Vertigo Records
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Vertigo Records was the name Philips Records chose in the sixties for its label to counter the progressive labels of its rivals EMI (with Harvest Records), Decca Records (with Deram Records) and RCA (with Neon Records). First releases on the Vertigo label were first (and very shortly) released on the Philips owned Fontana label like Manfred Mann's Chapter II and Juicy Lucy (also Rod Stewart's debut album for UK issue got #4 in Vertigo's catalogue, and the second Rod's album was released in Europe on Vertigo label) and switched to the new "progressive label". Collecting these original 'spiral' or 'swirl' Vertigo pressings is a very difficult task as sales of the majority of these releases were minimal. Sold in elaborate sleeves mostly designed by in house photographer Keef, here is a brief guide to the Vertigo releases: VO1 - VO7 were distributed by 'Philips records' and first pressings state this on the label. 6360 001 - 6360 041 had a slightly larger swirl on the B (tracklisting) side than; 6360 042 - 6360 083 which stated Vertigo just above the spindle hole with a smaller swirl label on the B-side. From 6360 087 onwards (no releases for 084 - 086) the famous Roger Dean designed swirl was replaced with the 'spaceship' label also designed by Roger Dean. These have proven to be far less collectable.
Some of the first artists to sign included Mike Absalom, Dr.Z, Catapilla, Cressida, Colosseum, Black Sabbath, Jade Warrior, Nirvana, Kraftwerk, Ben, Keith Tippett Group, Tudor Lodge and Magna Carta. After Philips Records was renamed to Phonogram Records, majors like Status Quo and Thin Lizzy joined Vertigo too. Now part of the Universal Music Group, Vertigo is a division of Mercury Records and distributes Status Quo, Metallica and Dire Straits. The label have also carried Rod Stewart, Gentle Giant, Paul Carrack, Modern English (Canada only), Def Leppard, Jon Bon Jovi, L.A. Guns, and Curt Smith.
Currently Vertigo operates as the "indie" arm of Mercury Records in the UK, featuring such acts as Razorlight, The Killers, The Rapture, Dirty Pretty Things(Carl Barât And Gary Powell Formerly of British rock band The Libertines), The Noisettes, Boy Kill Boy and The Envy Corps.
[edit] Trivia
Vertigo's famous op art "swirl logo" is visible in the record shop in Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange (1971).
