Rough Trade Records has announced a limited edition 7″ vinyl singles box set celebrating the label’s formative years. Find all the details below.
Set to arrive on June 20, the ‘Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1’ collection will feature tracks from the influential indie label’s early releases between 1978 and 1980. It’ll boast songs by the likes of Augustus Pablo, The Raincoats, Cabaret Voltaire and Swell Maps.
The eight classic 45s that make up the set have been recreated especially for this edition and were “handpicked by Rough Trade Records co-MDs, Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis – who were key players in the DIY nexus that formed around the first Rough Trade shop in the late 1970s”.
The accompanying sleeve notes will boast an “exclusive, revelatory in-depth interview” with Travis and Lee.
‘Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1’ is illustrated with exclusive archive photography sourced in collaboration with many of the era’s greatest photographers, and features new quotes from the artists themselves and notable fans.
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“There wasn’t much commercial thinking behind starting a label out of the first Rough Trade shop, not much planning,” Travis recalled of Rough Trade Records’ beginnings in a statement. “We were just doing things out of love really.”
Speaking about the memories that influenced the pair’s song selection, Lee explained: “I used to shop at Rough Trade before I joined the label and everyone knew it was the place to go to find interesting music.
“Geoff and I just sat down and the tracks just came to us like that! We’re celebrating 45-plus years of the label, and we could easily have picked 45 seven-inches. There have been so many good singles!”
A description reads: “Reflecting this passion behind its foundation, rather than a dry definitive history of the label’s early years, the box set represents a personal and musical history, as inspired by Rough Trade’s recent 45th anniversary, Geoff and Jeannette have selected tracks that represent moments of true creative spark from the time.”
Each copy of ‘Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1’ will be individually numbered, with the run being limited to just 1000 copies worldwide.
‘Volume 2’ is due for release on September 26, covering 1980-1993. This second installment will include music from Mazzy Star, Scritti Politti, Jonathan Richman, The Sundays and more. Full details will be confirmed soon.
In the meantime, you can pre-order ‘Volume 1’ here and see the full tracklist below.
‘Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1’ will include the following singles:
Augustus Pablo – ‘Pablo Meets Mr Bassie’
B-side: ‘Mr Bassie Special!
RT002 (1978)
Stiff Little Fingers – ‘Alternative Ulster’
B-side: ’78 Revolutions A Minute (78RPM)’
RT004 (1978)
Subway Sect – ‘Ambition’
B-side: ‘Different Story’
RT007 (1978)
Swell Maps – ‘Read About Seymour’
B-sides: ‘Ripped & Torn’ and ‘Black Velvet’
RT010 (1978)
The Raincoats – ‘Fairytale In The Supermarket’
B-sides: ‘In Love’ and ‘Adventures Close To Home’
RT013 (1979)
Cabaret Voltaire – ‘Nag Nag Nag’
B-side: ‘Is That Me (Finding Someone At The Door Again?)’
RT018 (1979)
The Pop Group – ‘We Are All Prostitutes’
B-side: ‘Amnesty International Report On British Army Torture Of Irish Prisoners’
RT023 (1979)
Young Marble Giants – Final Day
Second track on A-side: ‘Radio Silents’
B-side: ‘Cakewalking’
RT043 (1980)
In December 2024, it was announced that Pulp had signed a deal with Rough Trade Records amid whispers of a new album from the band coming in 2025.
The London-based label’s current roster also includes the likes of Amyl And The Sniffers, Sleaford Mods, Warpaint, Jockstrap, Lankum and Black Midi. Rough Trade has previously released music by classic indie acts like The Smiths, The Strokes and The Libertines.
In other news, Rough Trade is participating in a new recycling scheme for unplayable CDs and vinyl, along with other UK indie record shops.
Last summer, it was reported that Rough Trade was “assessing opportunities” to build more stores following a huge rise in vinyl and CD sales. This came after the company opened its largest UK store in Liverpool – also marking its first branch in the north of England.
