Direction Records
Sub-brand
UnclaimedBritish subsidiary record label established by CBS Records to release soul and R&B music in the United Kingdom.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Direction Records was a British subsidiary label created by CBS Records in spring 1967. Its principal function was to bring American soul and rhythm-and-blues recordings to the United Kingdom, giving CBS a dedicated imprint for music that was commercially and culturally distinct from its broader pop catalogue. The label also operated beyond a strictly American repertoire: it released recordings by British performers, including Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, and by Jamaican artists. The imprint became particularly visible during 1968. Releases by Sly & the Family Stone and The Bandwagon achieved UK Top 10 success during the summer and autumn of that year, making Direction one of the more prominent specialist soul-oriented labels in the British market at the time. Other artists associated with its catalogue included Taj Mahal and The Chambers Brothers, whose releases reflected the label's emphasis on American soul, rhythm and blues, and adjacent roots-oriented styles. Direction Records was discontinued in 1970. The imprint was briefly revived in 1980, when it issued three singles by The Step and a four-track EP by Noel McCalla. This later activity was limited rather than a full restoration of the label's 1960s operation. Direction is therefore best understood as a historically significant CBS subsidiary whose main period of activity ran from 1967 to 1970, with a short revival a decade later.
History
Direction Records was established in the United Kingdom by CBS Records in spring 1967 as a subsidiary imprint. The label was designed primarily to handle American soul and rhythm-and-blues recordings for the British market. At a time when specialist labels helped major record companies segment their catalogues by genre and audience, Direction provided CBS with a dedicated identity for music rooted in Black American popular traditions and related styles. Although its core repertoire came from the United States, Direction was not restricted to American acts. The imprint also released music by British and Jamaican artists. Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera is identified among its British signings, demonstrating that the label could be used for domestic repertoire as well as licensed or distributed overseas recordings. Its catalogue consequently combined imported soul and R&B with selected recordings from the UK and Jamaica. The label's most commercially prominent period came in 1968. Sly & the Family Stone and The Bandwagon both placed releases in the UK Top 10, with their successes occurring in the summer and autumn respectively. Those results gave Direction a visible presence in the British singles market. The catalogue also included releases associated with Taj Mahal and The Chambers Brothers, extending the imprint's profile across soul, rhythm and blues, and related American roots and rock traditions. Direction Records was discontinued in 1970. Its closure ended the main phase of the label, which had lasted roughly three years. The imprint was subsequently revived on a limited basis in 1980. During that revival it issued three singles by The Step and a four-track extended play by Noel McCalla. The small number of later releases indicates a short-lived reactivation rather than a sustained return to regular operations. Direction Records is therefore remembered primarily as a late-1960s CBS UK subsidiary and specialist soul-oriented imprint, with a brief revival in 1980.
- 1980
Limited revival of Direction Records
[1]The imprint briefly returns for three singles by The Step and a four-track EP by Noel McCalla.
- 1970
The imprint is discontinued
[1]CBS ends the main operating period of Direction Records.
- 1968
Direction achieves UK Top 10 successes
[1]Releases by Sly & the Family Stone and The Bandwagon reach the UK Top 10 during the summer and autumn, respectively.
- 1967
CBS establishes Direction Records in the UK
[1]CBS Records creates Direction Records as a British subsidiary imprint, primarily for American soul and rhythm-and-blues releases.
Products and positioning
A CBS Records specialist imprint focused primarily on bringing American soul and rhythm-and-blues recordings to the UK, while also issuing selected British and Jamaican releases.
Record-label singles · 1967
Direction Records singles catalogue
The label's principal output consisted of singles, especially releases presenting American soul and rhythm-and-blues performers to UK listeners. Its late-1960s singles included commercially successful releases by Sly & the Family Stone and The Bandwagon, as well as recordings associated with Taj Mahal, The Chambers Brothers, British artists, and Jamaican performers.
Extended plays · 1980
Direction Records extended-play catalogue
Direction also issued extended-play material. During the imprint's brief 1980 revival, it released a four-track EP by Noel McCalla, one of the small number of releases associated with the label's return after its 1970 discontinuation.
Brand decisions
1980
Direction is revived for a limited release programOtherBackground
A decade after discontinuation, the Direction name was used again for a small number of releases.
Action taken
The revived imprint issued three singles by The Step and a four-track EP by Noel McCalla.
Aftermath
The revival was brief and did not restore the label as a continuing operation.
1970
CBS discontinues the imprintStrategyBackground
After its principal late-1960s operating period, Direction Records was no longer continued as an active label.
Action taken
CBS discontinued Direction Records in 1970.
Aftermath
The imprint remained inactive until a limited revival in 1980.
1967
CBS creates a specialist UK soul and R&B imprintStrategyBackground
CBS Records needed a UK label identity suited to American soul and rhythm-and-blues recordings while retaining the ability to issue selected British and Jamaican material.
Action taken
The company established Direction Records as a subsidiary label in the United Kingdom.
Aftermath
The imprint developed a catalogue that included releases by Sly & the Family Stone, The Bandwagon, Taj Mahal, The Chambers Brothers, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, and other artists.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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