Rough Trade- 1980's

Two: The 1980's


How did contracts effect the development of Rough Trade?
Rough Trade's contracts consisted of  two clauses firstly until a reasonable disagree, promotional costs deducted. Secondly to share the cost equally a 50/50 deal between the record label and the artist. This meant that they were giving far too much room for the artists, as they were getting fairer opportunities yet they could leave whenever they liked. Meaning that the development of Rough Trade could seize if one of their important artists dropped out of the record deal.

What issues occurred between the record label and distribution?
The record label and the distribution company had arguments due to the fact that Independent was slowly becoming more popular and Rough Trade were signing more mainstream and successful bands. Distribution didn't like this and it meant too much pressure was now put on them. They couldn't handle the new load of records they would have to distribute.

What changes did this lead to within the business structure of Rough Trade?
Rough Trade had to find more funds to deal with these costs, as they couldn't pay for certain records such as Joy Division "unknown pleasures", Mute and Yazoo's records. They had to sell the record shop, they sold it to three of Rough Trades staff members. In 1982 they had to bring in a new account to put their money in to.

What has been Rough Trade's ideology and how was this effected by the change in structure? 
They unfortunately lost their old ideology of having a relaxed and chilled out area due to their loss of money and relations with distribution. They had to sell the record shop that they thought was needed to host all types of music. Everyone now had pressure of reaching their set targets it wasn't about having fun anymore. Geoff, the record label and the distribution could not work well together which meant that their lost their earlier ideologies of working together and being against the mainstream larger companies.

Which artists led to success for Rough Trade?
The smiths were Rough Trades became their biggest signed band in the 1980's. They were a perfect tie between the band and the record label, the had a great partnership. Which led Rough Trade to hiring London Records and got an expensive record campaign, as they knew to keep them and help them grow they would have to start spending serious amounts of money on them.

What music trend emerged at the end of the 1980's?
The indie music genre was becoming increasingly popular at the turn of the decade. It was about to become on of the biggest and most popular of music trends in the next decade.

What differences were there at this time between Rough Trade and other independent music labels?
Rough Trade was becoming more business orientated, unlike many other independent record labels, they were loosing their earlier ideologies. Having a board of 40 to 100 to make all of the decisions and had offices in Europe and America, they were about expanding which is what the larger companies did. They were trying to get their music out everywhere, negotiating about t-shirt's and various other merchandises. They were now apart of branding their artists instead of it being about the music which was the ethos many other independent labels were doing. They even handed over the label to a management trust, becoming a new bureaucratic and unruly label, hardly like the relaxing atmosphere at other independent labels.