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ZTT Records

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ZTT
ZTT Records
Parent companySPZ Group
Founded1983
FounderPaul Morley, Jill Sinclair, Trevor Horn
Distributor(s)SPZ Group
GenreVarious
Country of originUnited Kingdom
LocationLondon
Official websitewww.ztt.com

ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases.

History of the label

ZTT is an initialism of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's sound poem "Zang Tumb Tumb". The word "Tuuuum" is also featured on the cover of the original publication of the poem in book form.

The majority of the creative team[clarification needed] at ZTT had first assembled when Horn produced the acclaimed album The Lexicon of Love for British pop band ABC.

A precursor to ZTT was the short-lived Perfect label, spun off from the newly founded Perfect Songs publishing subsidiary of Trevor Horn and Jill Sinclair's company. Perfect Recordings only released The Buggles' Adventures in Modern Recording and the singles derived from it.

ZTT enjoyed considerable success in the 1980s with the composer Andrew Poppy, bands such as Propaganda, Art of Noise, and the chart-topping Frankie Goes to Hollywood. In 1987 and 1989 respectively, Propaganda and Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman Holly Johnson went to court to be released from their contracts. Propaganda's case was settled out of court; Johnson won his outright. In the Holly Johnson case, the court chastised Horn for production cost over-runs. It has since become common knowledge that Horn's perfectionism can be expensive. (The sleevenotes of the Pet Shop Boys’ Discography compilation make good natured references to Horn's methods).

In the 1990s, ZTT became a successful dance label once again, with major names on their roster including Seal and 808 State.

Over the years, the label has reissued material by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Propaganda and Art of Noise in various formats - from remix albums, to straight reissues.

ZTT Records is now owned by the SPZ Group, which stands for Sarm Perfect ZTT: Sarm Studios, Perfect Songs publishing and ZTT records. From the beginning, the majority of ZTT releases were published by Perfect Songs and recorded at Sarm Studios.

Acts on the ZTT label

ZTT Records in London (1986)
1980s 1990s 2000s

† as one-time UK distributor for Tommy Boy Records

Action Series

File:Ztt zang tumb tuum sampled.jpg
IQ6 Zang Tumb Tuum Sampled Action Series number 18

As part of ZTT internal cataloguing of releases they maintained two series; the Action Series and the Incidental Series. The Action Series was issued mainly to singles and albums by a majority of the labels artists. However to confuse matters the series also contains a booklet and a concert.

The Action series was discontinued by ZTT in 1988.[1]

  • AS1: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
  • AS2: Propaganda - Dr. Mabuse
  • AS3: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes/War
  • AS4: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
  • AS5: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love
  • AS6: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - And Suddenly There Came A Bang! (Booklet)
  • AS7: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome (single)
  • AS8: Propaganda - Duel
  • AS9: Roy Orbison - Wild Hearts
  • AS10: The Value Of Entertainment (concert)
  • AS11: Art of Noise - Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise
  • AS12: Propaganda - p:Machinery
  • AS13: Propaganda - A Secret Wish
  • AS14: Various - The Shape Of The Universe
  • AS15: Glenn Gregory & Claudia Brucken - When Your Heart Runs Out Of Time
  • AS16: Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm (A Biography)
  • AS17: Andrew Poppy - The Beating Of Wings
  • AS18: Various - Zang Tuum Tumb Sampled
  • AS19: Anne Pigalle - Everything Could Be So Perfect...
  • AS20: Propaganda - Wishful Thinking
  • AS21: Propaganda - p:Machinery (Reactivated)
  • AS22: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Rage Hard
  • AS23: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Liverpool
  • AS24: Das Psycho Rangers - Starve God There's Choice
  • AS25: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Warriors of the Wasteland
  • AS26: Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Watching the Wildlife
  • AS27: Andrew Poppy - Alphabed (A Mystery Dance)
  • AS28: Act (band) - Snobbery and Decay

See also

References

  1. ^ "BBC - h2g2 - ZTT Records 1983-1988". Retrieved 19 August 2007.
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