Not a label as such, but identifiable as an entity by the 'MEI' prefix of its records. M.E.I. - 'Music Enterprises International' - was responsible for a couple of football singles in the early '70s, one by Queens Park Rangers and one by Tottenham Hotspur. The labels described them as 'QPR Official Record' and 'Spurs Official Record' respectively, and I have them listed under 'QPR' and 'Spurs' elsewhere, but it seemed appropriate to put them together here in order to highlight the MEI connection. Both singles were written by Stephen Melzack and produced by Gary Lyons; the pair were also responsible for a third football record, 'The Luton Town Anthem' by Johnny Hackett & The Luton Town F.C., which was the 'B' side of Hackett's Fury Records single 'Raincoats On The River' (FY-304; 11/72), but there was no mention of M.E.I. on the label. Another Luton Town song written by Melzack, 'We Are Luton Town You Know', appeared a couple of years later, again as a 'B' side. The 'A' side on that occasion was 'Hatters, Hatters' by The Barron Knights & The Luton Town Squad (Tavern, STA-1007; 1974). Gary Lyons went on to enjoy a long and successful career as a producer and engineer.
Copyright 2023 Robert Lyons.