Blast Off: The Felsted Records Story 1958-1962

Felsted, in Essex, is the village where Sir Edward Lewis, the head of Britain's Decca Records, lived. In 1954 Felsted lent its name to a Decca subsidiary releasing jazz and dance-band music; its monochrome label bore the legend 'Dance Rhythms'. In 1958 it was employed to release US-recorded material in the UK, the singles now modified to proclaim 'American Recordings'. The source of this music was the US-based label celebrated by this compilation, which opened its doors in 1957 as a subsidiary of London. From Essex to America was quite a step, even with the advent of the jet airliner. And Felsted was an unusual label; enjoy this slice of its varied output.