The Moody Blues's own label, based in Cobham, Surrey. Threshold started out in 1969. It was originally intended to be called Circle Records: 'Record Retailer' of the 10th of April broke the news that the band were planning their own label, of that name, which was to feature artists produced by them. According to the article a one-record deal for an album and single by King Crimson was being negotiated with MCA in America: Graeme Edge was quoted as saying that there had been hopes of placing the album with a British company but that it looked as though the American offer would be accepted. 'Billboard' of the 3rd May 1969 added that the Moody Blues were looking for American distribution for their new label, Circle, and were looking to sign artists to it; the first signing was expected to be British band King Crimson, who were recording an album. That signing must have fallen through - it is interesting to think that 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' might perhaps have come out on Circle instead of Island - and in addition the prospective label underwent a name change. 'RR' of the 11th of October 1969 reported that the new label, now called Threshold, was to be launched in the first week of November (it actually emerged on the 31st of October), and that it was to be a 'co-partnership' with Decca, the Moody Blues having 'total artistic control'.
After an initial burst of activity in 1969-70, with releases by Trapeze and Timon as well as by the Moody Blues themselves, there came something of a lull. 1971 saw just an album and single by the band, though Threshold diversified by opening a record shop in Cobham, Surrey - more shops were to follow. Under manager Gerry Hoff the record label got its second wind in 1972, and 'Music Week' of the 26th of August was able to announce the signing of three new artists from the UK (Nicky James, Sue Vickers, and the band Asgard) and one from the west coast of America (Providence). In the event, however, none of them were particularly successful and only James made more than one album for the company. By 1974 Threshold was basically acting as an outlet for side-projects by various members of the Moody Blues, though Nicky James was responsible for what turned out to be the final album ('Thunderthroat'; THS-19, 1976) and single ('Maggie' b/w 'Bottle Of Cheap Red Wine'; TH-25, 10/76) on the label in its first incarnation. 'Music Week' of the 23rd of April 1977 reported that, following Gerry Hoff's departure for the USA, the label was to be wound up as an active force. The more popular of its products would remain in the Decca catalogue, but future Moody Blues product would appear on one or other of the Decca 'in house' labels, as recent records by John Lodge and by Justin Hayward had already done - Lodge's had come out on Decca, and Hayward's on Deram. That wasn't altogether the end: Threshold was revived in the early '80s, albeit as nothing more than an outlet for the Moodies' own records, and it continued to perform that function, on and off, into the new millennium.
Singles were numbered in a TH-0 series, and there were two basic label designs in the '70s. The original white label (1) was taken up again after the 1972 restart, with a minor variation in the credits and in the placing of the date (2); it was replaced by a more eye-catching but not especially legible multicoloured design (3) with the release of TH-13 in January 1973. Demo copies were marked appropriately; they continued to have the white labels (5) until the release of TH-18 in July 1974. Manufacture and distribution were naturally by Decca in the '70s. When Polygram took over Decca in the early '80s Threshold and the other remaining Decca group marques went with it; singles from that period have injection moulded labels, in the usual Polygram style of the time. Some copies of 'Blue Guitar' b/w 'When You Wake Up' by Justin Hayward & John Lodge (TH-21; 9/75) can be found in injection moulded form (4) - presumably these were re-pressings made during the Polydor era. The discography below only covers the '70s.
Copyright 2006 Robert Lyons.