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Rudi The Red-Nosed Reindeer by The Steam Shovel. Fifty years in the
Making and it’s still late for Christmas |
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The story of Rudi The Red-Nosed Reindeer began 53 years ago, in
Birmingham with the first ska recording to hit in the UK. The band were The
Locomotive, a well-established touring band who started off playing Kansas
City style rhythm & blues in the early 60s but underwent a dramatic
change of style when they stumbled across Rock Steady in a local record store
that specialised in Jamaican imports.  Armageddon”. |
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So there he was, a finished recording of “Rudi
The Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the B-side a ska version of “White
Christmas” in hand, Christmas fast-approaching, what was he to
do? He took what appeared to him to be the logical step and set up his own
record label, Big Bear Records, which now is probably the longest-established
independent record label in the country. Distribution was though
Island Records, who allocated a Trojan catalogue number (TR 635) and it was
released just in time for Christmas 1968. It sold enough to pretty much
recoup the recording costs, but there was to be a sting in that reindeer’s
tail. Big Bear Records needed a logo, went to design agency Mustard Creasey,
who for the princely sum of £25 produced a pink Big Bear logo that Simpson
opined resembled Balou The Bear. Not to worry, said those design chaps, it’s
a different colour and its hairs are different, so no problem. Walt Disney,
however, felt otherwise and quickly despatched his legal chaps to have a
stiff word with Simpson who swiftly agreed to do as they asked, to cease and
desist. The single was later to
see the light of day on two occasions, re-released in November 1994 and
December 1979 on Big Bear Records, with a new Disney-proof logo, with
catalogue number BB25 and credited to The Gangsters, and here we go, all
those years later, with a digital release and hope that, in these troubled
times, folk out there are ready for some silliness and fun. Welcome to Big Bear Music - Big Bear Music @BigBearMusic68 |
