Heavenly Recordings

Heavenly Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Jeff Barrett.

Launched in 1990, it has discovered and released artists including Manic Street Preachers, Saint Etienne, Beth Orton, Doves and Temples. Achievements include a Mercury Music Prize nomination for Saint Etienne’s debut album ‘Foxbase Alpha’ and two consecutive Number 1 albums with Doves.

Heavenly Recordings has previously been part of EMI and Sony but as of 2015 remains fully independent again. Alongside the likes of Factory, Creation, Rough Trade and Domino it is considered one of the key British indie record labels.

It is currently home to artists including Temples, TOY, Stealing Sheep, The Wytches, Eaves, Kid Wave, H. Hawkline, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Gwenno Saunders, Jimi Goodwin, DRINKS, The Voyeurs (formerly Charlie Boyer and The Voyeurs), Hooton Tennis Club, Fever The Ghost, Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood

History

Early years

In the early 1980s Jeff Barrett worked as singles buyer for a record shop in Plymouth, where he bought independent releases from record shop / supplier Revolver in Bristol. After selling more records than any other customer in the south-west of England he was offered the position of manager of Revolver by owner Mike Chadwick. The shop enjoyed close ties with the emerging reggae, post-punk and trip-hop scenes of Bristol, as documented in the 2015 book Original Rockers by Richard King.