Poppy Records
wooshie
490 Posts
first post!just wondering if anyone knows of some kind of discog online or otherwise for poppy records, i got a couple things on this label like barry miles, i know they didnt just put out jazz and they went broke early. If anyone can reccomend some other records from this label to check out. be much appreciated...btw is that leo sayer going 'ghey'?tehehe
Comments
There's a Poppy discog somewhere, just google it. There were less than 20 releases.
One of the really cool things about Poppy is that Milton Glaser was the designer of the label and all the the covers. Glaser is best known for the I Heart NY logo but you've literally seen hundreds of his works. He's the dude.
Poppy discog right here
Actually they had a pretty good run - 1967-74. Later, Poppy founder Kevin Eggers started Tomato Records, and they've been in business off and on since 1977, with an eclectic artist roster similar to Poppy. Select Poppy titles have been reissued on Tomato through the years.
I write about music for different magazines, and was briefly on Tomato's mailing list some time back. Once I called for the promo man but he had left for the day, and I found myself talking to Mr. Eggers. Nice guy - I complimented him on the fact that Poppy put out some wild shit despite being bankrolled by two major labels (first MGM, then United Artists), and I recall him saying that it was a different era and he could afford to do that back then. The labels weren't as conservative during that time.
I second the recommendation for the Mandrake Memorial. Both their self-titled album and PUZZLE are good. If you like bluegrass, try ELEMENTARY DOCTOR WATSON by Doc Watson, from '72. Two good blues albums on Poppy are Lightnin' Hopkins' LIGHTNIN'! and a various-artists comp called BLUES ROOTS. (Both the Lightnin' and the compilation were drawn from the vaults of the still-active Arhoolie label.) Comedian Dick Gregory did some interesting albums of political humor for Poppy; a little dated (lots of talk about protestors and the Nixon administration), but still okay in its' way.
didn't know anything about tomato records, interesting. i'll keep an eye out for the other stuff, especially mandrake memorial
Plus, I have a couple 45's by him on Poppy that are good as well.
Good catch. Would be an incredible folk album had there not been light baroque string passages inserted between each track.
Further Poppy marginalia: Guitarist Linda Cohen was married to Mandrake Memorial leader Craig Anderton. Anderton was a champion of DIY and made his name writing one of the first books on building a home studio. He also penned a how-to on crack electronic gizmos. Some of these gizmos can be heard on Cohen's LPs on Poppy. I don't think they're still married, and for what it's worth I have never seen a photo of Linda Cohen.
His best stuff is def on Poppy