The early and mid 80s had a great impact on my life; this was when a big part of my worldview was shaped. During this period I consumed underground music at a rapid rate, which I still do to this day. Back then, integrity was everything you had – q label’s logo sold records just as much as the band themselves. Meaning if a record label stood for something you trusted, you bought what they were releasing without even hearing it. The D.I.Y. ethic was our normal back then on many levels, and one British label laid the foundation: Rough Trade. I remember when they opened a record store in San Francisco, it was a mecca for our crew of misfits, and the fact that some of our friends worked there made us feel a little special. We also rated them because of their in-house label, Rough Trade Records. They put out some killer pieces of sonic history back in the day, such groups as The Raincoats, The Slits, The Smiths, Horace Andy, Stiff Little Fingers, The Fall, Subway Sect and Zounds…I could keep going, but I’m pretty sure you get the picture. Well, a couple of years ago the BBC made one of of the most fascinating music documentaries that I have ever seen, called The Story of Rough Trade (The Rise & Fall). From the very first frame of this film, I was hooked, because it’s so much deeper than just a documentary about a record label that changed the course of British Music. Without giving anything away, it’s a thought-provoking look at the record industry. Deeper than anything, The Story of Rough Trade examines the questions of what is success and what price are people willing to pay for it? Honestly, this is a must-see movie for everyone, it really should not matter what musical subculture you are into, everyone can take something away from this story. So after the jump, check out this superdelic documentary, The Story of Rough Trade!
Rough from Django's Ghost on Vimeo.
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