Embassy Records was a UK budget record label that produced cover versions of current hit songs, which were sold exclusively in Woolworths shops at a lower price than the original recordings. The original label was active between 1954 and 1965, after which it disappeared when its parent company, Oriole, was taken over by CBS Records.

History 1954–1965

Embassy Records was the result of a contractual arrangement between Oriole Records and Woolworths, with Embassy's product being sold exclusively through the latter's stores. The label's releases mostly consisted of double A-side singles that were cover versions of then-current or predicted UK Top 20 hits, Sometimes these musicians used their professional name when recording for Embassy, but very often they used pseudonyms. The recording sessions usually took place on a Thursday, so that the cover version discs could be rushed out into the stores by the following Monday to compete with the real thing. but unlike Embassy's releases, no artists were ever identified on the records.

The artists

The artist whose name appears on the greatest number of Embassy recordings is Paul Rich, a singer with the Lou Preager Orchestra, who recorded for Embassy between 1957 and 1965. However, the artist who actually recorded the most songs for Embassy was Ray Pilgrim.

Mike Redway, who had been a singer with the Oscar Rabin Band, recorded for Embassy under the pseudonym Redd Wayne, in addition to appearing on many of the Typhoons, Jaybirds and Starlings recordings for the label between 1962 and 1965. Ken Barrie, who later became the voice of Postman Pat, recorded for Embassy under the name of Les Carle. Maureen Evans went on to have a hit for Oriole with "Like I Do" and Barbara Kay was one of the members of the Carefrees, who released the novelty record "We Love You Beatles" in 1964. Barbara Kay, who was yet another singer who had previously been with the Oscar Rabin Band, was usually credited as Kay Barry on Embassy releases.

History 1973–1980

CBS Records revived the Embassy imprint in 1973, with the slogan "All the Best from Embassy", to release budget albums of out of print, unissued, or foreign material in the UK and Europe, which had originally been released by Columbia Records (or its subsidiaries). CBS Records once again discontinued the Embassy imprint and ceased issuing albums in the UK and Europe in 1980. However, there are known to be some Mexican Embassy releases from much later on in the 1980s.

Other uses of name

  • Embassy Records, a short-lived label that distributed recordings for the Warriors Dance record label during the 1990s
  • Embassy Records, an independent record label, based in New Orleans
  • Embassy Productions, a heavy metal record label from the 1990s
  • Avco Embassy, a record label that released records by the Chambers Brothers, the Stylistics and Henry Mancini (amongst others) in the 1960s and 1970s
  • Embassy 9 Records, a Canadian electronic independent record label, based out of Chilliwack, BC

See also

  • Conqueror Records, Sears store brand record label
  • Oriole Records (U.S.), McCrory's store brand record label
  • List of record labels

References

  • Embassy Records 1964 - 1965 tribute website
  • A discography of Embassy singles: 1954 - 1965