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Neat Records

Neat Records
Parent companyBMG Rights Management
Founded1979
FounderDavid Wood
StatusInactive. Sold to Sanctuary Records in 1995
GenreHeavy metal, speed metal, black metal, AOR, punk rock
Country of originUnited Kingdom
LocationWallsend, Tyne and Wear, England

Neat Records was a British independent record label based near Newcastle, England. The label was established in 1979 by David Wood, who was the owner of Impulse Studios in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear.[1] A key figure in the establishment of the label was Steve Thompson. Thompson was house producer at Impulse at the time and helped set up Neat, became the A&R manager and produced all the initial recordings, as well as managing the publishing arm, Neat Music. The label was sold in 1995 to Sanctuary Records.

Neat Records was arguably the most instrumental label in the revival of heavy metal in the early 1980s in the UK. The movement was known as the new wave of British heavy metal or NWOBHM for short. The label is most notable for the early releases of Newcastle band Venom who are widely credited with the invention of black metal. While none of Neat Records' acts really broke through to the mainstream themselves, Venom, Raven, Blitzkrieg and Jaguar particularly are acknowledged as major influences on a host of major American thrash metal bands such as Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. Metallica have covered Blitzkrieg's self-titled song "Blitzkrieg" and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has claimed "Whiplash" to be a deliberate attempt to emulate Jaguar's song "Stormchild" which was written by Jeff Cox.[2] This was disclosed to interviewer Robin Askew from 'Venue' magazine during an interview with Lars Ulrich, and subsequently published in the magazine.[3]

Other notable acts to release music through Neat Records include Warfare, White Spirit (notable as the then band of current Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers)[4] and Persian Risk (notable as the original band of Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell).[5]

  1. ^ Barton, Geoff (16 August 2005). "The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal". Neal Kay's Heavy Metal Soundhouse. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  2. ^ Tucker, John (2015). Neat & Tidy: The Story of Neat Records (UK ed.). Jeske, Otger, u. Matthias Mader. I.P. Verlag. p. 34. ISBN 9783940822048.
  3. ^ Brannigan, Paul; Winwood, Ian (2013). Birth School Metallica Death: The Biography. Da Capo Press. p. 73. ISBN 9780306821875.
  4. ^ Tucker, John (2015). Neat & Tidy: The Story of Neat Records (UK ed.). Jeske, Otger, u. Matthias Mader. I.P. Verlag. p. 65. ISBN 9783940822048.
  5. ^ Tucker, John (2015). Neat & Tidy: The Story of Neat Records (UK ed.). Jeske, Otger, u. Matthias Mader. I.P. Verlag. p. 363. ISBN 9783940822048.

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