The Able Label

Able Label was created in Brisbane in 1978 by Damien Nelson, Grant McLennan, and Robert Forster. Nelson ran the Toowong Music Centre, while McLennan and Forster were members of The Go-Betweens. The venture was historically notable because it became the first independent record label based in Brisbane, a city whose musicians had previously relied heavily on self-financed or informal release arrangements. The label's structure was relatively flexible. Several Brisbane groups were able to press their own records under the Able Label logo, allowing the imprint to function as a shared platform for local artists rather than as a conventional long-term recording company. The Numbers, later known as The Riptides, The Apartments, and the Four Gods are among the acts associated with this activity. The Go-Betweens provided the label with its most enduring catalogue connection. Their first two singles, “Lee Remick” and “People Say,” appeared on Able Label in 1978 and 1979 respectively. These releases are now closely associated with the band's early history and with the emergence of Brisbane's independent and post-punk music communities. The label also became the subject of a catalogue and branding dispute involving Razar. The group released its seminal 1978 single “Task Force” with the Able-associated catalogue number AB002, despite reportedly not having permission to use the Able Label logo. The historical account identifies an alternative explanation: the number may have been applied accidentally by the Sydney pressing plant. The evidence does not resolve the matter definitively. Able Label records were pressed in limited runs of approximately 500 to 700 copies. The scarcity of these records has contributed to their later status as collector's items, while the label's association with The Go-Betweens has given it continuing interest among Australian music historians and record collectors. No reliable source in the supplied material specifies the date on which Able Label ceased operating, its formal corporate structure, or any successor organization.

• 1979

  The Go-Betweens release "People Say"

  [1]Able Labelen.wikipedia.org

  The Go-Betweens released their second Able Label single, "People Say."

• 1978

  Able Label established in Brisbane

  [1]Able Labelen.wikipedia.org

  Damien Nelson, Grant McLennan, and Robert Forster established Able Label, described as Brisbane's first independent record label.

• 1978

  The Go-Betweens release "Lee Remick"

  [1]Able Labelen.wikipedia.org

  The Go-Betweens issued their first single, "Lee Remick," through Able Label.

• 1978

  Razar's "Task Force" catalogue dispute

  [1]Able Labelen.wikipedia.org

  Razar's single "Task Force" appeared with catalogue number AB002 and was associated with the Able Label identity despite the band reportedly not receiving permission to use the logo.

A pioneering Brisbane independent label that enabled local bands to press small-run records and helped establish an early infrastructure for the city's independent music scene.

• Single · 1978

  The Go-Betweens — "Lee Remick"

  The Go-Betweens' first single and one of Able Label's most historically significant releases. Issued in 1978, it documents the early recorded work of Grant McLennan and Robert Forster and helped establish the label's lasting association with Brisbane's independent music history.

• Single · 1979

  The Go-Betweens — "People Say"

  The Go-Betweens' second single on Able Label, released in 1979. Together with "Lee Remick," it forms the core of the label's best-known catalogue and represents an early release by a band that later became internationally recognized.

• Vinyl recordings

  Small-run Able Label pressings

  Able Label supported limited pressings for a number of Brisbane groups. Runs generally ranged from about 500 to 700 copies, making surviving records scarce and attractive to collectors of Australian independent music.

1. 1Able Labelen.wikipedia.org