #6, SWE #10, US #28 || CAN: Platinum, UK, US: Gold

|-

| 1983 || Malcolm McLaren || Duck Rock<sup>2</sup> || UK #18 || UK: Silver

|-

| 1983 || Steve Hackett || Highly Strung || UK #16 ||

|-

| 1983 || Peter Gabriel || style="background:burlywood;"| Plays Live || UK #8 ||

|-

| 1983 || Genesis || Genesis<sup>1</sup> || GER #1, UK #1, AUT #2, NLD #2, NOR #2, SWI #2, <br> FRA #5 || UK: 2× Platinum, FRA, GER: Platinum

|-

| 1984 || Julian Lennon || Valotte || AUS #8, US #17, UK #20 || US: Platinum, UK: Silver

|-

| 1986 || Peter Gabriel || So<sup>3</sup> || CAN #1, NLD #1, NOR #1, NZ #1, UK #1, GER #2, <br> SWE #2, US #2 || US: 5× Platinum, UK: 3× Platinum, <br> GER, NLD: Platinum, FRA: Gold

|-

| 1986 || Genesis || Invisible Touch<sup>1</sup> || UK #1, GER #2, NLD #2, NOR #3, SWE #4, SWI #4, <br> AUT #5, FRA #8 || UK: 4× Platinum, FRA, GER: Platinum

|-

| 1986 || The World's Famous Supreme Team || Rappin || ||

|}

1: On Virgin Records in Australia, Atlantic Records in the US<br>

2: On Island Records in the US<br>

3: On Geffen Records in the US

{| class="wikitable"

|-

| style="background:burlywood;"| <small>live album</small>

|}

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Artist !! Single !! Charts !! Certification

|-

|1970

|Rare Bird

|"Sympathy"

|FRA #1, ITA #1, UK #27

|

|-

| 1971 || Lindisfarne || "Lady Eleanor" || UK #3 ||

|-

| 1971 || Lindisfarne || "Meet Me on the Corner" || UK #5 ||

|-

| 1973 || Clifford T. Ward || "Gaye" || UK #8 ||

|-

| 1974 || Genesis || "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" || UK #21 ||

|-

| 1977 || Peter Gabriel || "Solsbury Hill" || UK #13 ||

|-

| 1977 || Genesis || style="background:lightsalmon;"| Spot the Pigeon || UK #14 ||

|-

| 1978 || Genesis || "Follow You Follow Me"<sup>1</sup> || SWI #6, UK #7, GER #8 ||

|-

| 1980 || Peter Gabriel || "Games Without Frontiers" || UK #4, CAN #7 ||

|-

| 1980 || Genesis || "Turn It on Again" || UK #8 ||

|-

| 1980 || Peter Gabriel || "No Self Control" || UK #33 ||

|-

| 1980 || Peter Gabriel || "Biko" || UK #38 ||

|-

| 1981 || Genesis || "Abacab"<sup>1</sup> || NOR #8, UK #9 ||

|-

| 1981 || Genesis || "Keep It Dark" || UK #33 ||

|-

| 1982 || Genesis || style="background:lightsalmon;"| 3×3 || UK #10 ||

|-

| 1982 || Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team || "Buffalo Gals"<sup>1</sup> || SWI #9, UK #9 ||

|-

| 1983 || Malcolm McLaren and the Mclarenettes || "Soweto" || UK #32 ||

|-

| 1983 || Malcolm McLaren and the Ebonettes || "Double Dutch" || UK #3, IRE #7, NZ #10 ||

|-

| 1984 || Malcolm McLaren || "Madam Butterfly (Un bel di vedremo)" || IRE #10, UK #13 ||

|-

| 1985 || Julian Lennon || "Too Late for Goodbyes"<sup>1</sup> || IRE #5, UK #6 ||

|-

| 1985 || Julian Lennon || "Say You're Wrong" || US #21 ||

|-

| 1986 || Peter Gabriel || "Sledgehammer"<sup>2</sup> || IRE #3, UK #4, NLD #6, GER #7, ITA #8 ||

|-

| 1991 || Julian Lennon || "Saltwater"<sup>1</sup> || IRE #5, UK #6 ||

|}

1: On Atlantic Records in Canada, New Zealand and the US<br>

2: On Geffen Records in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US

{| class="wikitable"

|-

| style="background:lightsalmon;"| <small>EP</small>

|}

Compilation / sampler albums

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Album

|-

| rowspan="7" |1973

|Parlour Song Book – An Evening of Victorian Gems

|-

|Music from Free Creek

|-

|Lay Lady Lay

|-

|Charisma Festival

|-

|One More Chance

|-

|The Golden Age of Comedy

|-

|Charisma Disturbance

|-

| rowspan="2" |1974

|Charisma Keyboards

|-

|The Famous Charisma Label 5th Anniversary

|-

| rowspan="4" |1975

|Beyond an Empty Dream (Songs for a Modern Church)

|-

|Charisma Records October Releases

|-

|Charisma Records September Releases

|-

|Beyond an Empty Dream

|-

|1976

|Summit Meeting

|-

|1977

|Charisma Festival '77

|-

|1979

|Charisma Presentation

|-

| rowspan="4" |1980

|Masterpieces

|-

|Untitled

|-

|The Charisma Repeat Performance

|-

|Disco Promozionale

|-

| rowspan="2" |1981

|We Are Most Amused: The Very Best of British Comedy

|-

|Heat from the Street

|-

|1983

|Songs for a Modern Church '83

|-

|1984

|Hip Hop – The Original and Best

|}

See also

  • Lists of record labels

References

  • The Famous Charisma Discography – Book with foreword by Michael Palin
  • Collectors Website – Contains discography
  • Tony Stratton Smith and The Marquee Club
  • Colin Richardson was International Manager for Charisma between 1972 and 1976
  • Current Charisma label from Angel Music Group UK
  • Charisma Labelography