Junior Boy's Own

Junior Boy's Own was an electronic dance music record-label imprint that grew out of Boy's Own, a London club culture collective whose activities began with a fanzine, expanded into promotion, and then developed into record releasing. The Junior imprint was established in 1992 by Terry Farley and Steven Hall, following the earlier Boy's Own Recordings label operated with London Records and FFRR between 1990 and 1993. The name is also associated with Junior Recordings and, in later label structures, JBO. The imprint reflected two complementary sides of the Boy's Own network. Farley concentrated on house-oriented 12-inch singles and production projects, while Hall pursued album-led work and artists with a stronger live or crossover profile. This division allowed the label to function both as a specialist club-music outlet and as a home for electronic acts capable of reaching a broader album audience. Releases connected with the imprint included music by Bocca Juniors, Fire Island, Roach Motel, X-Press 2, the Ballistic Brothers, the Chemical Brothers, Black Science Orchestra and Underworld. Junior Boy's Own became especially important during the expansion of British house, rave and post-acid-house culture in the 1990s. Its catalogue combined dance-floor singles with artist albums rather than treating the label as only a singles operation. Underworld's "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" and the Chemical Brothers' "Exit Planet Dust" are among the best-known albums associated with the wider Junior/JBO catalogue, while releases by the Ballistic Brothers and Black Science Orchestra represented the label's connection to sophisticated, sample-based and club-oriented production. During the late 1990s, the operation was divided into distinct strands. Twelve-inch dance releases appeared through Junior London, while album projects were issued through JBO, a joint-venture structure first associated with Richard Branson's V2 and later with Parlophone/EMI. This reorganization reflected the different commercial and operational requirements of club singles and full-length artist projects. It also placed some of the imprint's most visible album work within larger distribution and corporate-label arrangements. The label's activity declined and wound down during the middle of the 2000s. Although Junior Boy's Own was not a conventional mass-market corporate brand, its importance lies in its role within British independent dance music: it connected influential DJs, producers, club records and acclaimed electronic albums, and helped carry the creative identity of the Boy's Own collective into the record business. The imprint's catalogue remains associated with the formative 1990s UK electronic music scene and with artists who later achieved substantial international recognition.

Boy's Own originated in 1986 as a fanzine created by Terry Farley, Andrew Weatherall, Cymon Eckel and Steven Mayes. The publication took its name from an older boys' adventure-publishing tradition and was influenced by football-fanzine culture. Through connections with Paul Oakenfold, the group became involved with early London acid-house events and turned the fanzine into an important chronicler of the emerging club scene. In 1988, the collective began promoting its own events. The group entered recorded music in 1990 by establishing Boy's Own Recordings in association with London Records and FFRR. That operation released material by acts including Bocca Juniors, One Dove, Jah Wobble, D.S.K., Denim and Less Stress. Junior Boy's Own was created in 1992 as an offshoot, with Terry Farley and Steven Hall as its principal founders. Hall managed the label, while both founders participated in A&R. Farley emphasized house singles and production projects; Hall developed a more album-oriented roster. The Junior imprint's catalogue consequently covered several parts of 1990s British electronic music. Farley-related projects included Bocca Juniors, Fire Island and Roach Motel, while X-Press 2 and the Ballistic Brothers represented other strands of the label's house and club identity. Hall signed or developed album-oriented acts such as the Chemical Brothers, Black Science Orchestra and Underworld. Their releases helped make the imprint visible beyond the specialist singles market. By the late 1990s, the organization had separated its dance-single and album activities. Junior London handled twelve-inch dance releases, while album projects moved through JBO, a joint venture connected first with V2 and later with Parlophone/EMI. The arrangement gave the label access to larger distribution structures while preserving a recognizable connection to the Boy's Own creative network. The imprint's activity gradually declined and it wound down in the mid-2000s. Its historical reputation rests on its contribution to the British electronic dance music boom and on a catalogue that joined club functionality with ambitious full-length records.

• 1996

  Black Science Orchestra releases Walters Room

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The album adds another prominent album project to the Junior/JBO catalogue.

• 1995

  The Chemical Brothers release Exit Planet Dust

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The Chemical Brothers' debut album strengthens the imprint's profile in internationally visible electronic music.

• 1995

  Ballistic Brothers release London Hooligan Soul

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The album extends the label's catalogue of sophisticated, club-oriented electronic production.

• 1994

  Junior Boy's Own compilation appears

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  A various-artists compilation presents the imprint's electronic music identity.

• 1994

  Underworld releases Dubnobasswithmyheadman

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Underworld's album becomes one of the best-known full-length releases associated with the Junior/JBO catalogue.

• 1992

  Junior Boy's Own is launched

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Terry Farley and Steven Hall establish the Junior Boy's Own and Junior Recordings offshoot.

• 1990

  Boy's Own Recordings is formed

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The parent recording operation is established with London Records and FFRR, releasing music by a range of electronic and alternative acts.

• 1990

  The label operation winds down

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Junior Boy's Own and its related operations decline and wind down during the middle of the 2000s.

• 1988

  Boy's Own starts promoting events

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The collective expands from publishing into hosting its own club events.

• 1986

  Boy's Own fanzine begins

  [1]Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The wider Boy's Own collective begins as a London fanzine created by Terry Farley, Andrew Weatherall, Cymon Eckel and Steven Mayes, documenting the emerging club culture.

An influential independent-leaning British electronic music imprint positioned between specialist club culture and album-oriented crossover electronica.

• Electronic music album · 1994

  Dubnobasswithmyheadman

  Underworld's 1994 album is one of the most prominent full-length releases linked with the Junior Boy's Own/JBO network. It represents the imprint's album-oriented side and its ability to present electronic music as an expansive artist statement rather than solely as a collection of club singles.

• Electronic music album · 1995

  Exit Planet Dust

  The Chemical Brothers' 1995 debut album is a major release associated with the label's album programme. Its inclusion illustrates Hall's focus on live and album-oriented electronic acts and helped connect the imprint's club roots with a wider international audience.

• Electronic music album · 1995

  London Hooligan Soul

  This 1995 Ballistic Brothers album belongs to the sophisticated house and sample-based side of the catalogue. It reflects Junior Boy's Own's interest in studio-led dance music that could operate both in clubs and as a complete album.

• Electronic music album · 1996

  Walters Room

  Black Science Orchestra's 1996 album is part of the imprint's album-focused output and demonstrates its continued connection to house-derived, producer-led electronic music.

• Various-artists compilation · 1994

  Junior Boy's Own

  The 1994 compilation brings together music representing the Junior Boy's Own identity and serves as a concise survey of its electronic dance music roster and production culture.

• 1997

  Separate dance singles from album projectsStrategy

  Background

  By the late 1990s, the imprint was handling both vinyl dance singles and larger album-led artist projects with different commercial requirements.

  Action taken

  Twelve-inch dance releases were assigned to Junior London, while album projects were developed through JBO in joint-venture arrangements associated first with V2 and later with Parlophone/EMI.

  Aftermath

  The structure gave the label access to larger distribution and corporate-label resources while retaining separate treatment for specialist club releases and album projects.

  Source

1. 1Boy's Own (record label)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Boy's Own at Discogsdiscogs.com
3. 3Junior Boy's Own at Discogsdiscogs.com