MAJOR OAK
A small
independent label, named after a famous old oak tree in Sherwood
Forest. Major Oak Records was based in Ockbrook, Derbyshire. To judge by the
few examples of its products that I have seen listed, it seems to
have had a leaning towards Folk music. The company issued at least two
seven-inch records, the two shown above: a Notts County FC supporters' song, 'The
Magpie Song' by Reg Cooper and others (MO-1; 1973) and an eponymous
EP by Focal Point (MO-2; 1973). LPs and EPs were numbered in the same MO-0
series, to begin with at least; the highest number - of five! - that I have seen
listed was MO-101, an LP by Tantalus, which came out
in 1977. MO-5, Stu Stevens's 'Command Performance' LP, came out in 1976, and I can't imagine
that Major Oak issued nearly a hundred records in a years, so presumably
MO-101 was the start of a new series. There was
also a Various Artists LP, 'Country Music Festival', featuring British Country
artists such as Brian Golbey and the The Hillsiders. The second scan
comes from an old ebay auction.
Copyright 2007 Robert Lyons.