Cube Records

Cube Records was an English independent record label launched on 26 May 1972 by David Platz, the founder of the music-publishing business Essex Music. It emerged from Platz's earlier experience in record production and licensing, particularly through Fly Records, the label he had established with label manager Malcolm Jones around 1970. Fly had achieved major commercial results with recordings associated with the Move, T. Rex and John Kongos, and with T. Rex's album Electric Warrior. When Marc Bolan departed to establish his own imprint and producer Tony Visconti left to form Good Earth Productions, Platz reorganized the operation around a new label identity. The new brand was presented as a broader, internationally oriented successor to Fly. Its launch publicity used the phrase “Essex puts Fly into Cube,” while its distinctive logo depicted a fly enclosed within a wire-frame cube. Although the new label retained the Fly catalogue-numbering prefix, only John Williams remained from the earlier Fly roster at the time of the relaunch. Cube operated from Essex Music's United Kingdom offices and drew on the parent publishing company's production, artist-development and licensing infrastructure. Cube's early releases demonstrated a varied rather than narrowly defined repertoire. The first singles included Rod Thomas's “Timothy Jones” and Harvey Andrews's “In The Darkness” backed with “Soldier.” Andrews's release was affected by an unofficial BBC restriction, while his album Writer of Songs brought together musicians including Ralph McTell, Cozy Powell, Danny Thompson, David Pegg and Rick Wakeman. The label also worked across folk, folk-rock, progressive rock, pop, soul and soundtrack-related material. Rodger Bain, known for his work with Black Sabbath and Budgie, produced an album by the JSD Band, and John Williams recorded The Height Below, a concept-oriented project produced by George Martin. The label's most significant early artist-development effort involved Joan Armatrading. Cube released her debut album, Whatever's for Us, in 1972, with most of its songs co-written with Pam Nestor and production by Gus Dudgeon. The album received critical appreciation but did not achieve the expected sales. The way the credits emphasized Armatrading while giving limited prominence to Nestor contributed to the pair's split and to Armatrading's departure from Cube for A&M Records. This episode illustrated the commercial and artist-relations risks facing an independent label attempting to establish new performers. Cube continued issuing albums and singles by Harvey Andrews, the JSD Band, Batti Mamzelle, Kestrel and John Williams, and it also used its catalogue activity to reissue or carry forward recordings associated with the former Fly operation. Its TOOFA campaign included releases by T. Rex and Procol Harum. Commercial successes were intermittent rather than sustained. Jimmy Helms's mid-1970s pop-soul single “Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse” and John Williams's recording of “Cavatina,” associated with The Deer Hunter, were among the label's better-known later successes. After roughly 80 singles and 30 albums, Cube underwent a further identity and organizational change. It briefly became Electric Cube, after which label manager Jeremy Thomas shelved the Cube imprint and established The Electric Record Company, whose Electric Records imprint became the outlet for new releases. Cube subsequently stopped producing a substantial new catalogue and concentrated on licensing its existing recordings to catalogue companies. The recordings later became part of Onward Music, operated by David Platz's son Simon Platz, bringing the catalogue back into the wider Essex/Fly publishing and rights-management orbit. Cube is therefore chiefly remembered as a short-lived but stylistically broad British independent label and as an important link between the Fly Records era and later catalogue exploitation through Electric and related companies.

Cube Records developed from David Platz's earlier activities in music publishing, record production and licensing. Platz had entered record production during the 1960s and had generated successful releases by licensing recordings to major labels, with many Essex-associated artists appearing through EMI's Regal Zonophone imprint. Around 1970 he formed Fly Records with Malcolm Jones. Fly became associated with commercially important releases by the Move, T. Rex and John Kongos, as well as T. Rex's breakthrough number-one album Electric Warrior. The circumstances of Cube's creation were closely tied to changes at Fly. By the middle of 1972, Marc Bolan had left to create his own label imprint, while producer Tony Visconti departed to establish Good Earth Productions. Platz responded by reorganizing the operation and introducing a new label identity. Cube Records was formally launched on 26 May 1972 from Essex Music's United Kingdom offices. The launch announcement described the change as Essex putting Fly into Cube. Its logo retained a visual connection to Fly by placing a fly inside a geometric cube. The label was presented as an international operation, although its base and principal infrastructure remained in Britain. Cube did not simply reproduce Fly's existing roster. The label retained the Fly catalogue-numbering prefix and John Williams, but otherwise pursued new artists and a wider stylistic range. Its earliest singles included Rod Thomas's “Timothy Jones” and Harvey Andrews's “In The Darkness”/“Soldier.” Andrews's release encountered an unofficial BBC ban, limiting its broadcast exposure. His Cube album Writer of Songs was produced by John Worth and featured a notable group of guest musicians, illustrating the label's ability to draw on the broader British studio and folk-rock community. Other early projects included an album by the JSD Band produced by Rodger Bain, whose production work included Black Sabbath and Budgie. Cube also issued material in the progressive, folk and rock fields, including releases by Batti Mamzelle and Kestrel. Legacy recordings associated with Fly's TOOFA series were brought into Cube's activity, and the label continued the TOOFA campaign with releases by T. Rex and Procol Harum. This catalogue strategy allowed Cube to combine artist development with exploitation of established repertoire. Joan Armatrading represented Cube's most ambitious new-artist project. Her debut album Whatever's for Us was released in 1972 and produced by Gus Dudgeon, who was known for his work with Elton John. Eleven of the album's songs were co-written by Pam Nestor. Although critics responded favorably, the record did not sell at the level Cube hoped. The crediting approach, which placed primary emphasis on Armatrading and gave less prominence to Nestor, contributed to the partnership's breakdown. Armatrading subsequently negotiated her release from Cube and moved to A&M Records. The episode became one of the label's most consequential artist-relations setbacks. Cube followed with releases by Harvey Andrews, the JSD Band, Batti Mamzelle and Kestrel, along with further John Williams projects. George Martin produced Williams's The Height Below, a concept-style album that also failed to achieve substantial sales. Cube did experience occasional commercial breakthroughs. Jimmy Helms's pop-soul single “Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse” became a notable mid-1970s success, and Williams's recording of “Cavatina,” later identified with The Deer Hunter, became another prominent release associated with the label. After issuing approximately 80 singles and 30 albums, Cube entered a reorganization phase. As British pub rock was helping establish conditions for punk, the label briefly adopted the name Electric Cube. Jeremy Thomas, then its label manager, shelved the Cube imprint and founded The Electric Record Company, using Electric Records for new releases. Cube consequently ceased to operate primarily as a producer of new recordings and shifted toward licensing its accumulated catalogue. The repertoire was subsequently handled by catalogue companies and ultimately incorporated into Onward Music, a business run by Simon Platz, David Platz's son. This brought the recordings back into the Platz family's broader music-rights structure and connected the catalogue to the earlier Essex and Fly legacy. Cube Records is now best understood as a defunct British independent label whose historical importance lies in its bridge between Fly's early-1970s success, a diverse wave of independent artist projects, and later catalogue licensing.

• 1972

  Cube Records launched

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  David Platz launched Cube Records on 26 May 1972 from the offices of Essex Music.

• 1972

  Joan Armatrading debut released

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Cube issued Whatever's for Us, Joan Armatrading's debut album, produced by Gus Dudgeon.

• 1972

  TOOFA catalogue activity continued

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Cube continued the legacy TOOFA release campaign with catalogue issues by T. Rex and Procol Harum.

• 1970

  Fly Records established

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  David Platz and Malcolm Jones formed Fly Records, the earlier label operation from which Cube Records later developed.

• 1970

  Cube-era organizational transition

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  After a period of issuing its own singles and albums, Cube briefly became Electric Cube before the Electric Record Company and Electric Records took over new-release activity.

• Catalogue incorporated into Onward Music

  [1]Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Cube recordings were eventually brought into Onward Music, operated by Simon Platz, after years of licensing and catalogue-company administration.

An independent British record label combining Essex Music's publishing and production resources with a broad roster spanning folk, folk-rock, progressive rock, pop, soul and soundtrack-oriented recordings. Cube was positioned at launch as a more internationally minded successor to Fly Records.

• Album · 1972

  Whatever's for Us

  Joan Armatrading's debut album, released by Cube in 1972 and produced by Gus Dudgeon. The project drew on songs written by Armatrading and Pam Nestor and received critical appreciation, but its sales performance did not meet the label's expectations. Its crediting and artist-relations history became an important episode in Cube's development.

• Album

  Writer of Songs

  Harvey Andrews's Cube album, produced by John Worth. The recording featured musicians from the British folk, rock and studio scenes, including Ralph McTell, Cozy Powell, Danny Thompson, David Pegg and Rick Wakeman, reflecting Cube's eclectic approach to artist repertoire.

• Concept album

  The Height Below

  A John Williams project released through Cube and produced by George Martin. It was conceived in a concept-oriented format but did not achieve large commercial sales, despite the profile of its producer and performer.

• Single

  Cavatina (Theme from The Deer Hunter)

  John Williams's recording of “Cavatina,” associated with the film The Deer Hunter, was one of Cube's more recognizable later successes and helped sustain the label's visibility beyond its earlier folk and rock releases.

• 1972Cube Records relaunch

  United Kingdom · International markets

  Essex Music presented Cube as the international successor to Fly Records after major Fly personnel and artists had departed. The launch used the “Essex puts Fly into Cube” message and a logo that visually incorporated a fly within a cube.

  Outcome. The new label established a distinct identity and continued selected Fly catalogue activity, but it did not reproduce Fly's earlier level of sustained commercial success.

  Source
• 1972Joan Armatrading debut promotion

  United Kingdom

  Cube mounted what was described as its largest promotional effort to that point around Joan Armatrading's debut album Whatever's for Us.

  Outcome. The album attracted critical favor but did not sell strongly enough, and Armatrading later left Cube for A&M.

  Source
• 1972TOOFA catalogue campaign

  United Kingdom

  Cube continued the release program for legacy recordings associated with Fly's TOOFA series, including catalogue issues by T. Rex and Procol Harum.

  Outcome. The campaign helped Cube monetize and preserve inherited repertoire while the label developed a new roster.

  Source

• 1972

  Replace the Fly identity with Cube RecordsStrategy

  Background

  Marc Bolan and producer Tony Visconti had left the Fly operation, requiring David Platz to reposition the label and develop a new roster.

  Action taken

  Platz launched Cube Records with new branding while retaining the Fly catalogue-numbering prefix and selected catalogue activity.

  Aftermath

  Cube became a broader, stylistically diverse independent label, but its commercial results were uneven.

  Source

• 1972

  Release Joan Armatrading's debut albumProduct launch

  Background

  Cube sought to build a major new artist around Joan Armatrading, with Gus Dudgeon producing and Pam Nestor contributing to the songwriting.

  Action taken

  The label released Whatever's for Us and mounted an extensive promotional campaign.

  Aftermath

  Critical reception was positive but sales were disappointing, and Armatrading ultimately moved to A&M after negotiating her departure.

  Source

• Shift from new production to catalogue licensingStrategy

  Background

  After issuing approximately 80 singles and 30 albums and experiencing only occasional hits, Cube faced the need to change its operating model.

  Action taken

  The imprint was briefly renamed Electric Cube, then new releases moved to Electric Records under The Electric Record Company. Cube's recordings were subsequently licensed to catalogue companies.

  Aftermath

  The Cube brand ceased to function as a substantial new-release label, while its repertoire continued through catalogue administration and later Onward Music.

  Source

1. 1Cube Recordsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cube Records discographydiscogs.com