“And bought stuff on Topic for which he’s not geared”
– Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside
So… what do we know about Topic (Records)?
The A to Z of HMHB
The A to Z of HMHB
“And bought stuff on Topic for which he’s not geared”
– Adam Boyle Has Cast Lad Rock Aside
So… what do we know about Topic (Records)?
Dave cooper
What’s got an hazelnut in every bite?
Squirrel shit.
2 April 2017
Third Rate Les
Topic was also an electronic trading system built and run by the London Stock Exchange. I have a framed screenprint at home taken from its last day in 1994, when it was replaced and decommissioned. It looked a lot like Ceefax, and was the same kind of thing – basically, showing latest prices of stuff (the trading back then took place mainly over the phone).
So first time I heard this line I thought it referred to that, with the “geared” comment being a financial one, although I realise that makes me sound like a bit of a banker.
3 April 2017
Bananyogi
Topic was (is?) an excellent record label. One of the few that you could almost buy something without knowing what it was and be guaranteed an interesting listen. In the same way that early Stiff, 2-Tone, Straight, Dandelion, Free Reed and others were. For those that don’t know (is there anyone?) Topic specialised in folk music. If you’ve got a beard, a checked shirt and live in one of the trendier parts of London, you probably call it ‘English roots music’.
3 April 2017
Third Rate Les
I honestly didn’t know that. So yes, there is. Thanks.
So what does “for which he’s not geared”? Does that just mean he hasn’t got a record player?
7 April 2017
dr desperate
More metaphorical than that, I think – folk (especially guitarless) is a genre of music to which he’s so far had little exposure.
Topic is still going strong, 78 years after being founded as an offshoot of the Workers’ Music Association. It’s the oldest independent record label in the world.
7 April 2017
brumbiscuit
Or maybe buying 78s when he only has a 33 1/3 or 45rpm deck?
7 April 2017
John Anderson
I’ve just bought a June Tabor album on Topic from a charity shop and fear I may not be geared for this kind of stuff.
15 September 2021
professor Abelazar woozle
You’ll be OK with June Tabor. The album shown on the thread pic, now that’s a bit more hardcore folkie (says the man who has a copy of it in his record collection…)
15 September 2021
ALICE van der meer
Back when there were such things as HMV I walked into the one in Oxford, and a cover of “Love Will Tear us Apart” was playing – walked up to the counter, said “What the hell is this?”, and bought one – June Tabor and Oyster Band. Totally different feel to the song – if you are going to cover something, make it yours, and they did.
Bizarrely, Fiddler’s Dram was an Oyster Band offshoot.
Shit, I think I’ve outed myself as a folkie. I’ll just go hide behind my W G Grace beard…
16 September 2021