URC Records

URC Records (URCレコード) began in January 1969 as the Angura Record Club (アングラ・レコード・クラブ), a membership-based record club founded by Masaaki Hata. It was created to release folk songs that major labels refused to handle, often because their lyrics contained political protest, anti-war themes, discriminatory language, or obscenity deemed unsuitable for broadcast. The club initially operated by mail order to fee-paying members, but demand far exceeded the planned 1,000 members; after expanding to 2,000, it still could not meet demand, and within six months it had signed non-distribution sales contracts with 140 record stores nationwide, formally becoming the independent label URC Records. Its first commercial LP was Nobuyasu Okabayashi's "Watashi wo Danzai Seyo" in August 1969. URC became a focal point for the Japanese folk and underground scene, home to artists such as 五つの赤い風船, 遠藤賢司, 岡林信康, 加川良, 高石友也, 高田渡, 友部正人, 中川五郎, はっぴいえんど, 早川義夫, 六文銭, and 三上寛. As folk music became commercially viable, major labels launched their own folk imprints and poached URC artists. URC later entrusted distribution to Elec Records, then Toho Records and Underground Disc Center (UDC), but as the social climate changed and many musicians moved to major labels, production dwindled and the label ceased activity in the late 1970s. Reissues followed via SMS (Watanabe Productions), Kitty Records, Toshiba EMI, and Avex. Currently, Shinko Music holds the master rights and Pony Canyon holds sales rights. Pony Canyon has reissued URC recordings on CD, and since 2013 Greenwood Records has released paper-jacket HQCD editions, mainly of titles never before on CD or long out of print. In 2017 Pony Canyon launched the "URC Analog Reissue Series," releasing 12 titles through May 2018.

URC Records was established in January 1969 by Masaaki Hata as the Angura Record Club (アングラ・レコード・クラブ), a membership-based record club. It was created to release folk songs that major labels would not handle, often because their lyrics contained political protest, anti-war themes, discriminatory language, or obscenity deemed unsuitable for broadcast. According to singer and author Kenichi Nagira, major labels at the time dismissed folk music as unprofitable, believing that scruffy guitar players who did not even tune their instruments could not sell records. The club initially operated by mail order to fee-paying members, but demand far exceeded the planned 1,000 members; after expanding to 2,000, it still could not meet demand, and within six months it had signed non-distribution sales contracts with 140 record stores nationwide, formally becoming the independent label URC Records. Its first commercial LP was Nobuyasu Okabayashi's "Watashi wo Danzai Seyo" in August 1969. Some members complained that releasing club-only recordings commercially would reduce their value as collector's items. As folk music became commercially viable, major labels launched their own folk imprints and poached URC artists. URC later entrusted distribution to Elec Records, then Toho Records and Underground Disc Center (UDC), but as the social climate changed and many musicians moved to major labels, production dwindled and the label ceased activity in the late 1970s. Reissues followed via SMS (Watanabe Productions), Kitty Records, Toshiba EMI, and Avex. Avex once partnered with Amazon to solicit requests for reissues, deciding to reissue when a certain number of requests were gathered and selling limited editions on Amazon. Currently, Shinko Music holds the master rights and Pony Canyon holds sales rights. Pony Canyon has reissued URC recordings on CD, and since 2013 Greenwood Records has released paper-jacket HQCD editions, mainly of titles never before on CD or long out of print. In 2017 Pony Canyon launched the "URC Analog Reissue Series," releasing 12 titles through May 2018.

• 2017

  Pony Canyon launched 'URC Analog Reissue Series', releasing 12 titles through May 2018.

• 2013

  Greenwood Records began paper-jacket HQCD reissues.

• 2009

  Pony Canyon launched 'Elec Records/URC Records Reissue Project 2009'.

• 1979

  Label ceased activity in the late 1970s.

• 1970

  Happy End's 'Kazemachi Roman' released (1971).

• 1970

  Label began entrusting distribution to Elec Records.

• 1970

  Later distribution entrusted to Toho Records and Underground Disc Center (UDC).

• 1969

  Founded in January as Angura Record Club by Masaaki Hata.

• 1969

  First commercial LP released: Nobuyasu Okabayashi's 'Watashi wo Danzai Seyo' in August.

• 1969

  Within six months, signed non-distribution sales contracts with 140 record stores nationwide, becoming URC Records.

Pioneering independent folk and underground music label in Japan, known for politically charged and countercultural releases.

• Nobuyasu Okabayashi – Watashi wo Danzai Seyo (1969)

• Happy End – Kazemachi Roman (1971)

• Kenichi Nagira – Kato ni Batta wo Mita

1. 1URC Records - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2アングラ・レコード・クラブ - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org