A rather self-effacing label. Magnum was an outlet for recordings made by Magnum Studios, in Hyde, Cheshire, which seems to have been a custom recording concern. If catalogue numbers are anything to go by it was responsible for at least ten records in or around 1975, albums and singles alike sharing the same MAG-0000 numerical series. There may well have been more than those ten: it is the nature of custom pressings to be difficult to trace. The few examples of its products shown above don't had a label identification on them as such, though 0001 and 0002 had 'Recorded at Magnum Recording Studios' on them (1, 2, 3); the sleeve of the latter says that it is a product of Stag Music (q.v.), though that name doesn't appear on the record. MAG-0006 was issued on the Stag Music label with a credit to Magnum Studios (5). The other two labels shown at least have 'A Magnum Production' on them. Therapy's album, 'Bringing The House Down' (MAG-0009; 1975) mentions Magnum on the sleeve along with one Phil Hampson, who was presumably the studio's owner. The Surevision single, 'Season of '75' (MAG-0005; 1975) is slightly odd: a bit Proggy, with brass and with people singing 'Surevision, season of '75' over it - Darren Southworth has kindly written to say that it was a promotional record for a TV rental / repair company. The injection-moulded labels and the style of the matrix numbers on the run-off indicate that pressing was by Phonodisc. MAG-0000s can also be found on the B. L. E., Palace, Reward and Carousel (MAG prefix) labels (q.v. all); the one to look out for is Rockslide's single 'Jump Bump Boogaloo' on Reward, which is highly collectable. The few Magnums that I have managed to track down are listed below: the one in square brackets is an album.
Copyright 2008 Robert Lyons.