AUSTRALIAN RECORD LABELS: AU GO GO RECORDS

Sunday, June 14, 2015

AU GO GO RECORDS

Au Go Go Records is the name of a Melbourne, Australia based independent record label. It was founded by Bruce Milne and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy in 1979 and is now operated by Greta Moon.

The label started releasing bands on the Melbourne punk and new wave scene. Its first release was in 1979 with the EP Overnightby Two Way Garden. The labels first 25 releases were the bands' debut recordings, and included some seminal Australian acts such as The Young Charlatans, Mungabeans, Marching Girls, Clint Small, Scapa Flow, Little Murders, the Zorros and Dorian Gray. Philip Morland left and Greta Moon joined in 1982.

In April 1989, the label released the debut single by the Candy Harlots, entitled Red Hot Rocket, with the initial 500 copies pressed on red vinyl and wrapped in a pair of women's lace knickers.

By 1994 the label started to increase its profile due to the local and overseas success of bands like The Moodists (featuring Dave Graney and Mick Turner of Dirty Three). Releases from this later period included the Scientists "Swampland" (which was actually the b-side of the single, with the a-side being "This Is My Happy Hour") and God's "My Pal", one of the label's most popular releases, as well as titles by Ollie Olsen's band NO, Harem Scarem, various compilations such as the Asleep At The Wheel collection of (mostly unsigned) Melbourne bands, and the well-received Hard To Beat, a double album tribute to the Stooges, featuring many Australian acts.

The label also branched out into international releases, issuing albums (under license) by overseas bands such as Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Dinosaur Junior and Big Black. Au Go Go was also instrumental in helping these bands tour Australia.

In 1987, with the success of the mail-order service, the record shop was started. The shop shifted to a smaller space in central Melbourne in June 2000, but closed in late 2003 after losing its lease.

Bruce Milne started an offshoot label, Giant Claw Records, in 1989, to issue 7" singles. He is currently involved in running Melbourne pub/rock venue the Tote, in Collingwood, as well as a new label, In-Fidelity Records.

Au-Go-Go continued throughout the '90's, issuing early releases from such Australian acts as Spiderbait, The Meanies and Magic Dirt, the latter becoming one of the label's top attractions. Magic Dirt left Au-Go-Go in 1999, and the label never fully recovered. Due to a lack of funds, many of Au-Go-Go's releases are now out of print and are fast becoming collector's items.