The record label of George Martin's renowned A.I.R. - Associated Independent Recording - studios and production company. A.I.R. started up c.1966, but its record label underwent a long gestation. Initially it was happy to place its productions with other companies. EMI was the usual recipient, and the partnership enjoyed early Singles Chart successes with David & Jonathan and The Pipkins, but 'Record Retailer' of the 21st of February 1968 noted that a single by Glen Dale had been placed with Page One, and in 1969 a now-collectable single by the Bread & Beer Band (featuring a pre-fame Elton John) ended up on Decca. 'RR' of the 26th of September 1970 reported that A.I.R. was ready for stage three of its five year plan: it would launch its own label, 'probably next year', but only when it fell it had 'the artistic strength to make a strong market impact'. A possible 'Stage Four' was intended to consist of a venture into pressing and distribution, but it never happened. The following year 'RR' of the 19th of July revealed that A.I.R. had signed a production deal with EMI. The deal enabled A.I.R. to stipulate which of the EMI labels their productions appeared on: several came out on the Regal Zonophone label, with a small A.I.R. logo added (5). The 'RR' issue of the following week (26th July 1971) said that A.I.R. London intended to start its own label, 'possibly next year', under a new five-year contract. 1972 came and went without the new label appearing, however, as indeed did 1973 and 1974.
In November 1974 Chrysalis bought the studio; A.I.R.'s founders - Martin, Peter Sullivan and John Burgess - retained their current executive positions, and, yet again, there were plans to launch a new label, 'For top quality Pop', though no dates were given ('Music Week'; 2nd November 1974). Things began to take shape towards the end of 1975: 'MW' of the 22nd of November claimed that preparations for the long-awaited launch of A.I.R.'s label, 'Air', were under way, while that of the 13th of December said that Chrysalis were in the final stages of putting the label together - it would be used by Martin, Sullivan and Burgess 'to develop artists'. Despite the air of anticipation it was not until July of 1976 that the first record on the Air label emerged - 'MW' (24th July 1976) revealed that a couple of artists had been signed previous to that date but had left without any product materializing. When they at last appeared Air's singles shared a CHS-2000 catalogue series with those of its parent company.
Manufacture and distribution were naturally the same as for Chrysalis records: firstly through EMI / Island, secondly, after the middle of 1977, through Phonogram / Phonodisc, which resulted in injection-moulded labels (3). For the first release (1) the artist's name was at nine o'clock, but by the time of the third it had migrated to join the song title at the top of the label (2). During the EMI / Island period promotional copies were marked with a small 'A' (4). The company scored two Top Fifty hits in 1977-78, courtesy of David Dundas: 'Jeans On' (CHS-2094), and 'Another Funny Honeymoon' (CHS-2136). At least one EP appeared on the label of associated publishing company AIR-Edel (q.v.), but it was a promotional record for the Halifax Building Society and it wasn't meant to be sold. There seem to have been only a couple of Air releases in the '80s; for the sake of interest I've included them in the discography.
Copyright 2008 Robert Lyons.