The Initial Record Company was based in Egbaston, Birmingham, and was owned and run by Karel Beer. Its first releases were reissues of three records, two LPs and an EP, by expatriate Birmingham band Bachdenkel. The EP, 'The Slightest Distance', was numbered IRC-000 and was given away free with the first album, 'Lemmings'. 'Lemmings' was originally released in 1970 (on the Philips label) in France, where the band had taken up residence. Back then, there had been plans for it to come out as a three-sided double-album, the fourth side being blank; did the EP contain material that had to be shelved when the projected three sides were reduced to two? Be that as it may, the Bachdenkel records are apparently much loved by fans of Progressive music. Initial issued another single, 'Fat City' by Irvin Mowrey, in 1979. Three more singles followed in 1981: 'Automatic' by 30 Seconds (IRC-002), 'Kiss A Lot Of Frogs' by Tired Of Living (IRC-003; 8/81), and 'Abusing Myself' by The Effects (IRC-004; 11/81). That seems to have been the lot. Thanks to Robert Bowes for the scans.
Copyright 2007 Robert Lyons.