A small independent label. 'Music Week' of the 1st of June 1974 gave the man behind Charlie's Stable as being retired Yorkshire businessman Steve 'Charlie Boy' Chaffey, whom it says was previously responsible for promoting the Rolls Royce Corniche in the U.K. According to the article he had developed a strong interest in the music business since his retirement; he is quoted as saying "I want to build up a good stable of the best entertainers around. Good singers are like racehorses - they never let you down if they're properly handled." The article said that he approached Garfield Demango (Claude Powell) with a label deal after seeing him on 'Opportunity Knocks', and that he was responsible for writing Demango's single 'Mary' (CST-2; 12/73), so presumably he is the 'C. Stable' whom the records credit. Demango was a success on 'Opportunity Knocks', but although there are a few copies of 'Mary' going around he doesn't appear to have made any more records. There had already been one other Charlie's Stable release, 'Bridal Waltz' by Anne Beverley (CS-001; 11/73), another 'C. Stable' composition. For some reason the numerical series changed from CS-000 to CST-0 in the short period between the release of the two records. A slightly later 'Music Week' (15th of June 1974) reported that Gerry Oord was a director of the company and that the label was being handled by the Henry Hadaway Organisation, but sadly there don't seem to have been any more Charlie's Stable records. According to 'Music Master' both of its singles were handled by President and distributed by Enterprise, but the labels themselves say that distribution was by EMI, confirming the information in the first 'Music Week' article. The style of the matrix numbers indicates EMI pressings. As can be seen, there was a slight variation in the positioning of the title credits - dinking would have removed the Anne Beverly titles altogether, which perhaps prompted a rethink. Both records can be filed under 'MOR Vocal'; a fact which may or may not be reflected in the label design, which is reminiscent of teeth and - the 'CS' in the middle - tonsils. Fiachra Trench, the arranger on all four sides, went on to bigger (and better?) things, including working as an arranger with the Corrs. The labels tell us that Charlie's Stable records were 'Produced and recorded by A. J. Waldron at West of England Sound, Torquay'. For other West of England Sound products see Ra, Devon Country Club, Double H, and West of England Sound.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.