Easlea & Forde on 'Decca' & 'EMI': Louder Than Words 2019
As is often the case with panels at ‘Louder Than Words’ festival, walking into this discussion feels at first as if you are entering the sitting room of a grandiose country house. Very nearly works of art in themselves, the rooms in the Principal Hotel in Manchester (where the annual festival celebrating the relationship between music and writing takes place) are opulent but cosy, and the intimacy of the discussions often makes it feel as if one should be sprawled in a large armchair, seated opposite those speaking with a cigar in one hand and glass of something alcoholic in the other.
In reality, there are around twenty people attending this particular panel, and there are no armchairs, cigars or alcohol in sight. Not that they are needed; as soon as speakers Daryl Easlea and Eamonn Forde get things rolling it quickly becomes obvious how pleasantly laid-back proceedings are going to be, with the pair addressing their audience as if catching up with old friends rather than as if they are about to delve into the complex histories of two gargantuan record labels.
Easlea kicks off, talking us through the history of Decca Records- from releasing Rod Stewart’s first record in 1964 to the development of offshoot label ‘Deram’- with the help of some probing questions from Forde, and perhaps more significantly Easlea’s own recently published book on the subject. ‘Decca: The Supreme Record Company’ is an enormous hardback book that we soon discover is as detailed as it looks, packed with pictures of album art and newspaper articles as well as written information.
Easlea speaks with sincerity and passion, his genuine affection for the subject becoming apparent when the idea of Decca being best known as the label who turned down The Beatles is brought up (his response being ‘they weren’t the only one!’, and then proceeds to reel off a list of other significant artists that Decca did sign, including Adam Ant, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones).
Moving onto Forde, discussion starts in a similar way. We learn that he too has recently written a book about a record label, although this time it’s EMI, and the angle Forde takes with his publication (‘The Final Days of EMI: Selling the Pig’) is surprisingly more pessimistic than Easlea’s Decca ‘celebration’.
It doesn’t make it any less informative though. In fact, hearing of EMI’s collapse and subsequent divide in 2011- considering the weight it held as a record label for over one hundred years- seems to provoke more of a reaction from those listening.
It’s fair to say, however, that both Easlea and Forde present interesting angles on the histories of Decca and EMI respectfully, their encyclopaedic knowledge of the two labels and the eagerness with which they speak making for an entertaining and informative ninety minutes.
Hearing some of the audience’s remarks afterwards, it also sounds as if they sold a few more copies of their books. And rightly so; had I a spare fifty pounds (for the Decca book) or twenty pounds (for the EMI book), I would certainly be queuing to purchase my copies too.
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For more information about Louder Than Words festival please visit www.louderthanwordsfest.com
